APSAC's Lovell series to present athletics director Bobinski on leadership

Mike Bobinski, director of intercollegiate athletics, will provide leadership insights on Oct. 3 in the Lovell Leadership Series, presented by the Administrative and Professional Staff Advisory Committee.

The event will begin at 10 a.m. in Pfendler Hall, Deans Auditorium (Room 241). APSAC presents a Lovell event each fall. Everyone is invited to attend, with supervisor approval. Registration will not be required for the event, but seating is limited.

Bobinski will speak on "Leadership in Transition." He will discuss his approach to assuming a leadership role in a new organization, drawing on past experiences as well as transition to Purdue over the last year. He officially joined Purdue on Aug. 9, 2016, as the university's ninth full-time athletics director.

"Establishing credibility and trust as the new leader of an organization can be a complex undertaking but is essential to a successful transition and creates the foundation for future progress," he says.

His perspectives draw not only on athletics but also employment as a certified public accountant and a development official, so he readily sees connections and shared dynamics between parts of the University.

"Interacting with individuals and groups at Purdue helps to bring Athletics and the work we do with our students into better focus for the campus community," he says. "Speaking in the APSAC Lovell Leadership Series is an opportunity to share some of the experiences I’ve had during my career that will hopefully give a little insight into college athletics but also demonstrate that organizational leadership is a universal discipline.”

Before coming to Purdue, Bobinski enjoyed successful stints as athletics director at Georgia Tech (2013-16), Xavier (1998-2004, 2006-13) and Akron (1994-98). Between stints as AD at Xavier, he served as associate vice president for development, overseeing all of the university's fundraising efforts, including major gifts, grant services and annual and planned giving.

Bobinski served as chair of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee for the 2012-13 season.

The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics named Bobinski the 2011-12 Under Armour Division I Northeast Athletics Director of the Year.

From 1989 to 1994, Bobinski was associate director of athletics at the U.S. Naval Academy. He served as associate and assistant business manager at Notre Dame from 1984 to 1989.

As a certified public accountant, Bobinski went into accounting with Deloitte, Haskins and Sells and Arthur Young & Company from 1979 to 1982. He subsequently worked for the Walt Disney Company in Orlando, Florida, from 1982 to 1984 before moving into college athletics.

A native of Yaphank on Long Island, New York, Bobinski earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Notre Dame in 1979, graduating magna cum laude, while playing four years for the Fighting Irish baseball team.

The Lovell Leadership Series was established in 2010 by the late C.W. "Bill" Lovell, professor of civil engineering for 45 years, who after retiring in 1993 took an active role as a Franklin Covey facilitator in Human Resources and promoted learning of leadership skills among Purdue staff members.