Michael E. Hansen

Michael Ekkehard Hansen is a German lawyer who is the chief executive officer of Cengage Learning. Hansen specialises in the evolution of the educational publishing industry, especially the transition the industry is making from print to digital and the development of new digital product lines.

Career Hansen was born and grew up in Wuppertal, Germany. He received a Master of Laws from the University of Bonn, Germany. He then obtained an MBA in from Columbia University. Hansen joined the Boston Consulting Group in New York in 1989, staying for 11 years. He rose to become a partner and co-chairman of the company's e-business and media practice. After serving briefly as head of international operations at Proxicom, an internet focused technology company, he moved to Bertelsmann, a German media corporation, as executive Vice President of Operational Excellence.

Personal life Hansen was married in 1997 but his wife Carina van Knoop died in 2020 from cancer. Hansen and van Knopp had three sons: Charles, Leonard, and Cooper. He enjoys snow skiing and Bikram yoga.