CORNELL UNIVERSITY BACKGROUNDER | 1

Associate Dean and Executive Director of Development,

Cornell SC Johnson College of Business

Cornell University Ithaca, NY

www.cornell.edu

http://business.cornell.edu/

Send Nominations or Cover Letter and Resume to:

Jill Lasman

Senior Vice President

617-262-1102

jlasman@LLLSearches.com

Overview

Based in Ithaca, New York, Cornell University is a leading

privately endowed research university and as the federal land-

grant institution of New York State, Cornell University has a

responsibility – unique within the Ivy League – to make

contributions in fields of knowledge to help improve the quality

of life in its state, the nation, and the world.

Its global campus footprint in Ithaca, New York City, Doha, Qatar

and other regions across the world serves 21,500 students. To

provide these students with the highest level of education possible, Cornell University employs more than

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9,500 faculty and staff. Its entire workforce – faculty and staff – contribute to the fabric of the community

and the possibility for building on a long and recognized tradition of alumni relations and development

excellence.

The Opportunity:

On January 28, 2017, Cornell announced that H. Fisk Johnson and SC Johnson committed $150 million for

Cornell’s College of Business. It is the largest single gift to Cornell’s Ithaca campus and the second largest

gift to name a U.S. business school.

The gift comes just one year after Cornell’s announcement in January 2016 of the formation of an integrated

college of business with the transformative excellence, scope and scale to cement the University’s position

as a world-class center of teaching and research for business management and entrepreneurship. The

Cornell College of Business was launched on July 1, 2016, incorporating the University’s three existing

AACSB (the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) accredited business programs: the

School of Hotel Administration, the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, and

the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management. Each school maintains its unique identity and

mission, while their collective capabilities are strengthened by bringing together faculty, curricular offerings,

and programs within a cohesive college.

In recognition of this historic gift and the Johnson family’s extraordinary, multigenerational legacy of

leadership and philanthropy to Cornell, the Cornell University Board of Trustees approved renaming the

college the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business.

Soumitra Dutta, previously the Anne and Elmer Lindseth Dean of Johnson, is the founding dean of the

Cornell SC Johnson College of Business which has over 240 faculty and nearly 2,900 undergraduate,

professional, and graduate students. The College’s initial goal was to establish a comprehensive business

management program to benefit students at all academic stages.

“This extraordinary gift will further that goal by creating more diverse and rigorous learning and research

opportunities for both faculty and students across the college’s three accredited business programs,” said

Dean Dutta. “It also will help enhance the unique characteristics and strengths of each and support our

mission to realize the full potential of Cornell’s business programs.”

In an inaugural position overseeing development and alumni affairs efforts at one of the top 3 business

schools in the country in terms of size, scope and scale, the incoming Associate Dean/Executive Director

(ED) is an energetic visionary, not daunted by ambitious and exciting ventures. S/He enhances relationships

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with Cornell’s top prospects, working with one of the University’s most affluent and passionate donor and

alumni bases on behalf of one of the most comprehensive business colleges in the nation.

To shape and plan the future of a new business college is a rare career opportunity. To do so at an Ivy

League university, where a recent historic gift reflects confidence in its future, makes this position all that

more extraordinary.

A Gift to Transform Business Education

“This generous gift will transform business education at Cornell, providing significant and ongoing support

for the faculty, students and programs of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business,” said Interim President

Hunter R. Rawlings III. “The benefits and opportunities for students are exciting, the support for faculty at

the three component schools is crucial, and the incentives for other donors are inspiring.”

Two-thirds of the gift, $100 million, is being used to create a permanent endowment to support the

College’s highest ambitions. The endowment provides flexibility for faculty recruitment and retention in

Ithaca and New York City; increases the College’s competitiveness for top students through expanded

scholarship resources; and develops and expands programs in and outside of Ithaca. These funds enable

new interdisciplinary research initiatives in areas that leverage and enhance the College’s and Cornell’s

research strengths – particularly in the areas of sustainability and technology.

One new initiative the gift supports is the SC Johnson Scholars program, which benefits a cohort of

undergraduates in Dyson and the School of Hotel Administration. The program creates academic and

experiential opportunities that enhance general coursework, including access to SC Johnson-sponsored

immersion programs, mentoring and workshops; domestic and international internships; and shadowing

opportunities.

