Geoffrey Chatas, U-M executive vice president and chief financial officer, has accepted the position of senior vice president of operations at Yale University. Chatas will leave U-M at the end of October.
Effective Nov. 1, Vice President for Finance Bobby Hewlett will serve as U-M’s interim executive vice president and chief financial officer.
“Geoff has made numerous meaningful contributions during his tenure, including helping to guide the university through the COVID-19 pandemic and, more recently, navigating complex federal research funding issues,” said President Domenico Grasso. “Thanks to his steady leadership, he leaves the university in a strong financial position, and we are deeply grateful for his dedicated service.”
Chatas was appointed and came to U-M in October 2021. He is one of three executive vice presidents reporting to the university president and has served as the president’s chief adviser on financial matters.
As executive vice president and chief financial officer, he led U-M’s business and finance organization, which includes the university’s investments, finance, facilities and operations, human resources, and other areas.
Under Chatas’ financial leadership, the university has maintained its strong credit rating, ensuring U-M’s continued ability to invest in its academic mission while navigating sector-wide financial challenges. The university’s diversified financial strategy has allowed for record levels of support for student scholarships, faculty positions, research and clinical care — helping to keep a U-M education accessible and affordable for students from all backgrounds.
Chatas played a central role in advancing the university’s Look to Michigan vision, and was instrumental in envisioning and moving forward the Campus Plan 2050, a comprehensive roadmap for the next 25 years of campus development, sustainability and innovation.
Prior to his arrival at U-M, Chatas served as senior vice president and chief operating officer at Georgetown University and was senior vice president for business and finance and chief financial officer at Ohio State University.
Before his career in higher education, Chatas served as managing director for the Infrastructure Investment Fund at JP Morgan Asset Management and served in various finance roles at Progress Energy Inc., American Electric Power, Banc One Capital Corp. and Citibank.
Chatas earned a BA in history and economics from Georgetown University, an MPhil in history from Oxford University, and an MBA from INSEAD.
Hewlett was appointed vice president for finance in July, continuing a 14-year history with U-M. He had spent seven months as interim associate vice president for finance, and previously was controller at Michigan Medicine. Hewlett is an alumnus of the Stephen M. Ross School of Business, earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in accounting. Prior to his employment at U-M, Hewlett worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Grasso said he will work closely with Chatas and Hewlett to ensure a smooth transition and maintain financial strength. The next U-M president will determine the search process for the executive vice president and chief financial officer position.
— Brad Whitehouse, Office of the EVPCFO, contributed to this story.
Kirsten Herold
Well, VP Chatas is responsible for bringing us the CTP, an unwelcome and costly intrusion into faculty and staff’s ability to book their own travel. Maybe / Hopefully his departure will mark the end of the CTP at UM.
That said, I am sorry to see him go because of all UM administrators, he has been the one who has been most serious about finding a solution to the childcare crisis in our area. So I very much hope that the next CFO will take up that task because it is sorely needed.
KH