From the Office of the President:
Dear Members of the University Community,
I am pleased to announce the appointment of Anand Padmanabhan as Fordham’s vice president and chief information officer (CIO), effective 25 September 2020.
Mr. Padmanabhan holds an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business, an MS in Computer Science from Louisiana State University, and a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Madras University. He comes to Fordham with a rich and varied background in the area of academic technology. Most recently, he served as the Chief Technology Officer of Whittle Management, where he led an initiative to develop technology strategies to support a multi-site, multi-country private K-12 education system in China and the United States. Prior to joining Whittle, he served for five years as the senior vice president and CIO for The New School, leading a staff of 120 supporting all aspects of academic, research, and administrative computing. Mr. Padmanabhan has also served as CIO for Everonn Education’s higher education business unit in India, the Shiv Nadar Foundation, the Stern School of Business, and Hunter College of the City University of New York.
In February 2020, Martha K. Hirst, our senior vice president and chief financial officer, formed and chaired a diverse, cross-functional search committee consisting of 13 members with representation from faculty, staff, and students, a committee that was assisted by Next Generation Leadership Partners, a consultancy that offers advisory services to higher educational institutions and that specializes in information technology executive searches.
Mr. Padmanabhan emerged as the strongest candidate from a national search that vetted more than 50 individuals and involved the input of several hundred faculty and staff. Among a highly qualified pool, he stood out for his innovative thinking, multi-industry, global technology leadership experience, and accomplishments enabling transformation through technology. He embodies Fordham’s values and is well-regarded by his colleagues in the institutions where he has served and in the community of information technology professionals for his transparency, work ethic, and collaborative nature.
I believe that Mr. Padmanabhan’s creativity, collaborative leadership style, and extensive experience in multiple industries, countries, and cultures are ideally suited for dealing with the many challenges presented to higher educational institutions by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to his proven record of accomplishment as a transformational and consultative leader, Mr. Padmanabhan joins Fordham with the support of many important constituents: in feedback surveys from members of the Fordham community he was ranked highest by both the faculty and the information technology staff for his ability to strategically lead the IT organization. I also believe that his extensive experience and understanding of New York City, as well as his professional relationships with other institutions and technology partners, will serve Fordham well and open doors to future collaborations.
I know you join me in offering Mr. Padmanabhan a warm welcome at Fordham, and in looking forward to working with him on the many important technology issues that we will face in the years to come.
As we welcome Mr. Padmanabhan to our community, I would like to thank the members of the search committee for the very fine work that they did in the course of their deliberations. I would also like to thank Mr. Shaya Phillips, who has been serving as our interim CIO, for his capable, consultative, collaborative, and tireless leadership, especially during these past seven months, as the entire University community adjusted to and overcame the challenges created by the pandemic.
Sincerely,
Joseph M. McShane, S.J.
