UQ makes inaugural appointment to strategic marketing position

UQ makes inaugural appointment to strategic marketing position

A Queensland Treasury executive with wide experience in journalism, media marketing and public sector administration has been appointed Director of Marketing and Communications at the University of Queensland.

Ms Meredith Jackson, currently Assistant Statistician responsible for strategic business planning for Queensland Treasury's Office of Economic and Statistical Research, will start on March 22 in the newly created nationally advertised position.

Ms Jackson qualified as a journalist in 1972 and has worked as a reporter, editor and marketing executive for national and multi-national organisations in Australia, the United States and Great Britain. Her senior roles have included marketing manager for Queensland Newspapers and publicity manager for the Seven Network, Brisbane.

Her public sector experience has included two years as Executive Director of the Office of Womenis Affairs in Queensland Treasury. She has co-authored a major study on women in Queensland.

University Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Trevor Grigg said Ms Jackson's role would include responsibility for formulating, implementing and evaluating a comprehensive marketing and communications plan for the University.

Professor Grigg said the University Senate had recently endorsed a working party report proposing a more strategic, planned and cohesive approach to marketing supported by revised organisational arrangements.

Professor Grigg said that Ms Jackson would report through him to the Vice-Chancellor and the Directors of the University's Development Office, Media and Information Services and Customs House would be administratively responsible to her. Ms Jackson will also work closely with another newly established position, the Dean of Students, who has a key role in enhancing the quality of the student experience.

Professor Grigg said the working party report identified the importance of marketing as a concept concerned with maintaining focus on client and community needs and fostering long-term mutually beneficial relationships.

Professor Grigg said the University had increasingly complex communication needs related to its changing national and international interests. Now recognised as one of Australia's few comprehensive, research-intensive universities, the University was also actively involved in the internationalisation of education, he said.

Further information: Professor Trevor Grigg, ph (07) 3365-7366.

Photographs are available at the University's ftp site:
http://photos.cc.uq.edu.au/ in a folder named Meredith Jackson.