VP selected to oversee Purdue system's human resources
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue University on Tuesday (Feb. 2) announced that Luis E. Lewin, chief human resource officer at Ohio University, has been selected as vice president for human resources.
Luis E. Lewin
The new position, which reports to Al Diaz, executive vice president for business and finance, treasurer, will have expanded human resource responsibilities for the more than 18,000 employees at the West Lafayette, Calumet, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne and North Central campuses. Areas for which Lewin will have system-wide responsibilities include benefits, employment, compensation, training and development, employee relations, and HR information systems.
His appointment, effective March 3, is subject to approval by the university's Board of Trustees.
"People are at the heart of everything we do, and it was logical that the person responsible for setting so much of the tone for the workplace be highly placed in the university's organizational structure," Diaz said. "Luis is the right person to bring a new perspective, vision and energy to a key area in achieving the university's strategic goals of attracting and retaining the best people."
Lewin, who has been at Ohio University in Athens since 2008, brings to Purdue more than 25 years of executive experience.
"I look forward to diving into this challenging position and bringing my energies to bear on supporting Purdue's employees with a satisfying workplace experience that enables them to continue accomplishing great things for this university," Lewin said. "There's nothing like the environment of a major university campus to stimulate intellectual enthusiasm and creativity."
From 1987 to 2008, Lewin served in a variety of capacities for the Chicago-based Tribune Co., which owns about 10 major daily newspapers, including the Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times. The company also owns television stations and media content syndicator Tribune Media Services.
From 2000 to 2008 as the company's senior vice president of corporate human resources, Lewin oversaw a $30 million budget for human resources, property and corporate security. He successfully led the transformation of the human resources function into a more innovative and leading-edge contributor to the company's strategic plan.
Prior to being appointed senior vice president, he served in several human resource management positions at the company's corporate level, as well as at the New York Daily News and Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel. He also served as publisher of Exito! a Chicago Spanish-language weekly newspaper.
Lewin received his bachelor's degree in 1972 from Wilmington (Ohio) College in psychology secondary education and Spanish and earned a master's degree in 1974 in modern languages from Ohio University
Writer: Brian Zink, 765-494-2080, bzink@purdue.edu
Source: Al Diaz, 765-494-9705, aldiaz@purdue.edu