The remaining $50 million of the gift is being used as a current-use challenge grant to leverage

philanthropic support from others on a 1:3 basis, allowing the college to raise an additional $150 million in

endowment and bring the total potential impact of the gift to $300 million. The challenge has a special

focus on faculty and student support, while also promoting innovative programs. Endowment gifts for the

College’s three schools or the College broadly are eligible for the challenge.

For the complete announcement of this landmark gift, please visit:

http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/2017/01/150m-gift-founds-cornell-sc-johnson-college-business

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Cornell University

Overview:

Cornell is an innovative, Ivy League university and the land-

grant university for New York State. Cornell's mission is to

discover, preserve, and disseminate knowledge; produce

creative work; and promote a culture of broad inquiry

throughout and beyond the Cornell community. Cornell

also aims, through public service, to enhance the lives

and livelihoods of its students, the people of New York,

and others around the world.

The University strives to be widely recognized as a top-ten research university in the world, and a model

university for the interweaving of liberal education and fundamental knowledge with practical education and

impact on societal and world problems.

Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, the University was intended to teach and make

contributions in all fields of knowledge – from the classics to the sciences, and from the theoretical to

the applied. These ideals, unconventional for the time, are captured in Cornell's motto, a popular 1865 Ezra

Cornell quotation: "I would found an institution where any person can find instruction in any study.”

Cornell values the arts and humanities as well as advanced scientific and technological research.

Cornell's faculty members have a history of being intellectually diverse and entrepreneurial and "thinking

otherwise." This reflects a deep commitment to academic freedom and a belief that such freedom is

essential to creativity and innovation.

Cornell is also a university open and accessible to all who merit entrance. Its commitment to student access

has been tested in recent years, given significant competition with peer institutions, and Cornell has

addressed this challenge successfully with a most generous program to reduce the costs of a Cornell

education for students from families in lower income quintiles.

Among its core values, the University is committed to search for knowledge-based solutions to societal and

world problems. Public engagement is an interpretation of the University's outreach mission that

emphasizes being proactive (actively engaged) and having a public impact. It implies a broadening of the

historic land grant mission of the University.

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Cornell is ranked 15th in the 2016 U.S. News & World Report National Universities ranking, 9th nationally in

the latest WSJ/Times ranking, and 13th globally in an academic ranking of world universities by Academic

Ranking of World Universities in 2015, and hosts many top ranking academic programs.

Cornell SC Johnson College of Business

Housing three business schools and dozens of degree programs, Cornell SC Johnson College of Business

offers more customization than any top university in the world. The College provides more diverse and

rigorous learning and research opportunities for both students and faculty to help strengthen

entrepreneurship, business and finance,

technology, globalization, and management

education. The College enables the expansion of

Cornell’s domestic and global programmatic

initiatives, including further development and

diversification of programs at Cornell Tech and

educational collaborations with institutions across

the globe. The combined College brings together

faculty in departments that can offer a critical

mass of colleagues, as well as combine resources

for key recruitments, to attract and retain

excellent faculty at all levels. It also creates a stronger and unified center from which to manage recruiting

and corporate relationships, executive education, continuing education, and faculty research.

Click to view the Cornell video

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“Today, every leading university must have a great business

school to maximize its global impact. Bringing together the

faculty, curricular offerings and programs of Cornell’s three

excellent business schools will enhance the reach and

recognition of our business studies in an increasingly

competitive environment. This follows Cornell’s long

history of successfully sharing academic units in a way that

preserves each program’s identity and focus, while creating

lasting benefits for our students, our faculty, and the rest of

our global University community,” said Chairman Robert S.

Harrison, Cornell Board of Trustees.

The integration of the three schools into one College of Business is creating significant impact:

Enhancing Opportunities for Undergraduate, Graduate and Post-Doctoral Students

By unifying all three AACSB accredited business schools, Cornell is creating a more comprehensive

and collaborative business management program that benefits students at all academic stages.

Students have greater opportunity to learn across disciplines and collaborate with a broader network

of faculty and fellow students at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels. This new

environment creates even more learning opportunities that have yielded popular, progressive

programs, such as Cornell’s undergraduate Business minor and the new Johnson Cornell Tech MBA,

and enables students from any school to pursue a specialty focus in unique programs such as

hospitality, real estate, or resource and developmental economics.

