Chief Financial Officer

From: Paul Alivisatos, President
Subject: Chief Financial Officer
Date: September 27, 2023

I am writing to share the news that MaryFrances McCourt will be leaving her role as Chief Financial Officer of the University, effective October 1.

Ivan Samstein, the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of UChicago Medicine, will take on the additional title and responsibilities of Chief Financial Officer for UChicago. As many of you know, Ivan served as CFO of UChicago until he transitioned into his role at UCM in June 2021.

As UChicago CFO since April 2022, MaryFrances has overseen the University’s central financial operations, working with the President, Provost, Board of Trustees and Officers. In addition to overseeing all aspects of Financial Services, Controllership, and Treasury, she has also led Compliance and Internal Audit, Information Technology Services, Human Resources, Risk Management, and Shared Services. She has also helped lead the Financial Systems Transformation (FST) program, our multi-year, campus-wide initiative to implement a modern financial system.
 
I am grateful for MaryFrances’s dedication and commitment to the University, and I am appreciative of her deep skill set and experience, and the focus that she brought to this vital role.

I am also grateful to Ivan Samstein for taking on the additional role of University CFO. The success of UChicago Medicine is an important piece of the University’s upward trajectory at a time when healthcare is increasingly competitive and complex. Ivan’s broad experience with both organizations in our combined institution—and his proven ability to partner with stakeholders across the University—has already produced important successes, and I’m eager to partner more fully with him going forward.

Earlier this month, Provost Baicker and I sent a message to university faculty, other academics, and staff outlining our focus and commitment to develop and implement a multi-year plan of prioritization and investment. The University made significant investments over a number of years and chose to operate with a structural deficit to allow us to advance rapidly. Today, we are actively working to bring the deficit down while continuing to invest in enduring and emerging areas. Ivan will provide leadership in this work as we move forward with great ambition for the future of the University.

Thanks to each of you for your hard work and dedication as we evolve our financial and investment focus. Please join me in thanking MaryFrances for all of her efforts, and welcoming Ivan in his new role.