Jeri Ward to move down as vice president, chief internet marketing and communications officer

Jeri Ward, who has led Northwestern’s Business of Worldwide Promoting and Communications (OGMC) for the previous four a long time, introduced now she will step down from her role on Dec. 31, 2022. Ward, Vice President and Chief Promoting and Communications Officer, joined Northwestern in 2018.

Ward said her conclusion to go away Northwestern was prompted by the wish to have a tendency to household matters soon after the recent passing of her father. She ideas to relocate to her farm in Virginia and pursue new endeavors in the new yr.

Assistant Vice President of Advertising and marketing and Main Resourceful Officer Andy Madorsky and Assistant Vice President of Communications Jon Yates will serve as co-interim Vice Presidents, co-main OGMC, and marketing and communications for the College, while an global lookup is undertaken to recognize the successor.

“My time right here at Northwestern has exceeded anticipations,” Ward claimed. “I have totally savored discovering a little something new just about every day, doing the job along with the talented and devoted staff at OGMC, and communicating the fascinating research and discoveries of our school. I am unbelievably grateful to have experienced the option to return to my alma mater and lead to the University’s accomplishment these very last four decades.”

Ward, who came to the College following serving as Senior Vice President and Main Communications Officer at Audi of America, helped to elevate Northwestern’s internet marketing and communications, overseeing sizeable gains in media engagement, brand administration, social media progress and reputational measures, guiding them to all-time highs. For the duration of her time at the College, the complete media achieve of Northwestern tales in nearby, nationwide and international media retailers grew by 54%, and the variety of college quoted as specialists in the media grew by 170%. 

She also formed the University’s initial Interior and Disaster Communications crew and founded procedures and treatments for crisis, disaster and reputational issues administration. In addition, she strengthened associations with important stakeholders and associates to enhance organizational efficiency.

Ward led the University’s communications throughout the pandemic and led built-in communications strategies for numerous management transitions. She placed a concentrate on Northwestern’s essential audiences, championing a full redesign of Northwestern Magazine to develop a flagship multimedia platform to achieve our alumni rebuilt Northwestern Now, the University’s news and data internet site designed a Leadership Notes web page to attain the University’s entire Northwestern neighborhood and redesigned OGMC’s For Journalists web site to improved have interaction with media.

“I could not have accomplished this sort of goals without the need of the contributions of Andy, Jon and the whole OGMC staff,” Ward explained. “Our communications and marketing staff members is unparalleled, and I can’t hold out to see how they continue on to elevate the University’s track record in the many years to arrive.”

The revamped Northwestern Now web-site, built with input from the Northwestern community, assisted generate an 83% raise in exceptional web page views when compared to 2018. Social media grew in the same way, with a 48% leap in full followers to the University’s institutional handles.

“Jeri Ward has boosted Northwestern’s brand name and assisted men and women about the environment to fully grasp the increasing impact of this university,” President Michael H. Schill stated. “She also worked tirelessly to reinforce this college local community at just about every degree, and I am grateful for her services.”

A double Northwestern alumna, Ward gained graduate degrees from the Kellogg Faculty of Management and the McCormick College of Engineering. She held a wide variety of advertising and communications roles at Ford Motor Organization and Audi and grew to become the 1st woman vice president at Audi of The usa. 

Right after returning to Northwestern in October 2018, Ward labored to combine OGMC, which experienced previously been two departments — the Section of University Relations and the Business of International Marketing and advertising — by restructuring, breaking down silos and a target on teamwork. Leaning intensely into analytics and benchmarking, she established new ambitions and pointers for communications and marketing. Ward also designed further communications-based mostly connections across the University to enhance investigation storytelling and showcase the effects the University has on its communities and the environment.

“I have obtained what I experienced hoped to execute listed here,” Ward said. “I would like Northwestern, and the fantastic people today right here, very little but continued success relocating ahead.”