Lindauer Fills Senior Advancement Role for Boston University
March 26, 2025 – Following a national search, Lindauer has helped to recruit Michele Schiele as the senior vice president for advancement for Boston University (BU). Leading the assignment were Faith Montgomery, senior vice president, and Andrew Machado, senior consultant. “Michele is a well-respected and highly experienced leader in her field, who has demonstrated clear results for some of the top universities in the country,” said Melissa Gilliam, president of BU. “I am excited for her to begin in her work here and confident that she will play important roles in securing Boston University’s eminence for years to come.”
Ms. Schiele will draw on her extensive experience building strong philanthropic programs as she engages BU’s expansive global network of more than 400,000 alumni. An accomplished leader in development and alumni relations, she brings nearly 30 years of experience in building strong philanthropic programs and engaging communities to drive institutional success.
For the past 14 years, Ms. Schiele has been a key figure at Stanford University, most recently serving as deputy vice president of development and campaign director. In this role, she led a $1 billion fundraising campaign for Stanford Medicine that surpassed expectations, ultimately raising $1.7 billion over five years. Prior to her tenure at Stanford, Ms. Schiele spent 14 years in leadership positions at the University of Chicago, where she played a pivotal role in shaping its advancement strategy and philanthropic growth.
Ms. Schiele returns to her alma mater to lead Boston University’s advancement efforts and strengthen connections with its expansive global network of over 400,000 alumni. She is deeply committed to fostering meaningful relationships and ensuring that alumni remain active participants in BU’s continued growth and impact. “A university is only as strong as its communities,” Ms. Schiele said. “Alumni, in particular, provide an important feedback loop that helps ensure universities contribute to society in important ways. BU has over 400,000 alumni around the world, and we need them to help BU be a thriving hub of knowledge and research by sharing their wisdom, their passion, and their time. I am excited to meet all of our communities and learn how we can build and strengthen our connections.”
Boston University is a nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists. The university now has more than 4,000 faculty members and nearly 34,000 students, and is one of Boston’s largest employers. It offers bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, doctorates, and medical, dental, business, and law degrees through 17 schools and colleges on three urban campuses.
Finding Senior Leaders
Lindauer serves higher and secondary education, hospitals, academic research centers, think tanks, research facilities, and foundations, as well as advocacy, public service, social justice and other mission-driven non-profits. The firm has led searches for the Boston YMCA, Center for Applied Special Technology, Healthy Minds Innovations/Center for Healthy Minds, the University of Texas at Austin, and the Cockrell School of Engineering, among others.
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Deb Taft, chief executive officer, leads Lindauer with over 25 years of executive and senior-level experience across the non-profit sector, from education to healthcare/academic medicine to the youth service and voluntary sectors. Her expertise includes governance, strategic planning, fundraising, program and staff management, strategic marketing, analytics, and constituent engagement, as well as talent recruitment, retention, and development.
Lindauer Selected by Scouting America to Lead Chief Development Officer Search
Lindauer has been retained by Scouting America (formerly Boy Scouts of America) to lead in its search for an executive vice president and chief development officer (CDO). The assignment is being led by Libby Roberts, senior executive vice president, and Andrew Machado, senior consultant. This critical role requires a strategic development leader with a passion for spearheading fundraising initiatives and a record of success in identifying and cultivating funding sources to finance growth and development activities. If you are prepared to lead a transformative $1 billion campaign that is underway and already achieving remarkable results and contribute to advancing Scouting America’s mission through innovative fundraising strategies, Lindauer encourages you to apply.
Ms. Montgomery co-leads Lindauer’s higher education and K-12 practice areas and leads executive searches and talent management for client partners across a broad spectrum of education, healthcare, arts, social justice, and policy arenas. Prior to joining Lindauer in 2014, she held senior leadership positions across the non-profit sector. Ms. Montgomery currently serves on the national board of the African American Development Officer’s Network, the Boston Chapter Board of Jack and Jill, and is a member of Women of Color in Fundraising and Philanthropy, and The Giving Institute.
Ms. Montgomery’s background spans higher education, academic medicine, youth services, public media, and museums. Over the past two-plus decades, she has honed skills and expertise in advancement services, fundraising strategy, foundation relations, DEIB principles, and human resources. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Montgomery oversaw grateful patient discovery, pipeline development, data management, and gift services for Health Sciences and the Keck School of Medicine during her tenure at the University of Southern California. She also launched and co-chaired the University Advancement DEI Council. Prior to USC, Ms. Montgomery led prospect development teams at National Public Radio and Virginia Commonwealth University.
Mr. Machado brings to Lindauer over 10 years of frontline fundraising and philanthropic consulting experience. He joined Lindauer after several years at the University of Chicago Law School where he managed a donor portfolio primarily in the New York region, raising more than $3.4 million. His clients included American University, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, The Art Institute of Chicago, Barack Obama Foundation, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Cornell University, Duke University Health System, Kings College London, Pennsylvania State University, Philadelphia Museum of Art, University of Queensland, Smithsonian Institution, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medical College, and Yale University.
Related: Lindauer Places Chief Development Officer for Children’s Hospital of Orange County
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
