Rob Zinkan, EdD

Rob Zinkan, Ed.D., is founder and principal of Navigate Gray, an organization design firm serving higher education, and Faculty Fellow in the Center for Higher Education Leadership and Innovative Practice (CHELIP) at Bay Path University. For nearly 30 years, Dr. Zinkan has worked in and with colleges and universities to elevate reputation, deepen constituent relationships, and strengthen resources. Recognized for his expertise in marketing and communications organization design and development, he founded Navigate Gray to apply his extensive experience helping chief marketing and communications officers develop organizations that maximize strategic impact. He also serves as an executive coach and leadership advisor to senior higher education leaders navigating organizational change and driving institutional success.

Before launching Navigate Gray, Dr. Zinkan served as vice president for marketing leadership at RHB, a higher education consultancy, where he guided institutions in sharpening their market position and strengthening organizational capability. Previously, he spent nearly two decades at Indiana University in senior roles ranging from campus vice chancellor to system-wide associate vice president. Dr. Zinkan is co-author of What Makes a Strategic Plan “Strategic”? and co-editor and contributor to Inside Higher Ed’s “Call to Action” column.