Samantha Talavera brings over a decade of global marketing and communications expertise across higher education, big tech, and professional sports to her role at Arizona State University. As the Head of Global Marketing and Communications for the Office of Global Academic Initiatives, Samantha oversees marketing, media relations, communications strategy and branding efforts. Samantha’s passion for design, process optimization, and transforming complex strategies into impactful messaging drives her to approach each initiative with vision and creativity.
Previously, Samantha served as the Assistant Director of Global Marketing and Executive Communications for ASU Global Launch. During her tenure, she built a robust marketing and communications team, scaling operations from a single-person department to a dynamic group of over 13 members. She successfully integrated ASU’s brand into Global Launch’s external and internal communications, provided marketing expertise in CRM data architecture, optimized customer journeys, and implemented systems integrations to enhance lead generation. Samantha also expanded Global Launch's email marketing presence and honed strategies to communicate effectively with international audiences, considering cultural nuances and the challenges of engaging non-native English speakers.
Samantha’s career spans diverse roles, including Senior Social Media and Digital Content Strategist at Haymon Boxing, LLC, where she led brand management and marketing strategies for top-ranked fighters, and Senior Producer for the multi-million-dollar sports media platform Bleacher Report.
Leadership, Volunteering, and Presentations
- Global Launch Department Leadership Team: 2018–2023
- Global Academic Initiatives Senior Leadership Team: 2023–present
- Presenter: “Optimizing Your Digital Marketing to Boost IEP Enrollment”, English USA Conference (January 2020)
- Volunteer: Hurricane Disaster Response, Yabucoa, Puerto Rico (All Hands and Hearts Response, February 2020)