Zach Hosseini

Zach Hosseini is a senior executive with nearly two decades of experience leading marketing, communications, reputation, and public affairs across higher education, global healthcare, and government. He currently serves as Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President for University Relations at Pace University, where he is a member of the President’s Cabinet and leads the University’s enterprise-wide marketing, communications, brand, public affairs, government relations, and special events functions. At Pace, Hosseini plays a central role in shaping institutional strategy and positioning during a period of significant transformation in higher education. He advises the president and senior leadership on reputation, organizational change, competitive positioning, stakeholder engagement, and major institutional priorities, while leading efforts to strengthen the University’s brand, increase demand, and sharpen the articulation of Pace’s distinctive value. During his tenure, the Pace Board of Trustees has appointed him to two special institutional roles—its Office of Transformation and the University’s Presidential Search Committee—to help inform some of Pace’s most consequential decisions. Hosseini is also active in shaping the broader higher education marketing profession. He serves on the planning committee for the American Marketing Association’s Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education, one of the field’s flagship gatherings of marketing and communications leaders. Before joining Pace, Hosseini held a senior communications role at Johnson & Johnson, where he led communications for JLABS, the company’s global network of life sciences incubators, and Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation, its venture capital organization. His work included executive communications, corporate positioning, and storytelling at the intersection of healthcare, innovation, entrepreneurship, and investment. Previously, Hosseini spent nearly eight years at Rutgers University, ultimately serving as Associate Vice Chancellor for Communications and Marketing. There, he held various leadership roles across communications, marketing, media relations, executive communications, and reputation strategy. His tenure included leading high-profile institutional communications during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as brand and reputation strategies designed to strengthen Rutgers’ visibility and competitive standing. Earlier in his career, Hosseini served in communications roles at the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General. He began his career in journalism and earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism, with a minor in international affairs, from Northeastern University, graduating cum laude. His career has been defined by work at the intersection of institutional strategy, reputation, and change, with experience navigating complex organizations and advising leaders at moments of consequence.