Peter Moran assumed the helm of Collegis Education’s business development team earlier this year, but he’s not new to our company or higher education. Learn more about him in this Q&A.
What brought you to Collegis Education?
Higher ed has been at the core of my career journey. I was partnership director at Cengage Learning for several years. That role required building strong relationships with college and university leaders, and I learned very quickly about the higher ed landscape and its challenges, specifically from the partner perspective. After a brief stint with a start-up, I had the opportunity to join Collegis as senior director of partnerships. When I started, I think we had 16 partners; today, we have over 50.
That’s some impressive growth in a relatively short amount of time.
That was eight years ago; it’s wild to think how much we’ve grown as a company. Our partner schools have grown, too. When I started, we worked primarily with small, four-year, private nonprofit institutions, and we still do. But now, we also work with some of the largest colleges and universities in the United States, several community colleges, and other two-year institutions. It’s been a fun ride.
What’s the best part of working at Collegis?
From the day I started with the company, we’ve always adapted quickly to meet the market where it’s at and structure solutions to help address the biggest challenges colleges and universities are facing. I’m proud to be a part of an organization with that mindset.
And now you’re leading the business development at Collegis. What’s that like?
It’s great. I get to work with some incredible people and have a fantastic team. Everyone has a partner-first approach. On the surface, you can easily say, “Well, sure, it’s sales,” but there is an authenticity that each of our reps brings to their role. It’s genuine. We prioritize listening and understanding — understanding our partners’ goals, what they’re trying to impact, and the challenges they’re facing.
What’s the best piece of advice you have ever received?
Be early, be responsible, and be a gentleman.
What’s the best piece of advice you have ever given?
“Take a breath, reset, all good.”
See, I played baseball competitively for years and have coached youth baseball for the past 12. Pitchers will throw bad pitches, and hitters will have bad swings. When that happens, you can see stress, anxiety, pressure, and even a little embarrassment start to mount. In those moments, “Take a breath, reset, all good.” I think it’s also applicable professionally, and while I may not use those exact words, I think of them often as our team and I work through different challenges.
OK, so if your career wasn’t in sales, what job would you likely be doing and why?
I think I would really enjoy being an athletic director at a small college. It would be a perfect blend of sports and higher ed. Plus, you have the opportunity to make a positive impact on young adults.
So, I’m getting the sense you’re a big sports guy, huh?
Yes, definitely – attending, playing, watching on TV. I am also extremely involved with our area youth sports organization. I coach and sit on the board. I’m also a sports dad and am often on the move, attending our sons’ various sporting events.
Any other hobbies and interests outside of work?
I enjoy reading, fishing, skiing in the winter, golfing from time to time, family dinners, and spending time with our golden retriever, Briggsy. Additionally, I am a dedicated, albeit reluctant, runner.
Back to shop talk. What do you see as the major challenges and opportunities facing higher ed right now?
How much time do you have? In all seriousness, it’s a really competitive market right now. It always has been. There’s the impending demographic cliff, the national discount rate continues to rise, and according to more recent studies, tuition revenue, in turn, is going down. Staff reductions are happening at many schools, and we’re hearing more conversation around consolidation.
Oh, is that all?
[Laughs] Look, every industry has its peaks and valleys, and sure, this is one of higher ed’s more challenging times. But every problem has a solution. You first have to get to the root cause of the issue, what’s preventing progress. There’s a lot of disruption going on, and that typically provides motivation for change, which can be a very good thing.
Alright, I’ll take the bait. What is preventing the progress, Peter?
It comes down to data, tech, and talent. When these three things work together, schools find efficiency, offer a better experience for students, and make better decisions. But when they are not aligned, or worse, working against one another, it’s paralyzing.
Let’s look at the data element: What is an example of how Collegis helps schools be more data-enabled to win in this competitive market?
The higher ed market, despite best intentions, is a bit behind other industries in how it uses and governs data. Most partners don’t have the financial resources to compete in ways that other schools do. We support them by putting an integrated tech infrastructure in place that allows them to connect data sets from across the entire student lifecycle and utilize that data to make more informed decisions. This enables them to connect upstream investments to downstream outcomes and helps them determine how to spend money — what activities and programs they should support and what actions they should take. All of these factors help them to be successful.
How does data help your partners develop new offerings?
For institutions exploring new offerings, we can provide them with an informed point of view on what their data is saying, where we see opportunities or challenges, and what investments make sense for them. Before going down a path, making an investment, and doing all the work necessary to set up a new program, we want to make sure they have the information they need to make the best decision possible, utilizing not only their own data but also data from external sources. Collegis can guide them through that process and help them successfully move in a direction that supports their goals –– from increasing enrollment to generating new revenue and more.
Who has had the biggest influence on you, personally or professionally?
As a child, my mother; as an adult, my wife. They are the two most kind, giving, thoughtful, and selfless people I have ever known.
I asked you earlier about what brought you to Collegis; now tell me, what keeps you here?
I believe in what we do and how we do it.
And what is that?
Hey, if you’re asking for the sales pitch, I’ll give it to you.
[Laughs] OK, let me hear it. I guess it’s only fitting to end this interview with the new VP of business development delivering the sales pitch.
Number one, we’re not offering one particular service or product. We provide different services, ranging from marketing, recruitment, and retention to instructional design and IT support. There are many companies that help schools with their marketing, companies that support recruitment, tons of instructional design companies, and certainly many IT support companies. There aren’t many out there today that do all those things and help institutions activate data to inform decision-making.
Second, every single one of our partnerships is different from the next. Through a series of meetings with their various functional teams, we identify strengths and gaps, and then develop a customized plan that leverages our experienced team and resources to achieve their desired impact. That makes us unique in the marketplace.
Our partner institutions have talented people, but often, they deal with small teams that are stretched very thin. One value we bring is to augment their existing team with our experienced team through consistent communication. There are, of course, regularly scheduled calls on a weekly or biweekly basis, but there’s also organic communication happening every day between us and the institution’s teams. Many of those conversations focus on the use of data, uncovering and interpreting insights, and recommending action. That doesn’t mean an institution has to move in that direction, but with our experience and expertise, we can provide an informed point of view and have a collaborative discussion.
We’ve pioneered and proven the fee-for-service model in higher education, unbundling a collection of services into customized plans for institutions. When I first came to Collegis, that was really new in the marketplace. Now, we’re seeing other companies try to replicate it, which is great validation. So even though other companies are offering similar engagements, our model is proven, and we are more established. We’re not learning how to do our job on our partner’s dime and time.
Our market is broadening, and we are seeing opportunities at schools that eight years ago may not have even considered our approach. We’re expanding and partnering with new types of institutions, which is exciting. We’re looking forward to spreading our message even further and helping more colleges and universities make an impact.
