JOHN FARRAR
He/Him
As the Industry Director of Education at Google, John is a trusted partner and adviser to top education institutions and leaders to transform their digital footprint. Raised by two public school teachers turned professors, John has witnessed the immense opportunities and challenges within traditional education. He brings that passion to the table as he helps CEOs, college presidents and deans strategically innovate to solve their toughest challenges and adapt to meet the needs of their evolving student population.
As an avid thought leader, John has been featured in Forbes, the mainstage of ASU GSV, the Carnegie Conference, and as a frequent guest host on The EdUp Experience podcast talking about why we must first focus on student outcomes, build a “well-traveled” bridge between employers and education, and embrace digital transformation. You can also find him on his YouTube channel, ManifestED, where he and his team interview the movers and shakers of the education ecosystem.
Before joining Google, John was President and General Manager of Brand.net, a programmatic display platform in San Francisco. He spent the majority of his career at Valassis Communications, Inc. in several capacities, including Vice President of CPG Sales and Senior Vice President of Digital Strategy/M&A. John earned his Master of Business Administration from Notre Dame and his Bachelor of Arts from Hillsdale College where he was named “Graduate of the Last Decade.”