Fostering a More Collaborative Research Environment for Faculty

The cohesive Cornell SC Johnson College of Business enables Cornell’s business and management

faculty to collaborate more easily and effectively in cross-disciplinary research and significantly

increase the national and international influence of faculty scholarship and achievements.

Sharing resources and expertise across schools strengthens the University’s capabilities and its

reputation among leading business and management programs, which helps to continue to attract

and retain outstanding faculty. At the same time, a unified College of Business allows Cornell to

diversify the scholarly focus of its faculty members and enhance the breadth and depth of its course

offerings in all the key areas of business education, while preserving the core focus of the individual

schools.

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Establishing a More Effective Administrative Structure

Bringing together Cornell’s three business schools

also establishes an effective administrative structure

that is immensely beneficial to the University’s ability

to continue to attract the best and brightest faculty

and students.

Each school is presided over by a dean of the School

who has responsibility for that school’s admissions

and academic program. Each school’s faculty maintains oversight over its academic program.

Integration of the schools occurs with the goal of linking faculty of equivalent disciplines in

departments that span the individual schools so as to enhance collaborations in teaching and

research and coordinate faculty recruitment.

Dyson remains within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) and also joins the Cornell

SC Johnson College of Business, with Dyson students admitted to both colleges and those who are

New York State residents continuing to enroll at the New York State contract college tuition rate.

Faculty in Dyson are appointed in both CALS and the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business. School

of Hotel Administration and Johnson faculty are appointed in the Cornell SC Johnson College of

Business.

One Extraordinary College-Three Excellent Business Schools:

School of Hotel Administration:

Grounded in hospitality, reinventing education, and innovating

the business world, the School of Hotel Administration (SHA)

offers service-oriented undergraduate, graduate, and

professional degree programs. Each is designed to help shape

the global knowledge base for every aspect of hospitality

management. Cornell’s is once again the No. 1 hospitality

program in the world, according to TheBestSchools’ recent

ranking of the 30 best hospitality degree programs.

SHA’s students are pioneers – and they have been for more than 90 years. The School ventures through

uncharted territory, clearing a path for the future of hospitality. Beginning in hotel operations in 1922 and

growing to incorporate expertise in areas from food and beverage to real estate and finance,

entrepreneurship, and labor and employment relations, it explores the most exotic places in travel and

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leisure, pushes the boundaries of knowledge and research, and invites the world to follow its path to

discover and create the future of the industry.

Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management:

The Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management is a top-ranked business school with direct

connections to the vast research and teaching resource of Cornell and its extensive alumni network. It is an

intense, collaborative community that continues to attract top candidates with a performance-learning

approach that yields understanding while demanding results. These elements combine for an MBA journey

that shapes students into entrepreneurial leaders who know how to harness the collective strengths of

others for extraordinary results.

In the heart of the largest Ivy League university, the

Johnson School emphasizes that to succeed in business,

one has to know more than business. Today’s dynamic

business world demands an MBA program that’s equally

dynamic. Organizations must increasingly address complex

challenges and opportunities that require leaders who have

interdisciplinary insight as well as expertise beyond the

business realm.

Johnson students benefit from the wisdom and experience of its world-class faculty, working side by side

with them, and with classmates, in this intense, collaborative community. Students are immersed in a

performance learning experience and have access to the School’s vast network of Cornell connections and

become part of it.

Johnson teaches students how to harness the strengths of those around them, combining strengths and

creating progressive and impressive high-performance solutions to business challenges – and to other

challenges facing the world at large. Students may also customize their MBA experiences to fit unique

aspirations through coursework at the University’s other top-ranked schools.

Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management:

The Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management’s internationally renowned areas of

expertise in food and agricultural economics, management, environmental and resource economics, and

international and development economics work in concert to fulfill the School’s mission to inform and foster

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the public stewardship and private management of businesses,

organizations, livelihoods, and natural resources. The Dyson

School offers the B.S., M.S., M.P.S., and Ph.D. degrees, and

conducts frontier research and delivers

innovative extension/outreach programs in all four of the

School’s areas of expertise.

