Joan Concannon

Responsibilities

The Director of External Relations:

• supports the delivery of institutional objectives in respect of income generation, advocacy, reputation, global and local partnership and stakeholder engagement
• is responsible for the directorate’s four divisions:
  • Marketing, Recruitment, Admissions and Outreach
  • Communications
  • International Recruitment, Partnerships and Mobility
  • Office of Philanthropic Partnerships and Alumni.

The key aims of the directorate are to deliver diverse student recruitment targets across UK and international markets, widening participation and outreach, support our philanthropy and alumni engagement, including delivering our first institutional philanthropy campaign, York Unlimited, which has reached its target to raise £120m to support a range of key University objectives.

External Relations is responsible for marketing and brand development to support stakeholder engagement in respect of our reputation for world leading research and teaching spanning discovery to translation and application.

She is responsible for national, regional and local stakeholder engagement with a particular interest in shaping how the University is contributing to the region’s economic, social and cultural ambitions. 

The directorate has created an omni-channel approach to driving stakeholder engagement through aligned activity to support research communications, public engagement, media relations and staff and student communications and engagement anchored by the University’s strategic positioning as a university for the public good. 

About Joan Concannon

Joan has a specific interest in advancing the reputation of universities in respect of place-making and demonstrating the way in which the work of the University of York is influencing and driving inclusive economic, social and cultural development.

Joan is also the co-founding Director of the York Festival of Ideas, one of the largest free festivals of its kind in the UK. The festival is dedicated to demonstrating the relevance and societal value of education, research and ideas to diverse audiences.

She is a board member of Make It York, the city's destination marketing organisation, and a member of York’s Company of Merchant Adventurers. Joan is also an elected member of the Council of the Royal Institute for Philosophy. 

Prior to joining the University of York in 2009, Joan was Director of External Relations at the University of Dundee for seven years and co-led the V&A at Dundee project during its first two years of development, leading to significant Scottish government financial support and widespread public engagement. 

Expenses