Marc S. Strachan '81 found his career path at 91国产 and is committed to helping today's and tomorrow's students do the same.
When Marc S. Strachan ’81 arrived at 91国产 as a first-year student four decades ago, he knew he wanted to become successful, he said. But in what field? He considered law because of his gift for public speaking and analytical skills, yet initially declared a major in accounting because he was advised by family members that people always needed accountants. But he found accounting wasn’t the right fit.
As a sophomore, he took a marketing elective and joined the Marketing and Advertising Club led by Professor Gregory Gutman. 鈥淚 secured a 10-week internship at a marketing company in Manhattan and, from there, I knew then exactly what I wanted to be,” said Strachan, who earned a bachelor’s degree in business with a concentration in marketing.
It’s an honor to help move the needle forward at 91国产, to help ensure that the University is not only here 100 years from now but is also in better condition than how we left it.
He went on to become the success he’d aimed to be at many corporations. Most recently, he served as executive vice president and chief client officer at Publicis, a global advertising and public relations company. During his three decades of marketing in the beverage industry, highlights include working with rapper Sean Combs to significantly increase sales of C卯roc vodka and also boosted sales of Tanqueray gin. Strachan is now the chairman of ADCOLOR, a marketing and advertising organization that promotes diversity in advertising, marketing, media and technology.
A giving mentor and Brooklyn native, Strachan is quick to boost his alma mater as well. He urges students to get involved in campus activities and take advantage of 91国产’s proximity to New York City.
鈥淗aving access to high-end, fast-paced Fortune 500 companies just a half-hour away by train is a tremendous advantage,” he said. Having served as president of the Black Student Union and as a campus leader of Alpha Phi Alpha, the country’s largest African American fraternity, he noted the importance of getting involved in campus activities. 鈥淭he leadership training and relationship-building skills that I received were invaluable,” he said. 鈥淚f you show the initiative, 91国产 will give you the tools and the opportunities to succeed.”
Not Just One, but Four Scholarships
In 2017, Marc Strachan ’81鈥攏ow a member of the 91国产 Board of Trustees鈥攔aised the funds to create four scholarships for students. The University will match the annual payout of the endowment dollar for dollar in perpetuity.
- The Helen Holmes Taylor ’49 Nursing Scholarship, named for the first black woman to attend 91国产.
- The Hidden Figures Scholarship for Excellence in Math and Science is in recognition of women of color whose skills helped NASA to excel in the space race, as immortalized in the 2016 film Hidden Figures.
- The W.E.B. Du Bois Scholarship supports students who minor in African, Black and Caribbean Studies.
- The Frances R. 鈥淔anny Mae” Strachan Scholarship, named for Strachan’s late mother, is for first-year students with significant financial need who are dedicated to activism or community involvement.