Ranked in the 2016 top 10 Best Undergraduate Business

Programs by U.S. News & World Report, The Dyson School is a

highly regarded leader in applying practical, applied economics and management tools on every continent

to solve the world's most significant business and social issues. From the economics of biofuels and

imperiled water resources, to oil production in the Middle East; from trade agreements with the European

Union to forging economic relationships with the rapidly developing economies of China, India, and Africa;

from the determinants of poverty at the household level to the causes of global financial contagion; from

insights into the economics of consumer behavior and food psychology, to their impacts on food

consumption and nutrition; and from the management of all types of businesses, from farms and family

owned firms, to global food retailers, Fortune 500 businesses, and entrepreneurial endeavors – the Dyson

School has been the springboard of a wide array of innovative programs that puts Cornell's research at the

forefront of the most important global challenges of today and Cornell's footprint at the highest levels of

policy advice on the global stage.

Role of the Associate Dean and Executive Director of Development,

Cornell SC Johnson College of Business

The Cornell SC Johnson College of Business’s Alumni Affairs and Development program is led by the

Associate Dean and Executive Director of Development (ED), who in consultation with the three school

deans supervises AAD program leaders for each of the College’s three schools. S/He is responsible for

working with Dean Soumitra Dutta, Dean of Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, to create and

implement the College’s comprehensive fundraising and engagement strategies. The Executive Director also

works closely with the deans and associate deans at the three business schools to ensure a unified vision

while maintaining the unique identify and focus of each entity. In addition, the incoming Executive Director

serves as the primary staff liaison to the College’s advisory board.

The new Executive Director is the primary advocate for the College with other elements of the Cornell AAD

organization, centrally as well as in other colleges and units. S/He coordinates Dean Dutta’s AAD

involvement, including the prioritization of prospect visits, event attendance and overall participation in high

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level college AAD activity. The Executive Director leads the overall college AAD program, coordinating day-

to-day staff supervisory responsibility with the three school AAD program heads.

The Executive Director staffs 25-50 high capacity prospect households. Much of his/her work involves

interacting with prospects managed by other gift officers, particularly those managed by principal gifts

officers, in conjunction with the vice president for alumni affairs and development and other senior college

and university officers.

The Executive Director is a member of the College’s senior leadership team and is viewed as an extension of,

or surrogate for, the dean with respect to prospect interactions. Once development priorities for the

College are established by the deans and associate deans, the Executive Director of Development, with Dean

Dutta, is responsible for communicating those to other members of the AAD division, to volunteers, and to

the various constituents/stakeholders of the College. Identifying and engaging prospects with the ability to

help the College meet its goals is a key aspect of his/her responsibility, including alumni and parents of the

College’s three schools, corporate partners, philanthropic organizations, and individuals who care about the

focal areas of the College, whether they have a previous connection to Cornell or not.

Specific Opportunities and Expectations for the Executive Director:

Cornell’s recent decision to consolidate three high-performing and premier schools of business into one of

the top 3 largest colleges of business in the world is a bold and strategic move that has a positive impact on

not only the College’s academic performance but on fundraising totals as well.

Leading the development and alumni affairs efforts at the highly sophisticated, innovative and newly created

Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, the ideal candidate must possess an entrepreneurial spirit and a

comfort with ambiguity.

MANAGE A HYBRID TEAM STRUCTURE:

The Executive Director leads a team of 25, comprised of the existing and high-performing staffs of

the 3 schools of business. S/He is the architect of a new model and structure brought about by the

merging of these three schools, while recognizing the need to preserve the distinct alumni identity

of each entity. The ideal candidate is a deft manager, who will inspire an esprit de corp with a

unification of new efforts, synergies and efficiencies during an exciting time of transition.

CREATE STRATEGIES, ENHANCE AND BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH PRINCIPAL GIFT DONORS:

At Cornell, a principal gift is classified as a gift over $10M. It is imperative that the Executive Director

bring a strong track record of cultivating and soliciting gifts of $1M and above, in partnership with

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academic leadership, other college units, and central gift departments. It should be noted that while

donors and alums are overall receptive and proud of the decision to create the Cornell SC Johnson

College of Business, there are some donors who will need further information and assurances.

