Christian Theumer named CIO and VP of information technology

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Christian Theumer has been named chief information officer (CIO) and vice president of information technology for Purdue University, effective Jan. 1.

Theumer, who served as the interim for both roles since July 1, 2024, reports to Chris Ruhl, Purdue’s chief financial officer and treasurer.

“Christian’s proven expertise in IT leadership and operations makes him exceptionally prepared to advance Purdue’s IT strategies and support the university’s systemwide campuses,” said Ruhl.

As CIO, Theumer will oversee IT services across the Purdue system, which includes cybersecurity, end user experience, enterprise reporting, infrastructure services, academic IT services and distributed campus services, as well as research services and support for Purdue’s West Lafayette and Indianapolis locations, Purdue Northwest and Purdue Fort Wayne.

“It is an incredible honor to step into this role and continue serving the Purdue community,” said Theumer. “I look forward to leading our talented IT team to drive innovation and achieve excellence at scale.” 

Theumer previously served as deputy CIO from March 2022 to June 2024. Prior to joining Purdue, he was director of infrastructure operations at International Game Technology, where he led a variety of enterprise IT projects and initiatives.

Theumer earned a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Washington; a Master of Business Administration from the University of Nevada, Reno; and a master’s in information systems with a certificate in information systems management from the University of Phoenix.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a public research institution demonstrating excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities and with two colleges in the top four in the United States, Purdue discovers and disseminates knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 105,000 students study at Purdue across modalities and locations, including nearly 50,000 in person on the West Lafayette campus. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 13 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its first comprehensive urban campus in Indianapolis, the Mitch Daniels School of Business, Purdue Computes and the One Health initiative — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives