The Nation’s Pre-eminent Business School
Chief Marketing and Communications Officer
The Client
Our client is known as “The World’s First Business School” and has been the place where visionaries, inventors and trailblazers have received their start for more than 135 years. Through its storied history, the School has continued innovating to meet global demand for new ideas, deeper insights and transformative leadership. The School’s global reach includes a wide range of Executive Education programs, study abroad programs, international advisory boards and global forums.
The Challenge
This was a unique opportunity for an accomplished marketer to lead a team of 40+ and enhance one of the pre-eminent global brands in Higher Education. The role had been filled for the last year by an interim Chief Marketing and Communications Officer (CMCO) who succeeded two leaders who had relatively brief tenures. It was extremely important that we recruit a dynamic marketing leader who could motivate, inspire and enhance the team’s capabilities. The team responded well to the interim leader and demonstrated that they were both capable and anxious for a leader who would set a clear vision and could demonstrate how to achieve their varied goals. The CMCO would report to the Dean and be part of his Leadership team.
The Solution
Our national search was focused on recruiting successful leaders both inside and outside higher education. There was significant interest in the opportunity given the cache of the School’s brand, its global reach and the strongly positive reputation of the Dean and his leadership team. From the very competitive field we were able to attract a proven leader at a competitor School where she led Marketing, as well as having sponsorships and Development responsibilities. Our client liked that she received classic marketing training early in her career at P & G and, after she received her MBA, went on to a successful career in sports marketing. Even more important, she scored highly as an energetic strategic thinker with charisma and a track record leading and developing talent. Since joining the School, the CMCO has re-built relationships with key leaders across the School and helped the team enhance the capabilities it provides to its large group of constituents.