HARNESS THE COLLEGE’S FULL POTENTIAL WORKING COLLABORATIVELY ACROSS CAMPUS:

Surrounded by a spirit of venture capitalism, entrepreneurialism and passion for Cornell, the

Executive Director not only has the good fortune of leading the College at its historic inception but

also at moment in time when the College can leverage the efforts of Cornell Tech, in addition to the

advantages of the building of Cornell’s New York campus. With the audacious vision to be the

“Silicon Valley of the East,” Cornell’s New York City presence makes this a unique inflection point for

the University and the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business.

At the core of Cornell’s ethos is a strong and longstanding culture of collaboration, seen at both the

academic and fundraising level. Commitment to a donor-centric approach is also integral to Cornell’s

fundraising success. Respecting these core principles, the Executive Director is a key part of scaling

up an operation with tremendous upside potential and a donor base not fully tapped. A recent

screening revealed over 300 donors with capacity of $1M or more who gave gifts to one of the three

schools comprising the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business.

SET STAGE FOR THE NEXT CAMPAIGN:

The incoming Executive Director will be the architect for the College’s next campaign, which will be

rolled out in coordination with the University’s next comprehensive campaign. The momentum at

Cornell continues to build as Cornell’s fundraising efforts grow post campaign.

Position Overview:

The Associate Dean and Executive Director of Development, Cornell SC Johnson College of Business

provides overall leadership and direction for fundraising, alumni programs, donor relations, and stewardship

for the College of Business. S/He has primary responsibility for raising private, philanthropic funds through a

wide range of fundraising initiatives. The Executive Director provides direction to a staff of 25 alumni affairs

and development professionals. Reporting dually to the dean of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business

and to the associate vice president for colleges and units (AVP), the Executive Director works closely with the

AVP and Cornell SC Johnson College of Business’s leadership in developing annual and long-term

fundraising goals based on approved college priorities and interdisciplinary initiatives. The Executive

Director works collaboratively with faculty, staff, and other senior administrators at the College, to

understand, interpret, and promote Cornell SC Johnson College of Business programs and initiatives. The

Executive Director also serves as a member of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business senior

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management team and as a member of the extended management team for the University’s Division of

Alumni Affairs and Development.

The Executive Director is responsible for the design and execution of all fundraising activities, including

identification, qualification, and assignment of individual and institutional prospects. S/He leads in matching

college goals to donor desires while developing and implementing strategies for prospect cultivation and

approach, including soliciting gifts and rolling out corresponding stewardship strategies. The Executive

Director serves as the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business’s senior executive related to all alumni affairs

and development activities.

In addition to possessing superior people-management and development skills, highly effective

interpersonal communication abilities, and a sense of urgency, the successful candidate must be profoundly

collaborative and have the gravitas and leadership presence to interact with high-level donors, corporate

leaders, public officials and dignitaries, academic leaders and faculty, alumni, and volunteer leadership. The

Executive Director must be transparent, open-minded, resourceful, organized, politically savvy, results-

oriented, and data-driven, and should possess a good sense of humor and diplomacy. The demonstrated

ability to think strategically and creatively and to get things done in an efficient fashion is essential for

success. Most importantly, s/he must be committed to and passionate about the missions of Cornell

University and the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business.

The Executive Director should be seen as an acceptable surrogate to the dean in the solicitation of gifts and

at times will be staffed by major or principal gift officers. While the dean is also heavily involved in major

and principal gift solicitations, the Executive Director is intended to significantly increase the College’s

capacity for high level solicitations.

Specific Responsibilities Include:

Serve as chief development officer for, and manager of, the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business’s

alumni affairs and development program. Provide the college with strong, creative, energetic, and

strategic leadership on all alumni affairs and development initiatives, programs, and functions, both

short- and long-term.

Plan and implement a comprehensive, integrated program that maximizes support for the College

and includes alumni affairs and annual giving, individual gifts, planned and major gifts, special

events, acknowledgment and stewardship of new gifts and endowed funds, and all other contributed

revenue-related functions. Work collaboratively with the dean and senior members of the Division of

Alumni Affairs and Development to devise and realize fundraising goals, as well as plans for

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continued alumni engagement and outreach. Establish a plan for growth that includes achieving

and/or surpassing revenue goals.

