Chris Pilsner

Chris Foley Pilsner is the chief relationship officer (CRO) at University of Massachusetts Amherst. She plays a leadership role within University Relations, and partners closely with IT on the development of a centralized constituent relationship management (CRM) strategy and implementation. As CRO, she helps advance the university’s growing marketing and communications needs by partnering with schools, colleges, and administrative units to reinforce the UMass Amherst brand. Key elements of her responsibilities include cross-campus systems, relationships and workflows, student enrollment journeys, university-wide services, support, and governance around mass communications such as email and text messaging. Chris joined UMass Amherst in June 2013 as chief marketing officer at the Isenberg School of Management, and since July 2016 also served as assistant dean.

Before joining UMass Amherst in 2013, Chris developed and implemented successful marketing strategies at advertising agencies in New York, London, and the Midwest. Her brand experience includes Kraft Foods, Kao Brands, Unilever, Cadbury-Adams, Diageo, Merrill Lynch, and more. She holds a Master of Business Administration from the Isenberg School of Management and earned a bachelor’s degree from Villanova University in English, women’s studies, and political science.