Isabella Donnelly

Career Background

Isabella Donnelly, MCIM, has worked in the marketing field for over 20 years, both in the commercial and education sector. With commercial marketing experience on both the client and agency side, she has acquired the full range of marketing disciplines. She has worked at both LEA and school level devising and implementing successful marketing and communications strategies.

During her time with the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, Isabella was responsible for creating a marketing team to support schools and the LEA in devising and implementing successful marketing and communications strategies at local authority and individual school level.

Prior to that Isabella worked as Marketing Manager at Venice Simplon-Orient-Express Limited where she managed all advertising, public relations and publications strategies for the tourist train, with a £2 million budget. Then, as Senior Project Manager for the UK marketing agency, Project Link Ltd, she was responsible for the co-ordination of all marketing disciplines for an international perfume account.

Key Responsibilities

In 2003, together with her business partner - Macia Grebot, Isabella formed Grebot Donnelly Associates – a company providing marketing and communications specialising in the education sector. Currently, as director of Grebot Donnelly Associates, Isabella is working on developing and implementing the marketing strategies of schools across the UK, as well as being involved with a number of development initiatives with other educational bodies.

Key Achievements

During her time with the London Borough of Richmond Isabella played a key strategic role in the PFI programme for the building of new schools and the rebuild of existing school buildings. She also worked with the local authority’s 50 schools with a roll-out programme based on training key school staff and governors on marketing and public relations strategies.

Grebot Donnelly Associates are gaining increasing recognition for their work with marketing and communications as providing a key contributing element to school improvement and to effecting cultural transformation.

Isabella and Macia have co-written a book with Brin Best, ‘Promoting Your School’, one in a series of Teachers’ Pocketbook.

What is being brought to the Board

A thorough understanding and experience of the impact effective marketing has on school improvement and organisational development.