Christine M. Schaaf

Christine M. Schaaf is a Professor of Business Communication and Marketing at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. She teaches in the Office of the Dean’s Business Communication Initiative in the Undergraduate, MS, MBA, and Executive MBA Programs. In addition to teaching, Christine is responsible for the continued development of the Business Communication Initiative at the Smith. This initiative focuses on preparing Smith students with the business communication skills needed to succeed in today’s business environment. Prior to joining the Smith School, Christine taught for thirteen years as an Adjunct Professor of Marketing at John Hopkins Carey School of Business and Loyola University of Maryland Sellinger School of Business in the MS and MBA Programs.

Prior to joining academia Christine spent more than three decades in private industry as a Senior Marketing Executive and Consultant. As Senior Vice President of Marketing she was member of the senior executive team instrumental in the formation and operation of First Washington Realty Trust, Inc., a publicly held real estate investment trust which was traded on the New York Stock exchange and ultimately acquired by the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (“CalPERS”), the largest public pension fund in the United States. As First Washington’s Senior Marketing Officer for 18 years, she was responsible for all marketing and communications efforts for the $3B public company including internal and external corporate communications and integrated marketing communications for a portfolio of 101 shopping centers nationwide.

Christine is the founder of CMS Marketing & Communications LLC, a marketing and communications consulting company specializing in integrated marketing communications strategy, branding, and corporate communications. Christine provides clients with senior level strategic planning, communication initiatives, staff development, and marketing campaigns which have accomplished client goals of increased sales and customer traffic, increased brand exposure and strategic staff development. Representative industries include retail, commercial real estate, healthcare, education, hospitality, legal and non-profit.