Dr. David Willows is Director of Advancement at the International School of Brussels, Belgium. David is also a regular blogger, presenter & trainer at international events and author of several books and articles in the field of international school branding, admissions, marketing and communications.

Today, he is considered a leading practitioner in the field of advancement and continues to be involved in several global network organizations, helping to shape and define the future of the learning business.

Be sure to read David's blog at fragments2.com

David Quoted

“I’ve been part of this team for 16 years…and it feels like we’re building walls around ourselves rather than sitting around the same table.”

“We know we need to change, and we’re not sure how, but we’re going to jump off the cliff anyway.”

“Our job is to help people find their place in the story of the school.”

“We have a number of individuals who are no longer assigned to one office.”

“Everyone brings a superpower to the table, but that doesn’t mean that’s all you do.”

“Everyone on the team is grouping and re-grouping every six months.”

“The majority of the team is under 30.”

“We committed to doing this [with the board] because it would increase efficiency and decrease costs.”

“A person on my team said, ‘Now I’ve walked a family around the school, now I know the kind of website they need.’”

“It looks fluid, but it’s nailed down with responsibilities.”

“We all tend to pigeonhole our colleagues.”

“Covid accelerated this process.”

“I would have wanted to do this earlier in my career.”

“We celebrate each others’ successes and birthdays.”

“If you’re going to do this, don’t go halfway.”

“You have to commit to failing.”

What You’ll Learn

How opportunity played into this grand move.
The way admissions, advancement, and communications work at the International School of Brussels.
How ISB went from 15 people to 12 under the umbrella of “Advancement” with no offices for Admissions, MarCom, and Development.
How the team of 12 functions in goal-setting and daily responsibilities.
How to hire for this kind of team.
How to define this Advancement team with “story, people, and process.”
You don’t need 6 people in admissions all year round.
How “connected thinking” works.
How a manifesto keeps the team focused.
How to design a workspace for this new model.
The successes and challenges of this model.
If this and how this model will work at other schools.

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Rob Norman

Best Boy, InspirED School Marketers

Rob has 25 years of independent school marketing experience as principal of Turnaround Marketing Communications, a branding and marketing firm specializing in independent schools. Rob shares his experience on InspirED School Marketers by blogging, editing the Daily Jolt, and by podcasting with fascinating independent school movers and shakers. As InspirED's Best Boy — a term borrowed from theater, Rob's longtime passion — Rob loves to be out and about, meeting with school marketers, learning their needs, and helping them overcome challenges. Be sure to ask Rob about his golf game.

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