Amy Kweskin, executive vice president for finance and chief financial officer at Washington University in St. Louis, will retire from the university at the end of the calendar year after 27 years of service, President Andrew D. Martin announced. .
Kweskin has made many continuing contributions to the university during his tenure. She was instrumental in developing the funding model and structure for the Door to Success initiative, which will allow the University to implement the necessary blind admissions, as well as the University's no-funding for undergraduate admissions announced last fall. He was also instrumental in creating a funding mechanism for financial aid policies. .
“Amy is a great asset to WashU and will leave an indelible mark on the university,” Martin said. “She is highly respected by her colleagues for her expertise, innovative thinking, and strong commitment to protecting and leveraging the University’s financial portfolio. She is also highly respected through her civic leadership in numerous regional and national organizations. She is also recognized for her contributions to the St. Louis community and higher education. We thank Amy for her years of service and wish her the best in her retirement.”
Mr. Kweskin joined the University's Office of Finance as Deputy Treasurer in April 1997 after working for McDonnell Douglas for 12 years. She was appointed University Treasurer six months later, becoming the first female Treasurer in University history and published in the St. Louis Business Journal. 40 under 40 list. In July 2008, she was promoted to Deputy Chancellor and Treasurer.
She was appointed Deputy Chancellor for Finance and CFO in 2016, with responsibility for financial services, including treasury management and insurance. Accounting Services; Accounting for Sponsored Research. Shared business services hub. and financial planning and budgeting. In 2020, she took over the executive leadership of the University's Workday Human Resources and Finance practice and added the Financial Information Services team. In 2021, she was promoted to Director of Finance and CFO, with responsibility for the university's real estate portfolio, operations and development, and currently leads a staff of 240 people.
As chair of Workday's human resources and finance executive leadership team, Kweskin led a multi-year effort to transform and modernize the way universities collect, manage and report the data they need to operate. Among her many accomplishments, she has been actively involved in the “Here and Next” strategic plan as a member of the Coordinating Committee. She has overseen the development and implementation of the university's debt financing strategy. She also led $3 billion in university bond financing to fund projects such as the University's East End and, most recently, the new Jeffrey T. Fort Neuroscience Research Building. She made it through college through the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2008 financial crisis. Ensure sufficient liquidity for the university to carry out its daily operations. And most recently, she led the purchase agreement to acquire the Fontbourne University campus.
“It was a personal pleasure to follow Amy's career from her early days at McDonnell Douglas University to her move to the University of Washington in the 1990s, and her subsequent rise to CFO.” said John F. McDonnell, Trustee Emeritus of the University. . “She has always been accurate in her thinking, calm in her decision-making, and an inspiration to many in her leadership.”
Among Ms. Kweskin's many honors and awards, she was named to the St. Louis Business Journal's list of “Most Influential Business Women” in 2018. She is active in many organizations, including serving on the board of Hillel at the University of Washington. Budget, Finance, and Management Committee of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis. She is also a board member and treasurer of the Cortex Innovation Community. She is also involved in a variety of professional organizations, including the NCAA Board of Governors' Investment Subcommittee and the National Association of College and University Administrators, and as a former board member of the Treasury Department's Higher Education Association, which promotes top-quality education. is also active. It is practiced in schools and universities across the country. She has spoken at numerous organizations and is also a guest lecturer at Olin's School of Business.
“Washington University and the St. Louis community are better places because of Amy's leadership, passion and dedication,” said University Trustee Emeritus Maxine Clark. “I learned a lot from Amy, not only because of her great financial acumen, but also because of her perfect ability to communicate financials in a language we understand.”
In addition to nearly 30 years of professional leadership at WashU, Kweskin takes great pride in his role as WashU's custodian. Kweskin and her husband Jay have her two children. Her son Ben and daughter Mia both earned bachelor's degrees from the College of Arts and Sciences.
“It has been the honor of a lifetime to help lead and manage WashU for the past 27 years,” Kweskin said. “When I hear stories of students who never thought they could go to WashU who got scholarships with no student loans, or when I see our new neuroscience building and see the breakthroughs that will happen there. When I think about the fact that maybe someday we'll find a cure for Alzheimer's disease, I'm so grateful to be a part of WashU's incredible history, mission, and impact. I am extremely grateful to my team, the many board members and coaches who believed in me, and most importantly my support system: my husband Jay and our family and friends.”
Martin said the university plans to begin a search for Kweskin's successor in the near future.
