Academic Search Seeks CFO and CIO for Marshall University
September 9, 2022 – Education-focused executive recruiter Academic Search has been enlisted to help fill two key roles, chief financial officer and chief information officer, for Marshall University in Huntington, WV. Senior consultant Ann Die Hasselmo and consultant Christopher Butler are leading both assignments.
The CFO is the senior financial role for Marshall and is responsible for the overall financial strength and stability of the university, and has a strategic role in the organization’s management, said Academic Search. The individual will report directly to the university president and will serve in his cabinet. The CFO provides direct leadership to multiple offices and services in finance, including budget, accounts payable/payroll, financial information technology, bursar/student financial systems, and accounting.
Candidates must possess a degree from an accredited higher education institution plus a substantive record of successful, progressive leadership experience at a level commensurate with the position.
The ideal CFO candidate will have the demonstrated experience and skills to be accountable for the administration of all financial operations of the university, said Academic Search. These include the development of a financial and operational strategy, metrics tied to that strategy, and the ongoing development and monitoring of control systems designed to preserve institutional assets, report accurate financial results, monitor adherence to the budget, and develop long-term financial and operational strategies. Among other qualifications, prospects should also have experience managing finance for a complex organization with multiple funding sources and diverse program areas.
The Senior IT Role
The chief information officer is the senior information technology role for Marshall and will provide the vision and leadership for developing and implementing IT strategies and initiatives university-wide, said the search firm. As a member of the university’s senior leadership, the CIO will report directly to the president and will serve in his cabinet. Candidates must possess a degree from an accredited higher education institution plus a substantive record of successful, progressive leadership experience at a level commensurate with the position. This person must be able to work with a sense of urgency and towards action in a fast-paced environment, and possess an understanding of the developing strategic information requirements of a research institution.
The ideal candidate will have demonstrated experience and skills to provide leadership in the development of a strategic direction for IT services; gauge and anticipate the diverse needs of university constituents, monitoring trends and innovations in the industry to meet those needs; develop and implement strategic long- and short-term technology plans; and make actionable recommendations to senior leadership.
Related: Why Universities Have Stepped Up Efforts to Involve Search Firms
Founded in 1837 as Marshall Academy, Marshall University is named for John Marshall, the fourth chief justice of the United States. A public university, Marshall has a total student body of 11,962 (fall 2020), including 8,776 undergraduate, 2,515 graduate, and 671 first professional. Marshall’s graduate programs include master’s, specialist, and doctoral degrees. Marshall offers 57 baccalaureate, two associate, 52 master’s, two education specialist, four doctoral, and three first professional degree programs.
Higher Education Recruiters
For over three decades, Academic Search has been a leader in designing and implementing search processes for leaders of colleges and universities across the country. The firm has completed hundreds of executive searches for higher education institutions and related organizations, for roles ranging from presidents to provosts to deans.
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Academic Search is the only search firm in the nation with a formal relationship to a premier leadership development program. As the subsidiary of the American Academic Leadership Institute (AALI), the firm provides substantial financial support to a number of leadership identification, development and support programs across all sectors of public and private higher education. The firm is headquartered in Washington, D.C. The firm is led by Jay Lemons, who has served as president since 2017, after serving for 25 years as a college president in both public and private higher education.
Dr. Hasselmo is president emerita of the AALI and of Hendrix College. Prior to becoming the founding president of AALI, she was managing director of Academic Search Consultation Service. Her earlier career in higher education administration spanned positions from faculty leadership to the presidency. Dr. Hasselmo’s experience includes work at both public and private colleges and universities. She has also held a variety of chairs and presidencies of national higher education boards and associations.
Mr. Butler is responsible for assisting the lead consultants with research functions, preparing written documents for searches, recruiting and evaluation of applicants, and providing assistance to the lead consultants during committee meetings and neutral site interviews. He came to Academic Search from Apex CoVantage, a business solutions firm, in which he worked in the editorial division and supervised prepress work on academic monographs and textbooks.
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
