COURTNEY RAYBOULD
COURTNEY RAYBOULD

Hi there!
I'm Courtney,
an award-winning communications
strategist in Toronto, Canada.

Since I was a kid, I've been obsessed with stories and writing. In high school, I'd cut class to read on the floor in the public library across the street, tucked away between the shelves of the fiction section.

My middle name is even Reading. Not kidding.

To this day, my favourite projects include those that feature storytelling. So much so that I've made it my job: I'm a Toronto-based digital geek who specializes in developing marketing + communications strategy for a living.

From 9 - 5, I'm an award-winning communicator who develops a digital community through careful strategy and dynamic, unfiltered storytelling. In my spare time, I moonlight as a digital strategy consultant, copywriter, graphic designer, and photographer.

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PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

A strategic communicator with 15 years' experience in large institutions, I help to connect subject matter experts with their audiences. My focus? Building sustainable close-knit communities and supporting organizational goals through data-driven communications campaigns and value-aligned social community management.

Taking a collaborative team-based approach to communications, I've worked with decentralized service providers to discover and resolve pain points in communication + digital experience with a user-first mindset. This is driven by user research, UX and accessibility best practices, thoughtful brand positioning, and a deliberate content strategy that’s designed to meet users just where they are and lead them to where they need to go.

“Courtney has that rare, valuable blend of logistical precision and creative prowess. Whether it is organizing a pan-Canadian student leadership conference or curating a TEDx event, Courtney can be counted on to get the job done, done well, and done with style.”
— Ross McMillan, Director Student Engagement & First Year Experience, York University
 

A FEW OF MY FAVOURITE PROJECTS

 
 
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Project Welcome Wagon

Winner of the Ontario University Registrars’ Association Innovation Award

SKILLS: Strategy | Innovation | Collaboration

As an omnichannel communications campaign, Project Welcome Wagon (PWW) streamlined communications from 6 separate departments to share just-in-time orientation information with new students. We leveraged Facebook groups, YouTuber-style videos, emails, and an in-person experience to start their journey off on the right foot with a conversational, lighthearted tone.

 
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#PSEWEB Conference

SKILLS: Leadership | Management | Project Management | Event Planning

#PSEWEB is a practitioner-lead conference community for the people behind the online faces of Canadian college and universities. Under my leadership as Executive Director, the #PSEWEB team has consistently executed the conference deliverables on time and on budget, grown the conference to include a thriving roster of speakers, launched an accessibility grant, fostered robust corporate partnerships, premiered successful pre-conference workshops and — with the onset of COVID-19 — a dual-track livestreamed conference experience.

 
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Glendon’s eAmbassador Team

SKILLS: Leadership | Resourcefulness | Management

The eAmbassador Team was borne of a shoestring budget and a mission to revolutionize Glendon’s digital + social recruitment strategy in 2011. Starting with a team of 5 part-time student employees, the team grew as large as 18 students – most of whom participated on a volunteer basis, a few of whom participated during their international exchange. Within 3 years, this team was rated as a significant influencer in prospective students’ decision processes and was a coveted role to hold on campus.

 
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Co-op Student Communications Strategy

SKILLS: Strategy | Research

The Co-op office at the University of Toronto Scarborough needed a more effective way to keep current students in the loop. By conducting user research, journey mapping, and a gap analysis, we developed a communications strategy that keeps students informed on upcoming opportunities and better to manage the internal narrative about co-op.

 
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Campus Love Starts Here | Bienvenue chez vous

SKILLS: Creativity | Project Management | Strategy

Glendon needed a short video to convey a sense of campus place + space to share with students while recruiting outside of the GTA that would double as an introduction video on the YouTube channel. Created on an incredibly small budget with a tight timeline, this video was released for recruitment audiences and was then adapted by the broader campus community for use on the alumni webpage as a video backdrop, for various institutional presentations, and on social media. As a result, it has received over 15,000 organic views to date.

 

LAUNCH: Arts & Science Co-op’s Networking Event

SKILLS: Leadership | Project Management | Event Planning

The Co-op Office at the University of Toronto Scarborough had recently overhauled the way their students and employers connected during the job search cycle and needed someone to manage logistical, planning, and internal/external communications elements of the new event. By streamlining the planning process, broadening the event marketing tactics, and leveraging student help on event day, we were able to significantly boost student registration, make better use of existing staff resources, and build awareness of future events.

 

 

“Courtney is a tremendously talented individual who demonstrates strong leadership qualities. Her creativity, professionalism and ability to manage complex communication schedules and strategies in a resource-constrained environment is a true testament to her resourcefulness and innovative ways of thinking. She can recommend creative solutions to complex problems and can ensure consensus from all stakeholders involved. She is a true asset to any team.”
— Katherine Meunier, Director Student Recruitment & Applicant Relations, Glendon Campus, York University
“Courtney’s quite simply an outstanding employee. Her focus and ability to work independently is exemplary. I could always trust her with highly complex projects and was never disappointed. I have every confidence that Courtney will be an outstanding player on any team she’s a part of.”
— Frank Cappadocia, Director Student Community & Leadership Development, York University

Contact

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