PRESS RELEASES

Academic Career & Executive Search (ACES) selected by Cleary University for Chief Financial Officer Search

(April 3, 2026, WEST HARTFORD, CT) Academic Career & Executive Search (ACES), a leading higher education focused executive search firm, has been selected to recruit the next Chief Financial Officer at Cleary University.  Jennifer Muller, Managing Partner, will be leading the search.

Reporting directly to President Alan Drimmer and serving as a key member of the executive leadership team, the CFO will guide financial strategy, strengthen institutional planning and financial systems, and support the University’s continued innovation. The successful candidate will help build the financial foundation to support program expansion, national initiatives, and new strategic ventures, while ensuring alignment with Cleary’s mission of preparing career-ready graduates.

The University has just rolled out its new strategic plan, The Fourth Wave, and the plan presents an exciting opportunity for a CFO to lead financial transformation within a high-growth education model. As the institution scales its nationally expanding adult and online programs—already demonstrating strong revenue generation and retention—while reinvesting in a vibrant residential campus, the CFO will shape a dynamic financial architecture that balances growth, margin, and mission. This role offers the chance to build sophisticated segment-level economics, optimize pricing and discount strategies across diverse student populations, and deploy capital in ways that directly fuel enrollment growth, program innovation, and long-term financial sustainability.

The ideal candidate will be a collaborative, hands-on financial leader who brings both strategic perspective and strong operational capability, and who thrives in a lean, entrepreneurial environment. The CFO will partner closely with senior leadership and share Cleary’s commitment to practical, career-focused education for working adults and diverse student populations.

This is an on-site position and units reporting to the CFO include Budget, Accounting, Student Business Office, Payroll, and Facilities.

Cleary University is a private institution founded in 1883 with a long-standing commitment to innovation, applied learning, and entrepreneurship in business education. Located in Howell, Michigan, the University offers associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degree programs designed to prepare students for immediate and sustained success in a rapidly evolving workforce. Cleary’s main campus is in Livingston County, with an additional education center in Detroit that extends its reach into one of the region’s major economic hubs.

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/.