Swinburne appoints new CMO to lead brand vision

One of Australia’s leading marketers has been appointed as Swinburne’s new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and will spearhead the next exciting chapter for its brand.

Carolyn Bendall joins Swinburne after 20 years with ANZ, most recently as its Australian Head of Marketing. During her time at ANZ, Ms Bendall was named one of the top CMOs in Australia in the annual CMO50 list, placing 8^th in 2016 and 14^th in 2017.

Swinburne Vice-President (Students and Alumni), Dr Andrew J Smith, says Ms Bendall will ensure Swinburne builds on its world-class reputation as a university focused on education for the future of work, inspiring students to realise their professional purpose by supporting them to take on the adventure of study, work and life.

“Ms Bendall is a visionary thinker with expertise in helping big brands stand out from the crowd,” says Dr Smith.

“Swinburne provides a five-star student experience. Our people are game-changers, enabled by a culture of ambition, adventure and achievement. We look forward to Ms Bendall bringing bold and refreshing ideas as we continue to grow our brand.” 

Brand new era

Ms Bendall brings leadership experience from across the marketing spectrum, including in product management, customer segmentation, integrated advertising and media, digital and data-driven marketing, sponsorship, and brand strategy and execution.

“I am delighted to be joining Swinburne as the custodian of its brand strategy and marketing practice for this next era,” says Ms Bendall.

As a passionate believer in the life-changing power of education, Ms Bendall says Swinburne was a ‘stand out’ for her.

“Swinburne is a leader in diversity and inclusion, committed to evolving the student experience at all touchpoints, and delivering social and economic impact across the board.”

“The higher education sector is such a diverse and interesting business, especially when looked at through the lens of pace of transformation, intensity of competition and significance to the overall Australian economy,” says Ms Bendall. 

The adventure worth having

Swinburne unveiled a brand refresh in July 2019, emphasising the quality of the complete university experience offered to its students. Representing an exciting evolution, it centres on a promise that a Swinburne experience is an adventure worth having.

“University should be where inspiration and lifelong passion is ignited, and where clarity and confidence emerge. We think university should be a time students will never look back on and regret,” says Dr Smith.

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