Staff Directory
Wood, Savanna
Savanna Wood
- Title:
- Chief Communications and Branding Officer
- Email:
Savanna Wood joined Northwestern University in 2025 and is currently the inaugural Chief Communications and Branding Officer (CCBO) for Northwestern Athletics.
As CCBO, Wood leads Northwestern Athletics' communications, marketing, and digital strategies, serving as a prominent public representative for the department. She oversees multiple functions across the department, including athletic communications, broadcast operations, community relations, creative services, fan engagement, and marketing, ensuring a unified and consistent brand voice across all channels. This role also drives the department's objectives through effective program execution.
Wood is responsible for building and enhancing relationships with broadcast talent, business leaders, and community and campus partners to disseminate key messages that promote the organization's mission. Furthermore, Wood manages both internal and external communications, collaborating closely with Northwestern's Office of Global Marketing and Communications. Wood's leadership is essential in setting a clear vision and fostering collaborative thinking to showcase the comprehensive successes of Northwestern Athletics and Recreation.
Prior to Northwestern, Wood had served as Executive Associate Athletic Director, Brand & Marketing Strategy at the University of Miami. During her time with the Hurricanes, Wood had oversight of graphic design, video content and operations, broadcast, communications, digital strategy, consumer marketing and event presentation. She was responsible for implementing a long-term digital roadmap strategy that drove innovation across multiple verticals to increase overall brand reach and achieve defined revenue goals.
Wood also served as the ACC Senior External Strategy representative, overseeing all departmental uniform and licensing matters and managed the relationship between athletics and campus partnerships.
Additionally, Wood acted as a liaison with the global partnerships team to implement and maximize partner activations, led game day marketing operations and managed all athletics facility branding efforts.
Prior to the University of Miami, Wood directed marketing, social, and digital partnerships at Thrill One Sports and Entertainment, a global action sports firm, where she managed events across 27 states and four continents. Prior to that, she spent five seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, leading their digital and consumer marketing, overseeing digital platforms and driving innovation for more than 110 partners. She was also instrumental in launching mobile apps, websites, Daily's Place amphitheater, and All-Elite Wrestling, a venture by Jaguars owner Shad Khan and his son, Tony.
Wood's early career began with the Boston Red Sox in game presentation and marketing after graduating from the University of Florida at 19 with a degree in Public Relations and Sport Management. While at UF, she volunteered extensively in athletics and gained experience at NCAA and SEC events. She also interned with the Cape Cod Baseball League, setting the stage for her sports and entertainment career.
As CCBO, Wood leads Northwestern Athletics' communications, marketing, and digital strategies, serving as a prominent public representative for the department. She oversees multiple functions across the department, including athletic communications, broadcast operations, community relations, creative services, fan engagement, and marketing, ensuring a unified and consistent brand voice across all channels. This role also drives the department's objectives through effective program execution.
Wood is responsible for building and enhancing relationships with broadcast talent, business leaders, and community and campus partners to disseminate key messages that promote the organization's mission. Furthermore, Wood manages both internal and external communications, collaborating closely with Northwestern's Office of Global Marketing and Communications. Wood's leadership is essential in setting a clear vision and fostering collaborative thinking to showcase the comprehensive successes of Northwestern Athletics and Recreation.
Prior to Northwestern, Wood had served as Executive Associate Athletic Director, Brand & Marketing Strategy at the University of Miami. During her time with the Hurricanes, Wood had oversight of graphic design, video content and operations, broadcast, communications, digital strategy, consumer marketing and event presentation. She was responsible for implementing a long-term digital roadmap strategy that drove innovation across multiple verticals to increase overall brand reach and achieve defined revenue goals.
Wood also served as the ACC Senior External Strategy representative, overseeing all departmental uniform and licensing matters and managed the relationship between athletics and campus partnerships.
Additionally, Wood acted as a liaison with the global partnerships team to implement and maximize partner activations, led game day marketing operations and managed all athletics facility branding efforts.
Prior to the University of Miami, Wood directed marketing, social, and digital partnerships at Thrill One Sports and Entertainment, a global action sports firm, where she managed events across 27 states and four continents. Prior to that, she spent five seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, leading their digital and consumer marketing, overseeing digital platforms and driving innovation for more than 110 partners. She was also instrumental in launching mobile apps, websites, Daily's Place amphitheater, and All-Elite Wrestling, a venture by Jaguars owner Shad Khan and his son, Tony.
Wood's early career began with the Boston Red Sox in game presentation and marketing after graduating from the University of Florida at 19 with a degree in Public Relations and Sport Management. While at UF, she volunteered extensively in athletics and gained experience at NCAA and SEC events. She also interned with the Cape Cod Baseball League, setting the stage for her sports and entertainment career.
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