Introducing our new Alumni Relations and Philanthropy Executive

We are delighted to welcome Kendall Collett to the Alumni Relations team at the Business School. We spoke to her about her aspirations for this new role and how she will be supporting the alumni community.

Tell us about your role

My role as Alumni Relations and Philanthropy Executive is a new role at the Business School. My purpose is to support the development of a culture of philanthropy across our alumni and student population, creating new engagement programmes to increase regular giving participation. I will be working closely with Business School leadership, and across the alumni and academic communities to build these new initiatives.

Career background

I have worked in Development and Alumni Relations for over 8 years. I started my career as a student caller, fundraising for my university in Canada whilst doing my Undergraduate degree.

I joined Imperial in June from Cambridge University where I was the Alumni Relations Manager. My previous experience includes working at the London School of Economics and Tate where I was responsible for establishing international volunteer programmes and managing the event programmes.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

As my role is brand new, I am so excited about the opportunity at the Business School. What I love the most, is meeting alumni. With lockdown easing and events able to take place, I look forward to the chance to meet more alumni soon!

What are your first impressions of the Imperial alumni community

The Imperial alumni community is very diverse, and the Business School alumni are so unique and ambitious. I had the chance to meet a handful of alumni who volunteered on panels during Welcome Week to speak to our incoming students. I was so impressed with the range of alumni coming back wanting to share their advice and wisdom to the future alumni community.

What I love the most, is meeting alumni. With lockdown easing and events able to take place, I look forward to the chance to meet more alumni soon!

What has been the highlight of your career so far

As an avid art lover, it was a dream come true to work at Tate. I specifically worked on events for patrons and donors. My highlight was organising the events for the opening of the Switch House Building in 2016. When I started, the building was still a building site, and to see it transformed, 10 floors high and adorned with art, was amazing!

I have to also share that I once interviewed Shania Twain on the radio - that was a huge highlight as a 14 yr old!

What is your advice for alumni on how to get the most out of the Imperial alumni community

Get involved! There are so many opportunities to reconnect with alumni and the College. The LinkedIn Groups are so active, so are the Professional Interest Networks. The Imperial Alumni community is truly a global one, so reach out to your local chapter, or tune into one of the many events held virtually, or in person where possible, and start connecting.

You can also sign up to our alumni platform, Plexus, for exclusive access to webinars and events, as well as networking with the wider Imperial alumni community.

What is your top tip for exploring London for anyone new to the city

Take the bus! When I first moved to London, I realised the tube is the fastest way to get from A to B, but whilst taking the bus, I passed by so many places I wanted to explore. I got such a better sense of the city. There’s still something very exciting about sitting in the front seat on the top deck of the bus!