Promote the College to internal and external constituencies in ways that earn trust, emphasize

shared interests and opportunities for collaboration, and elicit buy-in among disparate groups of

stakeholders.

In partnership with the associate deans of the Johnson School, Dyson School and School of Hotel

Administration,, oversee, manage, and prioritize the deans, department chairs, program directors,

and faculty's involvement in alumni affairs and development-related activities and events, including

coordination of travel as needed, ensuring that their involvement is applied strategically and

efficiently; prepare briefings, proposals, reports, correspondence, and other materials in support of

this involvement; serve as co-strategist with the dean on cultivation and solicitation strategies for

transformative gifts. Facilitate and promote alumni affairs and development staff relationships with

the dean, academic leaders, faculty, and college staff. Serve as a chief liaison between the Division of

Alumni Affairs and Development and the College of Business’ dean, academic leaders, faculty, and

college staff.

Hire, train, manage, and evaluate a strong alumni affairs and development team composed of

professional and support staff. Develop a strong sense of teamwork, instill an ethos of university-

wide collaboration, establish an environment of mentoring and support, and bring strategic focus to

the team. Ensure adherence to policies and best practices of the Division of Alumni Affairs and

Development.

Initiate and execute cultivation strategies for individuals in coordination with centrally based major

and principal gift officers and provide direction to ensure this team is focused on meeting College of

Business goals and priorities.

Identify new major gift sources and serve as the College’s primary knowledge source for funding

opportunities and philanthropic outlets. Maintain current knowledge of important developments

within national and international funding environments as they relate to the College’s mission and

programs.

With the director of prospect management for the Division of Alumni Affairs and Development,

identify and qualify new tracked prospects at both the major and leadership gift levels.

Collaboratively develop strategies for engagement of identified prospects with an eye toward

aligning college priorities and major/principal gift opportunities.

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Travel extensively, including internationally, in support of college priorities, including events and

personal cultivation and solicitation visits with alumni and prospects; give particular attention to

effectively leveraging the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business’s network of relationships.

In collaboration with the associate vice president of university alumni affairs, develop and implement

an overall strategic plan for alumni affairs programming in support of constituency and volunteer-

leadership development. Plan and coordinate strategic, high-quality College of Business-related

alumni affairs and development events on and off campus; ensure development of program content

and negotiate staff responsibilities surrounding each event. Ensure that events are efficiently

managed to the bottom line and yield maximum revenue or good will.

Manage the creation of, and provide ongoing support for the engagement and involvement of the

Cornell SC Johnson College of Business Board of Overseers. In partnership with school deans and

faculty, develop an integrated network of program/department/school advisory councils that will

provide increasingly sophisticated volunteer engagement and individual and institutional prospect

cultivation opportunities, as well as facilitate important external input for priority academic

programs.

Collaborate with and provide information for college and university communications, corporate and

foundation relations, and public affairs, as appropriate. Maintain an environment of transparency and

information sharing across units.

Serve as a member of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business senior management team. Advise

the dean, senior administrative and academic colleagues, and volunteer leadership on all matters

related to alumni affairs and development. Work as a collaborative member of the senior

management team to influence and address all matters of significance to the Cornell SC Johnson

College of Business, as well as its stakeholders and supporters.

Serve on Division of Alumni Affairs and Development committees and tasks forces that advance

college and university alumni affairs and development programs.

Required Qualifications and Experience:

A bachelor’s degree is required; an advanced degree and strong academic credentials that will be

credible to donors and alumni are preferred.

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A minimum of 10 years of experience in progressively responsible development leadership positions,

which includes work in all functional areas of development and leadership of a major capital

campaign (planning, implementation, management, and successful conclusion); demonstrated ability

to provide management oversight, leadership, and direction with at least five years of significant

supervisory experience.

A demonstrated track record of successful frontline fundraising for an institution of higher education,

not-for-profit organization, or other environment of similar complexity with multiple stakeholders;

previous work experience in higher education and in a hybrid centralized-decentralized fundraising

model involving colleges/schools is preferred.

Hands-on major and principal gift experience, including cultivation through solicitation and

stewardship, as well as experience working with planned giving, corporate and foundation relations,

and alumni affairs and annual fund strategies for grooming the next generation of leadership

donors; success in securing gifts from both defined and undefined constituencies.

