Search begins for university’s top business and finance executive

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An advisory committee has been appointed and a search firm has been retained to launch the search for the university’s next executive vice president and chief financial officer.

President Mark S. Schlissel has appointed an 11-member search advisory committee, which will be chaired by Vice President and General Counsel Tim Lynch. The executive search firm Egon Zehnder has been retained to assist with this search.

The search is being undertaken to replace Tim Slottow, who left the university in June to become president of the University of Phoenix. Doug Strong, chief executive officer of U-M Hospitals and Health Centers, is serving as interim chief financial officer while the search takes place.

In addition to Lynch, members of the search advisory committee include:

• Paul Castillo, chief financial officer at the U-M Health System.

• Alicia Davis, professor of law, Law School.

• Amy Dittmar, associate dean for specialty master’s programs; Michael R. and Mary Kay Hallman Fellow; associate professor of finance at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business.

• Beverly Lannquist Hamilton, a U-M alumna who serves on the Fiduciary Board of Directors at the Monterey Institute of International Studies.

• Mahendra Kumar, chief administrative officer for the Penny W. Stamps School of Art and Design.

• Dr. Robert Lash, professor of internal medicine and chief of staff, clinical affairs at the U-M Health System; director, Clinical Foundations of Medicine.

• Paul Meister, CEO and co-founder of Liberty Lane Partners; chairman, and CEO of inVentiv Health Inc.

• Doug Richstone, Lawrence H. Aller Collegiate Professor of Astronomy and professor of astronomy in LSA.

• Greg Tewksbury, vice chancellor for business and finance at UM-Flint.

• Marina Whitman, professor of business administration and public policy at the Ross School; professor of public policy in the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.

Lisa Connolly, senior manager for executive searches in the Office of the President, will serve as the president’s liaison to the search. Neil Hindle will serve as lead partner for the search firm.

In the weeks ahead, the committee will reach out to the campus community to solicit its input on the ideal characteristics and experience of the next EVP-CFO as well as the nature of the issues that person should be prepared to address.

Information about the search, including a position description and how to submit nominations will be posted on the Office of the President website.

Comments

  1. Becky Mikulski
    on August 11, 2014 at 10:58 pm

    The ideal EVP/CFO must counter balance the bad ideas that Presidents, Provosts and Boards develop from time to time. Good luck getting people without any business administration training to operate rationally!

  2. CoE Princeton Tiger
    on August 11, 2014 at 11:37 pm

    President Schlissel should start with a list of candidates who won’t impose a corporate business model on the faculty the way Provost Martha Pollack has through AST. Provost Pollack, executive sponsor of AST since the start, continues to force the corporate model of AST down our throats. We are sick of it. We thought the provost was going to listen to us.

    We trust President Schlissel will hire a CFO with leadership qualities, or at least a person who can mentor Provost Pollack on how to lead deans and faculty. Currently, there is no leadership coming from the provost.

  3. LouAnn Dobbs
    on August 12, 2014 at 7:08 am

    I’m surprised Mssrs. Dario Garaggio and Fawaz Ullaby weren’t invited to join the search committee given their deep expertise in university administration (eye roll). Even with their (ultimately futile) efforts to stop AST, I am now sitting happily in a new facility rather than working as their hired help. Glad President Coleman stood up to their bullying and sent them packing! Lets get a CFO as good as the last one. GO BLUE!

  4. History Doctor
    on August 12, 2014 at 7:30 am

    I wish President Schlissel luck in finding the best CFO for U-M. The person will have big shoes to fill.

    Provost Pollack continues the push of forcing Shared Services under the guise of saving money. Yet Provost Pollack hires more and more staff with $100k+ salaries, e.g., VP for Enrollment Management, Special Advisor, Assistant Vice Provost. It appears to me Provost Pollack is squandering the savings from Shared Services to build a bloated staff. Show us the savings, Provost Pollack.

    • Tanya Plymouth
      on August 12, 2014 at 10:41 pm

      I recently heard that the Provost Pollack gets a free suite at the Big House for entertaining alumni, friends, family etc. Why is it that the lowest paid hourly staff in areas such as Facilities & Operations, where I work, have to pay for Wolverines tickets but the rich and priveliged in the UM leadership hierarchy get everything for free? Regents should pass a resolution that eliminate ticket freebies for staff with exception granted only to essential game day athletics employees.

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