Surviving (and thriving) through comms centralization: building a partner-led model
Tony Sheridan, Content Strategy Manager
Wareef Othman, Communication Strategists
Zara Shabbir, Social Media Manager
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) 🇸🇦
How can you survive and thrive through 20 different communications units becoming one? For the last 18 months at our university we have been building, testing and adapting a centralized communications and content strategy infrastructure to serve a broad range of stakeholders across the campus. Three members of the team will share the lessons we’ve learned — what worked, what hasn't, and where we go next.
We’ll walk through how we built the infrastructure to make centralization work: from the partner model that manages relationships and expectations, to the cross-team content strategy process that brings content, creative, web, social, internal comms and media together, and finally, to the delivery of campaigns with social as our zoomed-in example. Whether your institution is considering centralization or just looking to learn lessons around aligning people, content, and purpose, you’ll take away practical insights.
Key takeaways
How to structure and scale a communications partner model that balances stakeholder needs with institutional goals.
Practical methods for running a content strategy process that coordinates across teams
How a 'less is more' social media strategy for your university can meet your metrics
Tony Sheridan is a higher-education marketing and communications professional leading content strategy at KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology), one of the world’s leading research universities. Since joining in 2021, he has brought Irish storytelling skills and strategic expertise to elevate KAUST’s global campaigns and deliver integrated initiatives across web, social media, design, and media partnerships.
Previously, Tony spent over a decade in communications and engagement roles at the University of Limerick in Ireland and consulted across nonprofit and community sectors. His work has earned multiple international awards, including recognition for diversity and inclusion in storytelling at ContentEd, and he is a regular speaker at higher-ed conferences worldwide..
Wareef Othman is a communications and events leader with more than 20 years of experience in project management, stakeholder engagement, and strategic planning. She has a proven track record of developing and delivering high-impact projects and events that align with institutional objectives and strengthen organizational reputation.
At KAUST, Wareef brings expertise in crafting compelling messaging, building strong stakeholder relationships, and ensuring seamless execution across integrated campaigns. Passionate about innovation and collaboration, he is dedicated to driving communications strategies that engage diverse audiences and deliver lasting impact.
Zara Shabbir designs next-generation social media strategies that transform research, education, and brands into global influence. Her career spans luxury brands and higher education, from leading international campaigns for The Macallan to building digital frameworks for world-class universities.
At KAUST, Zara helps researchers and institutions translate complex science into storytelling that reaches society, industry, and policy — shaping reputation, visibility, and influence at scale. A digital-native strategist, she combines cut-through storytelling, AI-powered insights, and trend-savvy execution to guide faculty, grow visibility, and create global campaigns that engage millions.