Meet Myles Forgue

Introducing: Myles Forgue

Q: How has your unique background and studies in digital marketing & theology equipped you to lead at our company?

Navigating my undergraduate studies as a first-generation student opened my eyes to the opportunity and impact of higher education. I recall the anxiety and tension of the college search, but I confidently chose to study at Providence College because of how deeply its mission messaging resonated with me. 

At PC, I studied marketing and theology with distinction as a member of the Marketing Fellowship and the Liberal Arts Honors Program. What drew me to marketing was its emphasis on authentic storytelling, and what drew me to theology was studying how we seek and share meaning. 

I came to understand my vocation as a mission marketer at the intersection of the two disciplines. In my studies, I encountered the work of C.S. Lewis, a British theologian. He imagined humanity as a band playing a tune, but to work in harmony, it needed 3 things: 

(1) Each player’s individual instrument must be in tune; 

(2) Each must come in at their cue to combine with the others;

(3) To harmonize, the players must share a tune to play along to

As a marketing strategist, I specialize in crafting messages ‘in tune’ with a brand’s anthem. As a facilitator, I see myself as a conductor helping to orchestrate a symphony of marketing messages  to amplify an organization’s mission, vision, and values, helping them ‘harmonize’ with one another and resonate with intended audiences.

I put this into practice as the Chief Content Officer for the Providence College School of Business (PCSB). In this role, I led a team of students to envision and execute digital marketing solutions for the PCSB, culminating in a significant uptick in brand affinity and community engagement. This experience sparked my passion for higher ed marketing.

Outside of higher education marketing, my work experience spans branding, organization development (OD), and talent management. A project that truly prepared me to lead at ERI was serving as an OD consultant for Techtronic Industries, the parent company of Milwaukee & Ryobi Tool. In that role, I spent the summer living at the corporate HQ in South Carolina, building the corporate internship program and the engineering leadership development program. I joke that I was continually building the plane as I was flying it, constantly reassessing where I was investing my time and energy as a consummate creator. From this experience, I learned how to strategically leverage appreciative inquiry in complex systems to engage stakeholders and inspire positive change.

Navigating Today’s Digital Landscape

Q: What are some of the challenges and opportunities you see for academic institutions and organizations in communicating their value in today’s digital landscape? 

The rate at which digital communications and technology are advancing is rapid, and so are the ways in which people engage with them. Since we spend a significant amount of time engaging with the digital world, we are often overwhelmed by an onslaught of advertisements and information, making us more vulnerable to the discomfort of cognitive dissonance. Thus, it has become increasingly more difficult to craft messages that stand out above the noise. 

Additionally, the workforce and student population are becoming significantly more diverse in race, age, ethnicity, and socioeconomic background, seemingly exacerbating the challenge of promoting a message that appeals to a wide range of demographics. In the wake of an enrollment cliff, a great resignation, and wide hiring freezes, institutions, organizations, and even individuals are questioning their inherent dignity and value, forced to scrutinize their own shortcomings in an attempt to understand their position in their competitive landscapes.

Nevertheless, institutions and organizations alike can overcome this challenge by investing their intellectual energy in an appreciation of their strengths and in an inquiry into their peak aspirations. While positively reframing the challenge of marketing and communications, this also prompts an organization to innovatively imagine what it can build by understanding its foundation and building blocks. 

For this reason, I believe that every institution would benefit from our signature discovery process. Whether we are guiding the redesign of a website or helping launch a capital campaign, we come with generative questions aimed at better understanding what the path to success looks like and how we will know when we get there.

Impact & Aspirations

Q: What are some of your favorite ways to use your marketing skills to make a positive impact on the world?

In my mind, marketing is more than the science of creating and communicating value; it is also the art of articulating and illustrating what makes us and our offerings unique. 

I believe that marketing has helped me be a better communicator, and thus a better son, friend, and leader. No matter what I do for a career, what matters most is helping the world around me look for what is good, true, and beautiful. Practically, I have done this as a Peer Minister, Orientation Leader and Coordinator, offering mentorship and guidance to hundreds throughout my time at school.

Myles had the honor of addressing the Class of 2027 and their families on the 2023 Admitted Students Day. 

An achievement I’m proud of most recently is having represented Providence College as a member of the Friars Club, a Christian service organization that leads personalized tours for prospective students and families. My tours are candid and conversational, led by the interests of the families. I never give the same tour twice; there is always a new, true story to tell about the community we cultivate on campus. I love to bring in the perspective of ‘Friars on the Street,’ inviting student storytelling in real time.

Established in 1928, the Friars Club is known for their white jackets and servant-leadership.

Q: What does success look like for you in the next five years?

When considering this, I reflect on what I am doing when I feel the most like myself, whether at work or at play: teaching, public speaking, laughing, playing strategy games, going out to coffee, or playing with LEGOS to name a few. I think next about what strengths people often affirm in me: my ability to command a room’s attention, my humor, my critical and strategic thinking, or my insightful questions or answers in discussion. I love to study what makes people tick, especially in a group setting.

When I combine these strengths and what I value the most, I realize my aspiration to direct a consulting business that specializes in helping organizations and institutions articulate their vision and strategy and improve their knowledge management, all with the aim of helping to make their brand promise more clear and compelling. 

I aspire to be the scholar-practitioner that bridges organization development, knowledge management, and branding. A professor of mine once said that “creativity is seeing connections where others may not,” so I aim to reflect on this intersection and become a leading voice to guide organizations and institutions through an age where work, the workplace, and the workforce are continually evolving.

I came to understand my vocation as a mission marketer at the intersection of marketing & theology. In my studies, I encountered the work of C.S. Lewis, a British theologian. He imagined humanity as a band playing a tune, but to work in harmony, it needed 3 things:

(1) Each player’s individual instrument must be in tune;

(2) Each must come in at their cue to combine with the others;

(3) To harmonize, the players must share a tune to play along to