A workshop from the 2017 Utrecht Conference on establishing a strong university relations division in a very short time, hosted by Diane Kenyon, Vice-President, University Relations and Kim Lawrence, Associate VP, Marketing and International Brand Master (IBM), University of Calgary.

The University Relations division at UCalgary was created from scratch in mid-2011. From a skeleton staff of about a dozen to more than 65 members five years later, the team has established strong foundations and campus-wide credibility across the disciplines of strategic communications, marketing, government relations and community engagement. In this session, they shared four key lessons that shaped their start-up journey and laid the groundwork for our strategic vision of building UCalgary advocates everywhere.

Want to continue reading?

The rest of this content, and much more, is only available to our members. Consider becoming a member today…

If you are already a member please login to view this content.

2017 Utrecht Conference: Day 2 Workshop 5 - Building a Top University Relations Function from Scratch in a Very Short Time - Diane Kenyon, Kim Lawrence

Diane Kenyon, Vice Presidet, University Relations at the University of Calgary, holds responsibility for a broad portfolio that includes brand, marketing, government relations, community engagement and internal and external communications. Under her leadership, University relations achieved a new level of excellence and professionalism. The division has been widely recognised with multiple awards for marketing, communications, issue management, and government and community engagement. Diane has a 30-year background in public sector marketing, communication and government stakeholder engagement. She has developed and directed strategic programs with national and international impact and led integrated teams focused on building reputation, brand and  engagement in a post-secondary education, broadcasting, and cultural industries.

Kim Lawrence is Associate VP, Marketing, at the University of Calgary. She has more than 25 years’ experience in the marketing and communications field, covering the private and public sectors, both in Canada and internationally. From her early career learning the Marcom ropes on the ground in Thailand; to subsequent immersion in the dynamic high-tech start-up space in Canada, Israel and the U.S.; and then a transition into the post-secondary sector, Kim is a firm believer in structured brand ecosystems and an integrated approach to marketing – no matter how complex or dispersed the organisation. Kim’s portfolio included marketing strategy and positioning (including advertising), brand and identity, digital experience (including web and social channels), and creative solutions. She has spoken at local, national and international conferences on brand and identity topics as well as marketing principles, building of marketing teams and strategies, and creative marketing on a shoestring.

If you want to find out more about attending this year’s conference please visit our conference page or get in touch via email.