Particular strength in developing strategic and comprehensive fundraising plans, executing against

these plans to achieve goals and objectives, developing fundraising strategies, and creating and

managing a budget is critical; experience working directly with the most senior levels of an

organization is very important; ability to effectively strategize and engage various groups and

constituents, including the dean, faculty, senior administrators, major and principal gift officers,

alumni, donors, and major benefactors.

A strong record of recruiting and developing exceptional people and fostering a transparent work

environment where collegiality is a key to success.

Ability to develop trust and strong collaborative working relationships; experience nurturing and

motivating high-level volunteers and expressing appreciation for their role in building an effective

development network.

Experience in international fundraising and the cultural sensitivity it requires; knowledge of the

players, strategies, and trends in in global philanthropy.

Strong computer skills, which should include desktop software, databases, and networked

information systems; familiarity with technology and other innovations that can streamline the

development process and contribute to the integration of alumni affairs and development functions.

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Personal Qualities and Competencies:

Commitment to, and passion for, the missions of Cornell University and the College of Business;

ability to communicate and create excitement about mission, vision, programs, and fundamental

strengths.

A penchant for diplomacy and the ability to work collaboratively with other colleagues within the

university community while demonstrating cultural sensitivity and a strong respect for differences;

must be a team builder who takes a non-hierarchical approach to leadership and who empowers

subordinates to get the job done while providing the support and information they need.

Superior presentation skills, including the presence to deal effectively with academic leaders, faculty,

senior administrators, senior executives, alumni, donors, prospects, and volunteers, together with the

ability to make the appropriate connections among members of these groups and to nurture strong

and long-lasting individual and institutional relationships; excellent communication skills, including

the ability to write and speak clearly and effectively and deliver an effective, coherent, and consistent

message; a communication style that is open, cordial, and compelling.

Outstanding organizational skills, with the ability to complete projects on a timely basis and to

manage multiple priorities.

A self-starter with a sense of urgency, a clear set of priorities, a strong work ethic and the ability to

adapt to changing circumstances in a highly collaborative academic environment; must have a

creative approach to problem solving, and the ability to take advantage of emerging opportunities; a

good sense of humor, a high level of energy, self-confidence, a positive “can-do” attitude, charisma,

a commitment to self-development, and the ability to function at peak level in a high expectation

environment are essential.

Unimpeachable integrity and trustworthiness; mature judgment in handling sensitive and

confidential information.

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Leadership – Cornell College of Business

Soumitra Dutta

Dean

Cornell SC Johnson College of Business

Professor of Management

Soumitra Dutta is the founding Dean of the SC Johnson College of Business

at Cornell University, New York. From July 2012 to June 2016, he was the

Anne and Elmer Lindseth Dean of the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School

of Management. Previously, he was on the faculty of INSEAD, a leading

international business school in France and Singapore.

He is an authority on technology and innovation policy and is the co-editor

and author of the Global Information Technology Report, published by the

World Economic Forum and the Global Innovation Index, published by the World Intellectual Property

Organization - two influential reports in technology and innovation policy.

Dean Dutta is on the board of Sodexo (a food services and facilities management multinational), and

advisory boards of several business schools. He has co-founded two firms, including Fisheye Analytics which

WPP group acquired. He is also the Vice-Chair and Chair-elect of AACSB, the leading global body for the

accreditation of business schools. Dutta is a member of the Davos Circle, an association of long-time

participants in the Annual Davos meeting of the World Economic Forum, and has engaged in a number of

multi-stakeholder initiatives to shape global, regional and industry agendas.

Dean Dutta received a B. Tech. in electrical engineering and computer science from the Indian Institute of

Technology, New Delhi, a MS in both business administration and computer science, and a PhD in computer

science from the University of California at Berkeley.

