John S. Kiralla, senior vice president for marketing, communications, and external relations, assumed his role on September 1, 2016 (press release). In addition to his ongoing responsibilities, he served as the Interim Senior Vice President for University Advancement in 2020 and 2021.
Reporting directly to the president, Kiralla serves as the university's spokesperson and oversees communications, marketing, external relations, and public affairs functions and strategies. Under his leadership, the MarComm Division is dedicated to communicate with clarity and integrity, to maximize relationships and partnerships, to inspire pride and loyalty, and to elevate the university’s reputation. Kiralla leads units responsible for igniting the university’s brand for global impact, including: Communications (including academic, advancement, and internal communications units), Public and Media Relations (LMU Newsroom, Issues/Crisis Management), Marketing and Brand Management (Enrollment Marketing, Graduate Marketing, Athletics Marketing and Fan Engagement), Creative and Production (LMU Magazine, Photo and Video), External Relations and Partnerships (Community Relations, LMU Radio, Public Affairs, Government Relations, Strategic Partnerships and Initiatives), and Executive Communications.
Kiralla and the LMU MarComm team have garnered national and international recognition for their outstanding marketing and communications campaigns, outcomes, and achievements, honored by esteemed bodies such as the Webbys (the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences), CASE, Graphis, W3, AMA, SPD, UCDA, AMCP, and others. LMU Magazine, the nation's most recognized university magazine, has amassed over 100 awards since 2011.
Throughout his tenure, Kiralla has spearheaded several first-ever and record-setting outcomes for LMU. Notably, in 2017 and 2023, he led the university’s largest-ever self-study research initiatives, yielding extensive findings that informed the redesign of the university’s visual identity and brand platform. In 2019, Kiralla led the most visible, complex event in the university’s history when LMU hosted the DNC Presidential Debate, including more than 600 credentialed news media and outlets that were broadcasted internationally. In 2021, he co-led the university’s most attended event, "Megamencement," held at SoFi Stadium, which saw over 34,000 attendees celebrating commencements in-person as the institution emerged from the global pandemic.
Under Kiralla’s direction, the university has achieved record-setting increases in visibility for eight consecutive years. Looking ahead to 2024 and beyond, the university launched "Ignite a Brighter World," activating innovative campaigns that showcase faculty and student impact, resonate with the university’s mission and values, and support its visibility and revenue goals.
An alumnus of LMU, Kiralla brings over three decades of experience in strategic communications, marketing, and digital solutions to his role. Before assuming his current position, he served as LMU's Executive Director for Marketing and Communications, leading several transformative initiatives including the comprehensive redesign of LMU.edu, the LMYOU internal communications campaign, The University of Silicon Beach™ marketing campaign, and managing public relations aspects of hosting world leaders on LMU's campus. He has held marketing and communications positions at Collegis Eduprise, Sungard Higher Education, and Apple. Kiralla is actively engaged in various professional organizations and speaks on topics ranging from brand development and change management to executive decision-making, leadership, perception management, and technology policy.
For more information, visit Marketing and Communications.