UNITAR appoints Timothy Johnson as director of marketing

UNITAR International University (UNITAR) has appointed Timothy Johnson as its director of marketing. Johnson (pictured) told A+M that he covers all aspects of marketing, public relations, and new product development. He currently reports to UNITAR's CEO, Puvan Balachandran, and head of revenue, Eddy Choo. UNITAR was founded in 1997 as Southeast Asia's first virtual university and its programmes are offered in 13 locations, including its main campus in urban Kelana Jaya. 

On why he chose to take on this role, Johnson explained that UNITAR's social mission of "providing education to all" resonates with his personal goals. "UNITAR is one of the fastest-growing private universities in Malaysia and it was a pioneer in growing the online education space. Coupled with a great time, this has been an exhilarating ride thus far," he explained.

Now as director of marketing, Johnson's vision is to ensure that the company constantly listens to the consumer and create value for individuals who seek purpose in their educational journey with UNITAR. While the pandemic did cause some challenges, it also provided the opportunity for growth and learning. For Johnson, the pandemic brought about the opportunity to upskill, upgrade and re-tool. 

Prior to joining UNITAR, Johnson was SVP, marketing, product and partnerships at INTI International University and Colleges. He stepped down early last year after nearly seven years. He first joined INTI in 2014 as VP, marketing from Standard Chartered Bank. As SVP, Johnson was responsible for the strategy and execution of the marketing, product, partnership, and working adult segment of INTI’s students in one university and five colleges, said his LinkedIn. Additionally, he also partnered with the CEO and executive leadership team to develop marketing campaigns that led to INTI's growth in total enrolment in a declining higher education segment. During his time at INTI, Johnson was instrumental in changing perceptions and building the brand, delivering the vision of reinventing education for the world of IR4.0.

He told A+M previously that the journey at INTI over a seven-year period was a journey of taking an old, historic brand and making it into a contemporary one that resonated with both parents and kids alike. "We created the funniest video content that spanned generations and races," he added.

In Standard Chartered Bank, Johnson helmed the head of marketing for four years and was responsible for the marketing of all products and segments offered by the bank. According to his LinkedIn, the products included credit cards, mortgages, deposits and all wealth management-related products, among others. He also created an online acquisition channel for credit cards that incrementally contributed 19.5% of all new credit cards acquired every month, added his LinkedIn. 

Related articles:
INTI's AVP of marketing Wendy Lai tipped to step down
INTI tipped to name replacement as marketing chief Timothy Johnson steps down
Marketing Excellence Awards judge Timothy Johnson on the ‘breakout ideas’ he hopes to see