Amy Bantle has been appointed as WashU’s vice chancellor for marketing and communications and chief marketing and communications officer, announced Chancellor Andrew D. Martin. Her appointment began Aug. 4.
In this newly created enterprise role for marketing and communications, Bantle will lead a single team responsible for aligning brand strategy, marketing and communications across WashU and WashU Medicine. She will report to Nichol Luoma, executive vice chancellor of enterprise operations and chief operating officer, and serve as a member of the Chancellor’s Cabinet and a core member of the University Council leadership team.
“This is an important step toward strengthening marketing and communications across WashU and WashU Medicine,” Martin said. “As higher education and academic medicine become increasingly competitive, our ability to communicate the impact of our research, education and patient care, attract exceptional students and faculty, and elevate WashU’s global reputation have never been more important.”
Bantle joined WashU three years ago as associate vice chancellor for marketing and communications at WashU Medicine, where she led a team that elevated the school’s brand and reputation and raised its national visibility.
“Amy is a brilliant marketer, communicator and strategist,” Luoma said. “I’m excited about what she’ll bring to connecting our story across WashU and WashU Medicine in a way we haven’t done before, building on an incredible foundation.”
Under Bantle’s leadership, the marketing and communications team will partner across campuses through joint strategic planning; shared tools and digital resources; and cross-functional initiatives to advance the university’s shared goals. As WashU moves toward more center-led enterprise services, uniting marketing and communications creates an opportunity to streamline operations, maximize resources and strengthen the university’s collective voice regionally, nationally and globally.
A native of St. Louis, Bantle has more than 20 years’ experience leading growth efforts of Fortune 50 companies, emerging businesses and cultural institutions. Most notably, Bantle spent 14 years at Express Scripts before it was acquired by Cigna, and continued in senior global marketing roles at Cigna, including serving as senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Evernorth, a Cigna company. She is also a certified executive and leadership coach.
“I am honored to step into this role and grateful for the trust placed in me,” Bantle said. “I’ve had the privilege of building and leading an exceptional team that has helped elevate WashU Medicine’s reputation, and I’m excited to bring that same collaborative approach to our work across the university. This is a chance to unite our talented teams, sharpen how we tell WashU’s story and make an even greater impact for our students, faculty, patients and communities.”
Bantle succeeds Julie Flory, who had served as vice chancellor for Marketing & Communications since 2020, capping more than 12 years of dedicated service as a thoughtful leader and steadfast advocate for the university. Flory’s last day was Aug. 3.
