Greetings!

We hope this note finds you well. As the landscape of higher education continues to evolve, so too does the role of marketing and communications in shaping institutional identity, driving engagement, and fostering trust. At WittKieffer, we are privileged to partner with visionary professionals who are not only navigating change but leading it—with creativity, strategy, and purpose.

We continue to grow and evolve to meet the needs of our clients, explore emerging trend, and share transformational stories. We are fully invested in your success—and thrilled to share it with you.

See You Soon! 

Heading to the PRSA Counselors to Higher Education Senior Summit in Atlanta? Melissa Fincher, Marketing & Communications Practice Leader, will be there on March 8th and 9th. Reach out to mfincher@wittkieffer.com and find a time to connect.

Insights

Allow us to share a few insights on higher education leadership in the current moment. The full repository is available here. 

Our Current Searches 

We encourage you to review all open positions on the WittKieffer website. Please never hesitate to reach out about an opportunity that piques your interest or to suggest an aspiring leader who would excel in the role.

Let me also encourage you to add or update your profile on the WittKieffer candidate portal.

Boise State University: Chief Communications and Marketing Officer (Coming Soon!) 

Connecticut College: Vice President for Marketing and Communications  

Gonzaga University: Chief Marketing and Communications Officer  

Florida State University: Vice President Marketing and Communications (Coming Soon!) 

James Madison University: Vice President for Strategic Communications and Marketing  

New York University: Vice President for Global Enrollment Marketing, Branding, and Strategic Communications (Coming Soon!)  

University of Colorado Boulder: Vice Chancellor, Communications, Marketing, and Social Media (Coming Soon!) 

University of Louisville: Vice President for Communications and Marketing 

University of Texas at El Paso: Associate Vice President for Enrollment Marketing and Creative Services 

University of Toledo: Vice President for Marketing and Communications 

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee: Vice Chancellor for Marketing & Communications 

As you consider a new leadership role, we encourage you to take advantage of these helpful WittKieffer resources. 

Struggling with a Search? 

We often have clients who launch their own recruitment then, when it doesn't go as planned, enlist our help. We're happy to do so. Here's an FAQ document about how it works: Transitioning a Search to a Search Firm. 

Leadership Solutions

Leadership Advisory: WittKieffer is so much more than search. Our support doesn't stop at placing strong  people into leadership roles. Our advisors are former education leaders who understand and have lived the challenges and opportunities that leaders in higher education face. Advisory Solutions include: 

  • Leadership Coaching, focused on enhancing critical skills, fostering resilience, and driving performance 
  • Leadership Assessment, to support leadership selection and professional development 
  • Executive Development, to effectively deepen and broaden leaders’ capabilities while enhancing their impact 
  • Succession Planning, to clarify and align current and future strategic objectives for the presidential position 
  • Leadership Transition and Development, to ensure new presidents acclimate, grow, and make an impact from day one 
  • Cohort Development, bringing together leaders to create an inclusive environment to facilitate mutual growth 
  • Team Alignment, to unleash the power of executive teams in navigating complexity 
  • Culture Development, empowering leaders to attend to culture and change through their daily messages, choices, and behaviors 

Interim Leadership Solutions: Sometimes the need for interim executives or on-demand leadership arises unexpectedly. When it does, organizations seek expert leaders who can get up to speed rapidly, engage with teams empathetically, navigate ambiguity, and deliver desired outcomes—despite ongoing market, financial, or operational pressures. WittKieffer provides a comprehensive solution to interim and on-demand leadership, aligned to client needs.  

To learn more: https://wittkieffer.com/capabilities/solutions/interim-leadership  

Executive Search: We connect exceptional executive talent with the unique needs of organizations, delivering results that drive meaningful impact. Our process goes beyond traditional recruitment—we dive deep into understanding leadership styles, cultural alignment, and strategic imperatives to ensure a perfect match.  

Reach out to marketingcommunications@wittkieffer.com and explore how we can best strengthen your team at all phases of transition.  

On behalf of your WittKieffer Team,

Melissa Fincher
Principal and Practice Leader, Education Marketing and Communications
mfincher@wittkieffer.com