Corporate and brand partnerships are multidimensional and critically important to the success of modern universities. Fort Worth and, further, North Texas are home to a robust and diverse corporate landscape — from global headquarters to startups. TCU’s strong academic programs and high-impact student experiences make us a valuable partner for companies seeking talent, insight and innovation.
At TCU, we have a history of impactful corporate engagement through our academic mission (e.g. centers, institutes, etc.), athletics, advancement, career services and more. As we embark on the new Values in Action plan, and especially given the dynamic federal environment, corporate and brand partnerships will be more important than ever before.
This month, TCU launched the Office of Corporate Engagement & Strategic Partnerships. This office, part of TCU’s broader University Strategy & Innovation Office, is focused on delivering value by unlocking new opportunities in research, talent development, innovation and more — connecting TCU’s academic strengths with real-world challenges and industries. Additionally, this office will support enhancing the impactful corporate efforts already underway through expanded institutional awareness and strategic insights to best support our students, faculty and staff. TCU welcomes Shawn Farrell as the new executive director. Farrell joins TCU from the University of Denver where he was assistant vice chancellor, corporate relations.
The new Office of Corporate Engagement & Strategic Partnerships will:
- Serve as the university’s central point of coordination for corporate strategy.
- Facilitate institution-wide partnerships that support teaching, research and service.
- Align and scale corporate engagement with TCU’s values and strategic priorities.
- Support faculty, staff and students in pursuing industry collaboration and funding.
- Monitor trends in corporate engagement and higher education partnerships to ensure TCU remains at the forefront of best practices.
Brand engagement and activation are critical elements of successful corporate partnerships and are becoming more important to TCU’s go-forward strategy as the university extends its reach with the community. Brand-aligned partnerships activate the TCU brand in ways that deepen awareness, strengthen reputation, and connect emotionally with key audiences — from prospective students to corporate stakeholders to the broader public. As with corporate partnerships, TCU students, faculty and staff already contribute significantly to enhancing TCU’s brand. However, there is even greater opportunity to maximize TCU’s reach, relevance and long-term impact.
To lead this effort, my colleague in the Division of Marketing & Communication, Vice Chancellor Merianne Roth, has hired Molly Kanthack as executive director, brand activation and partner engagement. This role will be a key leader in the university’s strategic effort to expand and activate corporate and co-branded opportunities and be a key partner for the Office of Corporate Engagement & Strategic Partnerships, athletics, academic units, etc. Kanthack joins Marketing & Communication from her prior role as director, Center for Supply Chain Innovation in the Neeley School of Business. This new role will:
- Expand TCU’s capability for partnership and enhancing branded opportunities that drive relevance and brand alignment.
- Develop creative and innovative ways to create opportunities for TCU with existing and potential partners, generating news value, brand alignment value and value for students.
- Serve as a primary contact for key university relationships that involve use of brand, TCU marks, events and have the potential to generate news or enhance value for the TCU community.
- Represent Marketing & Communication in partner engagement and as a key stakeholder in partner/corporate relations.
Together, Molly and Shawn, working in tandem with other key stakeholders throughout TCU and with external partners, will lead initiatives that foster a culture of collaboration, creativity and strategic engagement to amplify TCU’s impact. Stay tuned for more as we bring these new initiatives to life — and continue building a stronger, more connected TCU!