Poole College of Management Names New Strategic Marketing Leadership

Christine Ferrell, marketing director of NC State Poole College of Management’s Jenkins Graduate Management programs, has been named director of marketing and media relations for the Poole College of Management, effective January 1. Annette L. Ranft, dean and Stephen P. Zelnak Jr. Chair at Poole College, made the announcement today.

In her new position, Ferrell will manage the marketing and media relations department and have responsibility for brand strategy, program marketing, creative design and editorial services, web communication, media relations and stakeholder communications.

Ferrell joined Poole College of Management as director of marketing for the college’s Jenkins graduate management programs in 2013, leading  strategic marketing efforts contributing to a 36 percent increase in MBA enrollment between the fall 2013 and fall 2016. She also drove the implementation of new university brand standards across the graduate management programs, including the redesign and development of three websites.

During her tenure, the Jenkins MBA program rose significantly in all major rankings, including a top-10 ranking for the Professional Online MBA (The Princeton Review, 2016) and the program’s first appearance, at No. 89, in The Economist’s ranking of top-100 full-time MBA programs around the world.

“We are all very excited to have Christine lead our marketing and media strategy for the NC State Poole College of Management,” said Dean Ranft. “This year marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the college and we have ambitious goals to redefine and share our unique brand with the market. With her significant experience in the management education marketplace and across the Research Triangle, she is a perfect fit for our current strategic marketing needs.”

Ferrell will be leading a team that includes Anna Rzewnicki, director of communications, and Charles Canteen, director of online marketing and web systems.

Ferrell previously was director of marketing and business development for the Executive MBA and online MBA@UNC programs at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. She brings to her new role more than 15 years’ experience in program management and marketing positions, including product development within the energy industry, interactive marketing and business development at LendingTree and advertising account management at McKinney.

She received her bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication and political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her MBA from the Wake Forest University School of Business.