Academic Career & Executive Search Retained by Briar Cliff University to Find New CFO
July 22, 2026 – Academic Career & Executive Search (ACES) has been selected by Briar Cliff University to lead in its search for a vice president of finance and chief financial officer. Jennifer Muller, managing partner, is leading the assignment. Briar Cliff University seeks a strategic and entrepreneurial financial leader. Reporting directly to the president and serving as a member of the cabinet, the CFO will play a central role in advancing the University’s continued recovery and long-term sustainability. Briar Cliff has made significant progress through a comprehensive multi-year recovery strategy focused on enrollment growth, revenue enhancement, and long-term financial sustainability.
This is a compelling opportunity for a collaborative, mission-driven executive to help shape the future of a university with a clear strategic direction, measurable progress, and a community committed to building upon its recent momentum. Serving as the university’s chief financial officer and treasurer to the board of trustees, the CFO will provide strategic financial leadership to the president, cabinet, and board while overseeing all financial operations of the University.
The CFO will serve as the primary liaison to the board’s finance and audit committee and lead institutional budgeting, financial planning, accounting, treasury management, audit and compliance, risk management, and financial reporting. Briar Cliff has made significant progress through a comprehensive multi-year recovery strategy focused on enrollment growth, revenue enhancement, and long-term financial sustainability. This is a compelling opportunity for a collaborative, mission-driven executive to help shape the future of a university with a clear strategic direction, measurable progress, and a community committed to building upon its recent momentum.
Briar Cliff University is a private, Catholic university located in Sioux City, Iowa. Founded in 1930 by the Sisters of St. Francis of Dubuque, the university offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs across disciplines including business, education, nursing, healthcare, the sciences, the arts, and the humanities. Briar Cliff serves students through a combination of on-campus and online learning and emphasizes academic excellence, service, and leadership within a Franciscan tradition.
Based in West Hartford, CT, Academic Career & Executive Search focuses on executive search services, career planning, and candidate coaching. Specializing in challenging faculty to senior administrative positions, the firm offers six a la carte services spanning full search, candidate generation, interim, multi-hire, and contingency search. Candidate support services include webinars, career planning, and candidate coaching. Its team has served in virtually every capacity in higher education including president, vice president, provost, dean, chief human resources officer, and faculty members across all types and sizes of institutions.
Ms. Muller has more than 20 years of research and development experience in higher education and Fortune 500 companies. She has led over 70 higher education searches both domestically and internationally spanning presidents, vice presidents, associate chancellors, deans, directors, chairs, and faculty level positions. Ms. Muller is former vice chair of the American Council on Education (ACE) Executive Search Roundtable and serves as an advisor in the numerous ACE leadership development forums.
Central New Mexico Community College Search
After an extensive national search process, Academic Career & Executive Search recently placed Chris Ament as chief information officer of Central New Mexico Community College (CNM).
“I’m confident that Chris is the right leader to guide CNM’s technology strategy in ways that will advance our bold strategic vision and help us evolve for the future of higher education,” said Tracy Hartzler, president of CNM. “Chris has the leadership experience and strategic vision we need in this key role. He brings a strong track record of leading large-scale system modernization, aligning technology with institutional priorities, and building high-performing teams that enhance the student and employee experience. I look forward to Chris helping us advance our strategic goals and our vision of Changing Lives, Building Community.”
Ms. Hartzler also expressed her gratitude for the work of CNM’s CIO search committee. “The search committee did an outstanding job of identifying an impressive pool of finalists that led us to the best CIO for CNM,” she said. “I look forward to welcoming Chris to campus and engaging with the CNM community as we continue to advance our technology strategy in support of student success and institutional effectiveness.”
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
