Chris Pilsner, CMO of Oakland University: Bringing Agency Thinking to Higher Education

In this episode of CMO Journeys, Christian Banach speaks with Chris Pilsner, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Oakland University, about his path from agency life into higher education leadership. Chris shares how agency training shaped his approach to brand strategy, market research, digital experience, and enrollment-focused marketing at a pivotal moment for a growing public university.What the Conversation Covers• Chris’s career journey from agency roles at firms like J. Walter Thompson and Deutsch into senior higher education marketing leadership• What it means to bring agency-style strategic thinking, brand discipline, and consumer insight into a university setting• How Oakland University is working to unify brand, communications, and marketing under a more coordinated strategy• Why enrollment marketing, audience segmentation, and digital experience are becoming more critical in higher education• How Chris evaluates agency partners, including the value of strong points of view, peer recommendations, case studies, and specialized expertiseGuest BioChris Pilsner is Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Oakland University, where he leads the institution’s brand, marketing, and communications efforts. He previously held senior marketing leadership roles in higher education, including at UMass Amherst’s Isenberg School of Management, and brings a background in agency strategy, brand development, and digital transformation.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.