Emmanuel Kolady steers Follett’s mission-critical imperatives, fostering a culture strategically aligned with the organization’s purpose and values.  

Emmanuel foresees trends and expertly positions Follett’s offerings to meet students where they are now and where they’re going next. He harnesses technology and spurs innovation to expand access to higher education by creating more affordable solutions and enabling faculty to maintain academic freedom.  

Joining Follett has afforded Emmanuel the opportunity to effect change at the helm of a purpose-driven organization well-equipped to positively shape equity, inclusion, success, and opportunities — making a meaningful impact for students, alumni, and institutions.  

Leveraging his knowledge of improving outcomes among underserved communities gained from the healthcare sector, Emmanuel advances progress to ensure more gain equitable access to quality education and resources. Similarly, Emmanuel taps into his retail experience to bring the Follett brand to life, creating unique student experiences on campus and online.  

Prior to his time at Follett, Emmanuel led over 100,000 colleagues in 5,000+ CVS stores while concurrently serving as Chief Supply Chain Officer and acting on the executive committee influencing a $95B business. In 2020, Emmanuel championed an enterprise leader role for CVS by building the largest private sector Covid testing operations in the country. He collaborated with stakeholders, government officials, as well as public and private sectors to effect rapid, large-scale change.  

Earlier in his career, Emmanuel served in business development, supply chain, and divisional/area leadership roles for CVS as well as operational and retail executive roles for Macy’s Inc.  

Emmanuel holds a B.S. in Accounting and Business Management from Mahatma Ghandi University, India.  

Emmanuel has been recognized with awards for innovation, omnichannel expertise, and large-scale operational initiatives. Emmanuel speaks on topics such as equitable access to care and educational resources, disparities within underserved communities, as well as supply chain, omnichannel, and retail operations.  

Emmanuel is a Member of the World Literacy Foundation Taskforce. He supports Bloom India, improving education in underserved communities. He also serves as an Advisor and Chair of the Fundraising Committee for the Gregory Foundation for Cancer Research.