University of Rochester

President Sarah Mangelsdorf announced that Page Hetzel will join the University of Rochester as its first vice president for marketing and communications, effective October 1, 2023.

The vice president for marketing and communications oversees and collaborates on marketing and communication efforts across the University. The role was recently redefined with a marketing component to emphasize the importance of developing a national and global branding program for the University and to direct ongoing marketing communications initiatives to convey Rochester’s academic and research strengths to local, national, and international communities. Hetzel will oversee the Office of University Communications, be a member of the University’s Cabinet, and provide strategic counsel to Mangelsdorf and University senior leaders on a broad range of communications matters.

Hetzel brings to the position extensive experience and expertise in areas such as brand management and advertising, digital marketing, communications strategy, global media relations, and leadership communications. Hetzel most recently served as associate dean and chief marketing officer at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. She joined the school in 2012 as its first director of digital marketing. Over three years, she significantly improved the quality and reach of the school’s brand, led a multi-year, cross-functional evolution of the website that transformed it to an audience-centric communication vehicle, developed a new social media strategy that created centralized oversight, and led a successful school-wide email strategy. In 2015, she was promoted to director of communications and, less than a year later, was promoted again to associate dean. During her tenure, Hetzel provided expertise and counsel on new initiatives and helped lead the creation of a centralized marketing effort and global reach taskforce for online education. She managed a team of eight by setting strategy and tactics to extend, strengthen, and protect the Stanford University Graduate Business School brand globally, including building a global media program that supported the school’s efforts in Asia, Europe, South America, Latin America, and Africa.

Prior to joining Stanford, Hetzel was manager of online marketing for Hewlett Packard. A native of Rochester, she earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Delaware and an MBA from Cornell University.

Jack Gorman and Elizabeth Neustaedter led this search with Sandeep Kaur.