How University of Warwick successfully united its development and alumni engagement functions

In 2018, the University of Warwick embarked on a project to build an integrated development and alumni engagement team by merging what were then entirely separate development and alumni engagement functions. This paper reviews that merger, outlining how Warwick arrived at a shared vision and strategy while overcoming practical management challenges and the concerns of staff members. It will share learnings from two specific strategies that were deployed to assist with the integration process: agreeing upon and socialising a team behaviours framework and setting department-wide objectives and key results. These techniques allowed Warwick to create a culture of empowerment and ownership within the newly integrated team, encouraging everyone to participate in new stretch ambitions. This case study will provide suggestions for other advancement professionals undergoing restructures and building teams aligned to a common goal. For those not undergoing a restructure, it will share ideas for increased collaboration within an existing or newly aligned team, with guidelines on how to bring diverse groups of people together under one new strategy or vision.