UWE Bristol has appointed Tracy Chalk, previously director of marketing at the Australian National University, to the new role of director of strategic marketing and communications.
Tracy, pictured, is a senior brand strategist with more than 25 years’ experience and has worked with some of Australia’s most iconic retail brands, high-profile and controversial public brands and the country’s leading higher education brand. 
For the past seven years, she led a multidisciplinary team responsible for national and international marketing communication strategies at The Australian National University in Canberra.
Before joining higher education, Tracy worked in brand and communication agencies including with the Australian Prime Minister’s department.
She said universities such as UWE Bristol had the potential to change people’s lives forever and she was excited to be part of that transformative experience.
“I’ve been particularly impressed by the people I have met at UWE Bristol – the university has a clear vision and the teams have an enthusiasm for delivering it,” she said.
“Colleagues in Australia frequently commented on the quality of UWE Bristol’s education and research and I am looking forward to raising the university’s profile even further.”
A former director on the Canberra Convention Bureau and Chief Minister’s Brand Strategic Advisory boards, Tracy specialises in destination branding and is looking forward to exploring the connection between UWE Bristol and the city.
She added: “I’m happy to be working in such an impressive city – I’ve not come across anyone, here or in Australia, who has not had something positive to say about Bristol.”
Deputy vice-chancellor and chief operating officer Helen Lloyd Wildman said: “Tracy will lead our marketing and communication activities and the development of the university’s strategic positioning to raise our profile at the local, regional, national and international level.
“Her remit will include marketing, corporate relations and events, internal communications, alumni and development. With our ambitious and exciting strategy, ‘Strategy 2020’, our new brand and enthusiastic colleagues, Tracy couldn’t have chosen a better time to join our team.”
UWE’s new brand and visual identity – the first change since it became a university in 1992 – was unveiled last month.
The university, which has around 27,000 students and more than 3,500 staff, worked with city-based digital and design agencies Bray Leino Yucca, Activation and Gibe Bristol to create the new identity.
