Sarah Bilyeu

VP of Marketing Strategy, California Bank & Trust

Sarah Bilyeu is an innovative, performance-driven and award-winning public relations leader with more than 15 years of experience in developing effective communications campaigns to raise brand awareness, drive sales and garner positive engagement from consumers. Most recently, she served as VP at KCD PR, where she was an integral part of the leadership team and responsible for creating and implementing integrated strategic marketing and public relations campaigns to cultivate and enhance meaningful relationships with key audiences, including media, to advance brand identity and drive consumer adoption.

Previously, Bilyeu served nearly nine years as Senior Vice President of Business Development and Community Relations at SDCCU, one of the nation’s top credit unions, where she elevated awareness and engagement in many PR, marketing and community initiatives—including the SDCCU Holiday Bowl and SDCCU Super Shred Event, an annual event that holds seven Guinness World Records titles. During her time at SDCCU, her efforts contributed to exponential growth for the credit union, doubling customer base to more than 425,000 as well as assets to $11 billion. Prior to SDCCU, Bilyeu served in a variety of communications roles for leading companies, including Bridgepoint Education and UPS subsidiary, The UPS Store, following a three-year stint in radio at Clear Channel Communications (now iHeart Media).

Bilyeu was named IABC-San Diego’s 2021 Communicator of the Year and recognized by the San Diego Metro Magazine with a 40 Under 40 award in 2017. Her work has been recognized with many accolades, including: a 2022 American Business Award for Communications/PR Campaign of the Year, the 2021 Dora Maxwell Award by the Credit Union National Association, 2020 Hermes Creative Award, and several MarCom and MAC awards. Bilyeu holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Political Science from SDSU and an MBA in Marketing from Ashford University.

Volunteer today.