Leadership & governance
Marketing's seat at the table, what the board should see, and the culture that carries a reputation.
UK universities announced cuts equivalent to more than 15,000 jobs in a year. How you let people go is now part of your brand.
Restructuring is the hardest test of the idea that reputation belongs to everyone, because the people who carry a university's story are the ones being affected. How a university behaves in its hardest year will be remembered long after the savings are banked.
25 October 2026 · 2 min read
Reputation belongs to everyone in a university, not just the comms team
A university's reputation is built in thousands of daily moments by academics, professional services colleagues and students. The institutions that understand this build it deliberately.
12 October 2026 · 3 min read
Five reputation numbers every university board should see
Governing bodies scrutinise finances, risk and student outcomes in detail. Reputation, which affects all three, deserves a place on the same agenda, with numbers to match.
8 October 2026 · 2 min read
In a cost-cutting year, don't switch off the lighthouse
When finances tighten, marketing and communications are often the first budgets to go. The evidence, and my own experience, says that's exactly when reputation needs protecting most.
7 October 2026 · 3 min read
The marketing director belongs in the room where strategy is made
Too many universities still treat marketing as a service that executes decisions made elsewhere. The institutions that perform best give reputation a seat at the executive table.
30 September 2026 · 3 min readEpisodes on this topic.
Why the Marketing Director Belongs in the Strategy Room
Almost every major university decision has reputational consequences, yet marketing is often brought in after the decision is made.
18 October 2026 · 4:26
Cost-Cutting Year? Don't Switch Off the Lighthouse
When savings are needed fast, marketing and communications look like the easy place to start.
18 October 2026 · 4:21
Five Reputation Numbers Every University Board Should See
Boards scrutinise finance, risk and outcomes in detail, yet reputation rarely gets a structured place on the agenda.
18 October 2026 · 4:20
Reputation Belongs to Everyone in a University
Reputation is shaped by a lecturer's keynote, a call on results day and a student's first-week post, far more than by any campaign.
18 October 2026 · 4:33