Elaine Armfield
Senior Director, Corporate Engagement and Strategic Partnerships
Arizona State University
Elaine Armfield is an established leader with over 20 years of experience in higher education, corporate relations, and strategic partnerships. As Senior Director of Corporate Engagement and Strategic Partnerships at ASU’s Knowledge Enterprise, Elaine leads the development and execution of corporate engagement strategies, managing high-value partnerships to drive ASU’s mission of innovation and impact within KE’s Corporate Engagement and Strategic Partnerships and Office of Economic Development (CESP).
Elaine has played a key role in creating the foundation of corporate engagement across the ASU Enterprise, collaborating in securing substantial investments in research funding from federal government focused on key microelectronics and sustainability initiatives by recruiting industry partners, and leading successful individual corporate partnerships that advance ASU’s research and innovation goals.
Elaine manages a portfolio of high-capacity corporate relationships, ensuring they are stewarded and aligned with university objectives. They act as a strategic liaison between CESP and key academic and research units, fostering cohesive engagement across the institution. Elaine leads the “Corporate Partnerships” team within CESP; a team responsible for developing strategies and best practices for partner management, creating new data management processes, launching and supporting large-scale grant partnerships, and producing comprehensive research reports to showcase corporate partnership achievements across ASU. Elaine has also worked for the Deans of both ASU’s W. P. Carey School of Business and the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, as well as ASU’s Office for Sponsored Research Administration.
A passionate advocate for inclusive leadership, Elaine is dedicated to ensuring all colleagues have a sense of belonging and a place to thrive. Elaine has been nominated for an Inclusive Leadership Award and chairs the Knowledge Enterprise Inclusive Workplace Committee, championing a culture of respect and collaboration. Elaine earned both a BFA and MNLM from Arizona State University. They serve on the Arizona State Supreme Court’s Committee on the Impact of Domestic Violence and the Courts (CIDVC), are a Flinn-Brown Fellow, and a graduate of Valley Leadership’s Leadership Institute (Class 32).