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Breaking silos with corporate relations SWAT teams
Journal of Education Advancement & Marketing,
2
(4),
302-311
(2018)
Abstract
In today’s complex business environment, universities and corporations relations (CR) departments operate in a fast-moving mix of players and opportunities, which includes corporate innovators and executives, start-ups and venture-capitalists, and other sophisticated actors. This creates business challenges rooted in the clash of cultures and mismatch of business objectives from both sides. One promising approach for managing this dynamic space involves rethinking CR’s role within the university and employing new types of flexible structures that can synchronise with a variety of other functions based on the desired outcomes of a given opportunity. These so-called ‘SWAT teams’ and ‘deal teams’ integrate CR into the university, enable greater efficiency and encourage proactivity in an uncertain environment. This paper explores the environment for corporate relationships, offers suggested new models and discusses concrete steps you can take to implement these organisational models.
Keywords: business development; corporate relations; development; advancement; industry partnerships; corporate engagement; university industry partnerships
The full article is available to subscribers to the journal.
Author's Biography
Gary Girzadas is Acting Assistant Vice President of Corporate and Foundation Relations at Syracuse University and helps foster innovative partnerships with companies and foundation partners on a range of topics related to the university’s Strategic Academic Plan. He focuses on strategically aligning the mission of Syracuse University with partners in a range of industrial, technical and service-oriented business sectors. With extensive research development and higher education experience, Gary works to develop holistic university-industry partnerships that energise university priorities and lead to corporate grants, sponsored research, corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes and philanthropic support for local, national and global projects. In addition, Gary works with Syracuse University faculty, deans and university leaders to identify and refine projects and initiatives that inspire and engage external partners. These strategic plans are designed to catalyse partnerships with companies and foundations looking to achieve their talent, brand and research objectives. Prior to joining Syracuse in 2017, Gary was a member of the University of Notre Dame’s CFR team and Development Office for over 11 years. As Director of Corporate Relations, Gary had increasing responsibility for strategic accounts and developing global and research-based programmes. He worked on multidisciplinary, principal-level relationships including the Accenture CE3 programme to develop sustainable microgrid solutions for entrepreneurs in Uganda and the IBM Global Internship Program, which placed undergraduate and graduate students at IBM research labs in China, Zurich and Dublin. Gary graduated from the Loyola University of Chicago School of Law, the University of Chicago Master’s Program in the humanities, and the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelors of Arts in English and government.
