Doug Ackley
CEODoug serves as the Chief Executive Officer for Autism F.I.R.S.T. He is responsible for driving the organizations mission and vision based on our belief in Relational Autism Care. He strives to create an environment of learning, compassion and growth.
Prior to this, Mr. Ackley was responsible for standing up a Product organization and discipline at DeVry University, and managing the development and delivery strategy for DeVry programs, platforms, and services from ideation to implementation. Mr. Ackley lead product initiatives to help to close society’s opportunity gap by preparing learners to thrive in careers shaped by continuous technological change.
Mr. Ackley previously held leadership roles at both Gartner and CEB, where he managed P&L, supported global, cross-functional teams, and developed and executed product strategies to address unmet needs in the market and increase the value delivered to clients. Prior to that, Mr. Ackley worked in consulting helping commercial and government organizations through transformation efforts to achieve sustainable growth, customer intimacy, business continuity and operational effectiveness. He started his career as a Global Product Manager with a diversified industrial corporation.
Mr. Ackley holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering and an MBA, both from the Pennsylvania State University. He is a volunteer business mentor, helping entrepreneurs and business leaders in Maryland start their businesses. He resides in Maryland with his wife and three daughters.