PRESS RELEASES

Academic Career & Executive Search (ACES) selected by CHESS (Collaborative for Higher Education Shared Services) for CEO Search

(March 20, 2025, WEST HARTFORD, CT) Academic Career & Executive Search (ACES), a leading higher education focused executive search firm, has been selected to recruit the next CEO at CHESS (Collaborative for Higher Education Shared Services). Jennifer Muller, Managing Partner, will be leading the search.

The CEO of this membership organization will lead a shared services team responsible for finance, HR, payroll, and student information services across multiple consortium member institutions. This role involves managing service delivery and performance, including developing and monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs) and service-level agreements (SLAs), while driving operational improvements, standardizing processes, and ensuring compliance with higher education regulations. Crucial to the organization’s growth and long-term sustainability, the CEO will lead efforts to recruit new members to the consortium, develop strategies for engaging potential partners, and drive initiatives to broaden the organization’s reach and enhance its impact across the higher education sector. This role requires expertise in shared services or third-party management, financial sustainability models, and stakeholder engagement, with a focus on continuous improvement and innovation in a complex, multi-institutional environment.

CHESS (Collaborative for Higher Education Shared Services) is a growing, fully remote nonprofit that aligns diverse, independently governed colleges to share tools and talents to better serve students and streamline administrative processes. Multiple CHESS institutions have embarked on an initiative to align systems and operational processes by procuring and implementing a common Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Student Information System (SIS) platform. Formed in 2021, CHESS is transitioning from its startup origins into a phase of strategic growth and development, expanding its reach, capacity and impact.

Affordable Excellence

Academic Career & Executive Search, a higher education focused search firm, specializes in affordable excellence, providing perfectly matched candidates to institutions quickly and accurately. Their methodologies, based on frequent touchpoints, pinpoint ideal candidates with speed and meticulous care resulting in highly successful placements.

They offer flexible service/pricing levels for all positions, ensuring affordability. Contact Jennifer Muller, Managing Partner, at 860-740-2600 or Jennifer@ACESrch.com, or visit https://acesrch.com/.