Waikato alumna goes is ruling the communication waves

Waikato alumna goes from surf lifesaving to ruling the communication waves

A volunteer role for her surf lifesaving club when she was 16 has turned into a successful public relations career for University of Waikato alumna Jenni Cochrane.

The 28-year-old acting communications manager for Matamata-Piako District Council is the winner of The Annual Ted Zorn Waikato Alumni Award in Management Communication 2014, to be presented by the University of Waikato’s Department of Management Communication (MCOM) at an awards evening on Wednesday, 6 May.

“When I was 16, I got talked into becoming director of public relations for the Waihi Beach Surf Lifeguard Service, and my interest was just sparked from there,” explains Jenni, who went on to complete a Bachelor of Communication Studies (BCS) degree at Waikato Management School from 2004 to 2006. It gave her the confidence to go out and set up her own business as a PR practitioner at the age of 19, straight after university, she says.

Jenni is the 11th recipient of The Ted Zorn Waikato Alumni Award, through which MCOM recognises the outstanding achievements of Waikato’s management communications graduates. The awards evening will also celebrate the academic successes of more than 50 Waikato students of public relations and leadership communication, ranging from first-year to postgraduate students.

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