Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, Darden School of Business

Chief Marketing & Communications Officer (CMCO)

The University of Virginia's Darden School of Business seeks a visionary, enterprise-level strategist to serve as Chief Marketing & Communications Officer (CMCO).

Operating under the bold brand mantra "Not business school as usual", the CMCO will step into a high‑visibility, enterprise‑wide role.

This opportunity comes during a moment of historic momentum for the school as Darden welcomes its 10th dean, Yael Grushka‑Cockayne. The School is celebrating record enrollments, the growth of UVA Darden DC Metro in Rosslyn, Virginia, a triumphant $632 million campaign, the execution of an ambitious master plan, and a sustained position as the No. 1 global public Full‑Time MBA program.

• Global Reputation & Positioning: Elevate Darden's intellectual capital and brand equity worldwide; strategically position the school within the highly competitive peer set and global rankings.
• Executive & Strategic Messaging: Craft the foundational narrative for the school and its affiliated fundraising efforts. Oversee executive communications and global thought leadership platforms for the dean and other key leaders. Provide media training and ensure internal alignment.
• Editorial & Media Transformation: Lead a high‑profile strategic initiative to merge Darden's flagship print magazine and two distinct digital publications into a single, AI‑enabled world‑class media asset. Oversee the editorial direction, content strategy and digital architecture of this new omni‑channel platform.
• Digital & Social Ecosystem: Champion a cutting‑edge content strategy that leverages multi‑platform social media management, high‑impact video production, and influencer and content strategies tailored to diverse global audiences.
• Public Relations & Stakeholder Engagement: Drive proactive, international public relations and media strategy. Partner with Advancement and Alumni Services to inspire philanthropic investment and lifelong affinity among a global network of 20,000 alumni across 90 countries.
• Crisis & Change Management: Serve as the strategic architect for global issues management and crisis communications. Safeguard institutional equity across different regulatory and media environments.

• Global Brand & Creative Strategy: Champion the visual identity and overarching brand experience of Darden, ensuring absolute consistency and premium positioning across all marketing efforts.
• Enrollment Marketing Engine: Lead a high‑velocity, full‑funnel marketing machine for degree programs powered by predictive data analytics, AI‑driven lead scoring and dynamic personalization to maximize quality lead generation.
• Digital Experience & Web Presence: Oversee the evolution of Darden's digital ecosystem in the age of AI. Drive a sophisticated web and mobile strategy rooted in advanced UX, accessibility and high‑performing, multi‑region SEO strategy.

The ideal candidate will be an inspiring leader of people, a culturally adept diplomat, and a sharp, metrics‑driven strategist who thrives in a collaborative academic environment.

• Global Leadership Breadth: Proven track record of senior leadership experience directing integrated marketing and communications portfolios within higher education, professional services, corporate environments, or highly complex, multinational global organizations.
• C‑Suite‑Level
  
  Experience:
  
  Demonstrated experience counseling and collaborating with executive boards, trustees and C‑suite leaders on high‑stakes branding and reputation matters.
• Operational Excellence: Proven success establishing shared services models, internal agencies, or centers of excellence that scale operations through technology, standard operating procedures and…