Jo Ann Herold, former chief marketing officer for The Honey Baked Ham Company, global chief marketing officer for Interface Inc. and vice president of Brand and Communications at Arby’s Restaurant Group, will serve as interim vice president for Public Relations and Marketing Communications starting May 15.

Herold, an expert-in-residence and faculty member in the J. Mack Robinson College of Business, brings deep expertise in leading organizations, brands and teams to innovate, modernize and grow.

Herold has served on the GSU Marketing Roundtable for 20 years and, alongside Dr. Denish Shah, has helped increase its membership by more than 30 percent. She has also served as co-chair for Georgia State’s Future of Marketing Conference and the Max Awards. She teaches global strategic marketing in Robinson’s Executive MBA program.

As the global chief marketing officer for Interface Inc., she created the company’s first truly global brand team, delivering product and brand strategies resulting in five consecutive quarters of growth. A team and culture catalyst, she also played a significant role in Interface’s bold global sustainability movement, Climate Take Back.

She twice served as chief marketing officer for The Honey Baked Ham Company and was recruited to serve on the brand turnaround team at Arby’s Restaurant Group.

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work closely with Jo Ann and leverage her expertise as we continue to propel the growth of our university,” said Georgia State President M. Brian Blake. “Her leadership and strategic vision will undoubtedly contribute to our collective success.”

Herold has been named one of the National Diversity Council’s Most Powerful and Influential Women, she is an American Marketing Association (AMA) Lifetime Achievement Award winner and was named the 2023 AMA Marketer for Good.

She is the chief executive officer of Herold Growth Consulting and serves multiple clients across industry sectors. Herold is past president of the CMO Club and AMA Atlanta and previous board chair of the Atlanta Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, where she was also on the nominating committee. She’s also a published best-selling author, a sought-after speaker and is on the executive board of Fast Company.

Herold has an MBA in International Business from Mercer University, an Advanced Executive Coaching Diploma from Emory University and a B.A. in Communication from Mississippi State University.

A national search for the vice president for Public Relations and Marketing Communications will begin immediately with the goal to permanently fill the position in the fall.