BOSTON - Rebecca Collet, formerly of John Hancock Financial Services, served for over a decade as the primary public relations contact to former John Hancock Chairman and Chief Executive Officer David D'Alessandro, has been named Boston University's Associate Athletic Director for Marketing Communications.
In this newly created position, Collet's chief responsibilities will include the integration of a new Boston University Terriers brand identity; oversight of all athletic media related activities, all marketing and community relations initiatives, including the rollout and complete utilization of the developing "Go Terriers.com" website; serving as primary contact point for athletics with Agganis Arena on basketball and hockey related activities; and developing new means to efficiently and effectively promote Terrier athletics.
Most recently, Collet served as principal of Collet Communications, LLC a private firm she founded in November of 2004, offering a broad range of public relations and communications strategies.
Before creating Collet Communications, she was Director of Corporate Affairs for John Hancock Financial Services. As D'Alessandro's primary public relations contact, her work was pivotal in the development of communications strategies for a number of high-profile John Hancock business initiatives, including work related to the 2004 merger with Manulife Financial. The merger created the second largest life insurance company in North America, an initial public offering for John Hancock in 2000, extensive community outreach programs, and the publication of two nationally bestselling brand focused business books by D'Alessandro.
In addition, she took the lead in promoting and publicizing John Hancock's innovative sports marketing programs. These sponsorships have included Major League Baseball, the International Olympic Committee and the Olympic Games, the Boston Marathon, the New York City Marathon, John Hancock Champions on Ice, and John Hancock's National Gymnastics tours. She is known for her broad knowledge of sports marketing communications and design, and an extensive network of diverse media contacts and relationships.
From 1992 to 1996, Collet served as a public relations manager and analyst at John Hancock. Her responsibilities included coordinating a national public relations plan for grassroots efforts surrounding John Hancock's newly signed Olympic sponsorship. Collet also helped to develop a communications platform for the company's primary agent sales channel, the Signator Financial Network. In addition, Collet managed a communications audit of all of John Hancock's marketing and promotional collateral materials. She developed a process to reduce costs and ensure consistent branding, messaging and design throughout John Hancock's wide-ranging divisions and products.
Before coming to John Hancock, Collet, who received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Simmons College and her Juris Doctor degree from Suffolk University School of Law, was a senior litigation paralegal at the Boston-based insurance defense firm of Murphy, Demarco, & O'Neill, P.C., where her responsibilities included trial preparation, court assistance, and client education. Collet also worked on Michael Dukakis' Presidential campaign as an administrative assistant to his senior staff, coordinating logistics for the 1988 Democratic National Convention and serving as a liaison for the 1988 delegate selection process, working with the party organization within each state and members of national media outlets.
Collet has also used her expertise to give back to the community of Boston. She served on the communications board for Boston 2004, the local organizing committee for the 2004 Democratic National Convention. She has also donated her time and managed foundation events for a number of high profile athletes in Boston. In November of 2004, Collet was appointed to the Massachusetts Governor's Committee on Physical Fitness and Sports. In January of 2005, Collet was appointed to the Hynes Convention Center & Boston Common Parking Garage Commission.
