Alicia Holland
Chief Communications Officer and Public Affairs Advisor to the President
Originally joining the University in 2021 as the Director of the Office or Marketing and Communications, and as the Director of the American Spaces program, Alicia is currently AUIB’s Chief Communications Officer and Public Affairs Advisor to the President.
She is a seasoned professional with a 28-year career marked by expertise in strategic planning, communications, global relations and outreach, stakeholder development, and team leadership. Her skills extend to brand architecture creation and evolution, visibility enhancement, and emergency and crisis planning and communication. Alicia excels in building and maintaining collaborative relationships with key decision-makers, executive leadership, and community and government bodies, achieving measurable results in complex and challenging environments. She has worked in the Gulf and Middle East for 17 years.
Throughout her career, Alicia has focused on higher education in emerging economies and conflict zones. Her experience includes guiding organizations through strategic changes and serving as a strategic advisor to top-tier leadership. Alicia’s ability to craft and implement community outreach initiatives and global relations development strategies has been instrumental in her success.
Alicia is recognized for her writing skills, having crafted speeches for university Presidents and Deans, CEOs, and institutional stakeholders, including royalty, international industry leaders, national influencers, and government representatives. She is known for her collaborative, yet tenacious approach, consistently achieving and exceeding strategic goals in diverse and fluid environments.
Her dedication to service is evident through her eight-year tenure as an elected Country Officer in the U.S. Department of State-sponsored U.S. Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) Qatar chapter.