Heather Obering was hired as Northwestern's assistant director of marketing in October of 2011, was elevated to the director of marketing in October of 2013, and was elevated to the assistant athletic director for marketing in 2016. Obering currently serves as the associate athletic director for marketing, a role that she has held since 2018. In her current role, Obering oversees the marketing department. She is responsible for the marketing of the football and men’s basketball programs, including advertising and branding initiatives, gameday presentation and fan experience. She also works with campus partners, including the Office of New Student Experience, Student Affairs and Alumni Relations and Development.
 
During her time at Northwestern, Obering has helped produce record ticket sales and attendance numbers for a number of different programs, including football and men's basketball, and oversaw the marketing and promotion of the first-ever NCAA women's lacrosse game at historic Wrigley Field. Additionally, Obering also serves on the Wildcat Welcome Week committee, charged with welcoming new students to campus each fall, serves as a liaison with Northwestern academic groups for ad hoc projects and works with the Northwestern Marching Band. Obering also serves as a sport administrator for the men’s tennis program.
 
Prior to joining the marketing staff at Northwestern, Obering spent three seasons with the women's basketball program, most recently as the Director of Basketball operations, working closely with the marketing department. As the director of operations, Obering managed internal and external team affairs, including team travel, scheduling, academics and community outreach. Obering joined the women's basketball staff after spending two years as a Certified Public Accountant at Deloitte. She was based in the Chicago office as part of the Audit practice.
 
Obering graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in accounting and a minor in journalism, where she served as the Sports Editor of The Observer, the daily student publication. In 2010, she earned a Master's of Sports Administration from Northwestern University while working for the women's basketball program.