Sullivan Steps Up as Executive Vice President of Finance

Anne Rollow Sullivan, who just returned to Columbia this October as executive vice president of finance, now oversees a $2.5 billion budget.

Sullivan, who previously served as Columbia’s assistant vice president for administrative planning and financial management, succeeds Albert Horvath, who stepped down this past summer. Sullivan will serve as vice president for a department that processes over a quarter-million payments annually.

“I am thrilled to be back and appreciate the warm welcome I have received from my team and colleagues across the University,” she said. “I was quickly reminded of the energy here on campus, across and among students, faculty, and staff.”

In her previous role at Columbia, Sullivan led numerous initiatives, including the implementation of a new University budget process. More recently, she worked at the University of Pennsylvania as senior associate dean for finance and administration at the Wharton School.

While Sullivan plays a crucial role in facilitating interaction between individual branches within the department of finance, she is also on the board of the Columbia Investment Management Company, a New York-based limited-liability company. The IMC manages the University’s budget under the supervision of the Committee on Finance of the University’s Trustees.

The executive VP of finance also acts as a non-voting member of the Advisory Committee On Socially Responsible Investing, which addresses the issues of corporate social responsibility.

As Columbia continues its capital campaign and takes new steps to improve its financial management, changes have already begun under Sullivan’s leadership, including the introduction of a new document-management system for payable accounts.

Roland Zemla can be reached at news@columbiaspectator.com.