Michael Knecht is a seasoned executive with more than thirty years of experience in healthcare strategy, marketing, communications and advocacy. At Jarrard, he focuses on high-stakes strategic issues and crises, including M&A, labor negotiations, strategic plan rollout, threats to accreditation and licensure, payer negotiations and executive positioning.
Although Knecht began his career with the intention of becoming a health system CEO, his path shifted into roles focusing on marketing, communications and community engagement. He believes his roots in operations have better prepared him to be a more effective communicator and marketer for organizations devoted to advancing care delivery, medical discovery and education in the health sciences.
Knecht has been a trusted leader, advisor and C-suite member for organizations ranging from community hospitals to public health science universities and large academic health systems. Most recently, he served as EVP, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for RWJBarnabas Health, New Jersey’s largest academic health system, where he led all branding, marketing, digital, internal, external and crisis communications functions. Beyond developing and growing the system’s brand into the most recognized in the region, he has created award-winning communication strategies to advance mission-driven health equity and social impact initiatives.
He has been active with numerous non-profit organizations over his career, including service on the Boards of Trustees for his regional United Way and Ronald McDonald House, where he served as Chair.
Knecht received a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Temple University, and an MBA with a concentration in Health Administration from the same institution. He is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and Past Chair of the Association of American Medical College’s Group on Institutional Advancement.
Worth Knowing:
- Proud father of two highly accomplished daughters and two remarkably unaccomplished, but loveable, mini dachshunds.
- Spends summers “down the shore (Jersey),” not “at the beach.”
- First job was as a short-order cook at his family-owned diner.
