LSU announced the hiring of Jim Sabourin, former senior vice president and chief communications officer for Unum, as Vice President of Strategic Communications on Wednesday morning, pending approval of the LSU Board of Supervisors.
“We are excited to welcome Jim Sabourin to the LSU leadership team,” LSU President F. King Alexander said. “Jim has extensive leadership experience in public relations and communications, ranging from internal communication and crisis response to strategy development and implementation, and he will be a great asset to the entire LSU family.”
The Vice president of Strategic Communications is the most senior communications executive at LSU and reports directly to Alexander. The position entails overseeing all communication efforts by the university, directing communications strategy and policy, and media relations, among other duties. 
LSU had conducted a national search led by LSU Law Dean Tom Galligan to find the proper man to fill the vacant position. 
Sabourin’s former company Unum is a Fortune 500 insurance provider based in Chattanooga, TN. Before joining Unum, Sabourin was vice president of corporate communications for America West Airlines, managing the crises the company faced before and after 9/11.