Project Description
Following an extensive national search led by CarterBaldwin Executive Search, Sean Burnett has been appointed senior vice president for integrated marketing communications and chief marketing officer at Pepperdine University.
Sean will lead Pepperdine’s award-winning marketing and communications team to share the Pepperdine brand story to an ever-widening audience through signature events, publications, and emerging technologies to position Pepperdine as a leading global Christian university.
“I look forward to Sean’s stewardship of the Pepperdine brand and story and am energized by the knowledge and experience he brings from his years of leadership in strategic communications, organizational development, and advancing invaluable opportunities in the fields of healthcare and higher education,” says Pepperdine president Jim Gash.
Sean joins Pepperdine with more than 20 years of experience in brand management and strategic planning, serving most recently as vice president of marketing and corporate affairs for the Gulf Coast division of HCA Healthcare (NYSE: HSA) , one of the nation’s leading providers of healthcare services.
Prior to his role at HCA, Sean served as vice president of sales, marketing, and training at healthcare services firm Covia Health. He has launched comprehensive marketing programs, designed communication initiatives, and impacted global brands such as OSI Restaurant Partners, Inc. (Outback Steakhouse), Yum! Brands (KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut), IKEA, Igloo Products Corp., and SYSCO Foods, among others.
In addition to his corporate roles, Sean served as director, MBA programs at the Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University, where his impact and collaboration on successful initiatives resulted in an elevation of Rice’s national ranking from 49th to 22nd in two years. Additionally, the Jones School’s entrepreneurship and finance programs became ranked in the top 10 internationally for the first time in the school’s 35-year history.
Sean received his MBA from Rice University and his BS in advertising from the University of Texas at Austin. He also serves as the president of the board for Cornerstone Christian Academy, a K–8 school in Sugar Land, TX.
To read the full release from Pepperdine University, click here.
About Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University is founded on the Church of Christ tradition and proudly upholds Christian values with the belief that they complement and support the pursuit of knowledge. Situated on a stunning 830-acre campus in Malibu, CA, Pepperdine’s main campus overlooks the Pacific Ocean and regularly ranks among the top 20 most beautiful college campuses in the US. There are four additional campuses throughout Southern California and seven permanent campuses around the globe that provide a range of international internships and programs on six continents. With 82 degree programs, Pepperdine boasts top-ranked graduate and undergraduate programs in schools dedicated to business, education and psychology, law, liberal arts, and public policy. Its NCAA athletic program is composed of eight men’s and nine women’s Division I teams.
