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Retirement and Transition Plan for Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer

Office of the President

To:       Executive Vice Presidents, Chancellors, Vice Presidents, Vice Chancellors, Vice Provosts, Deans, Directors, and Heads of Schools, Divisions, Departments and Offices

From:   President Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr.
Date:    May 28, 2019
Re:       Retirement and Transition Plan for Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer

Colleagues,

I write to inform you that at the end of this calendar year, December 31, 2019, our treasurer and chief financial officer, Bill Sullivan, will retire.

We have known for some time that Bill would be seeking to step away from his duties at Purdue, and resume the enjoyable semi-retirement which he left in 2014 to join us here at Purdue.  Until now, I’ve successfully persuaded him to stay on to help us accomplish the many key initiatives that have needed his particular expertise.

During his tenure, Bill has become a trusted leader, innovator and valued advisor, allowing us to focus on the priorities of making Purdue a leader in providing “higher education at the highest proven value”.  His efforts have helped us:

  • Streamline our financial reporting and budgeting processes;
  • Reshape our Physical Facilities project and R&R funding models;
  • Enhance our transparency, simplify our processes and roll-out a long-needed Job Family Structure through our BPR efforts;
  • Acquire Purdue Global, wherein Bill took the lead in negotiating its financial structure and analyzing the merits of the transaction; and
  • Manage our affairs such that we could make major strategic investments while holding tuition constant.

Today, Purdue is a more financially solid, operationally efficient, and affordable institution due to Bill Sullivan.  A host of new academic facilities are or will soon be in existence thanks to his stewardship, all while our long-term economic stability has been enhanced.  Purdue faculty, staff, and students all have reason to be grateful for his service these last five years.

Until his formal retirement, Bill will continue to manage the areas of Administrative Operations, overseen by Mike Cline; Information Technology, overseen by Karl Browning; and Finance and Human Resources, overseen by Chris Ruhl.  These senior leaders will be tasked with taking on more daily and long-term priority oversight, such that beginning June 1, 2019, Bill can begin his transition by concentrating on the following projects:  Purdue Global and Purdue Online, Purdue real estate, health care costs and other projects as needs and priorities arise.

While Bill’s retirement will be a great loss to the University, the Trustees and I thank him for his truly remarkable service.  I hope you all will join me in recognizing him for his dedication to Purdue University since his arrival on campus in June 2014, and, ultimately, in wishing him well in his future endeavors.