Division of Alumni Affairs and Development Overview

The Division of Alumni Affairs and Development (AAD)

encompasses a staff of 350 and operates with a budget of $55 million. Led by Fred Van Sickle, Vice

President for Alumni Affairs and Development (VP), AAD is responsible for the comprehensive engagement

and fundraising programs for the Ithaca and Cornell Tech campuses. It is comprised of Alumni Affairs (which

includes the Cornell Annual Fund); Principal Gifts; the fundraising teams for Cornell Tech and Northeast

CORNELL UNIVERSITY BACKGROUNDER | 18

Corridor; and for University Development, which is led by

the Senior Associate Vice President for Alumni Affairs and

Development. University Development includes the central

Major Gifts program; College-and-Unit based programs;

Trusts, Estates, and Gift Planning; Leadership Gifts;

Prospect Management and Research; Communications;

and Operations. Weill Cornell Medicine does not report to

this office.

With an extraordinarily loyal alumni base and deeply committed volunteers, Cornell University is considered

one of the nation’s top performing fundraising operations, historically ranked in the top 5-10 annually. In a

banner year for fundraising, Cornell raised $672.9 million in fiscal 2015 that ended June 30, vaulting the

Cornell Now – The Campaign for Cornell above $6 billion and setting new records for dollars raised and

participation. Cash giving to the University totaled $590.6 million, surpassing its previous annual fundraising

record of $545.4 million. The campaign, which began in 2006, concluded in December 2015.

The Campaign for Cornell was driven by several large transformational gifts. Overall, 179,000 donors made

gifts to the campaign; of those, 685 were gifts over $1M, including 28 gifts over $50M.

Leadership:

Fred Van Sickle

Vice President for Alumni Affairs and Development

In December 2015, Fred Van Sickle, was named Vice President for

Alumni Affairs and Development.

Most recently serving as chief development officer at the Institute

for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, from 2014-16, Fred

previously served as executive vice president for university development and alumni relations at Columbia

University, where he oversaw the completion of a seven-year, $6.1 billion capital campaign in 2013. At the

Institute for Advanced Study, he was responsible for fundraising, constituency outreach and

communications. Under his leadership the institute completed a $212 million campaign. He joined Columbia

in 2002 as deputy vice president for university development and served as vice president from 2003-10

before being named executive vice president in 2011. Fred was a key architect of the $6.1 billion capital

campaign, one of the most successful fundraising efforts undertaken by any university. He also oversaw

creation of a five-year, integrated alumni and development “post-campaign” plan and launched Columbia’s

CORNELL UNIVERSITY BACKGROUNDER | 19

first Giving Day, which used social media to raise $6.8 million from 5,000 donors in one day; and developed

a professional training program for internal talent.

At Cornell, Fred is responsible for a comprehensive and integrated development and alumni relations

program, working collaboratively with academic, administrative and volunteer partners to increase

philanthropic support and strengthen alumni engagement.

A career fundraiser, Fred has held positions at the University of Michigan, Lake Forest College, Princeton

University and Wesleyan University.

He earned a B.A., cum laude with distinction, in history from Lake Forest College in 1983, a Master of

Education degree from Harvard University in 1989, and a Doctor of Education degree, with distinction, from

the University of Pennsylvania in 1996.

Jon Denison

Associate Vice President for Colleges and Units

Appointed in November 2012, Jon Denison is the Associate Vice President for

Colleges and Units. He previously was the associate dean for external affairs at

Cornell's School of Hotel Administration, where he provided strategic direction for

alumni affairs, development, corporate affairs and communications.

Denison came to Cornell with nearly 30 years of experience in higher education. He

served as director of corporate relations and associate director of development and

alumni services at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H. Earlier, he served as

vice president for institutional advancement at Utica College in Utica, N.Y. Denison also held several

positions at Syracuse University, including executive director of corporate and foundation relations.

Denison holds a bachelor's degree in advertising and an associate's degree in journalism from Ferris State

University. He earned a master's degree in management science with a concentration in human resource

management at Binghamton University.

CORNELL UNIVERSITY BACKGROUNDER | 20

Location

Ithaca, NY:

Located on the southern shore of Cayuga Lake in

Central New York, Ithaca is a major educational center.

It has been named one of the top 100 places to live, a

top 10 recreation city, a best green place to live, and

one of the "foodiest" towns in America. The City of

Syracuse is under an hour away, and frequent buses to

NYC allow for day trips. In 2010, the city's population

was 30,014, and the metropolitan area had a population

of 101,564. It is also a stunningly beautiful place with great vistas, hiking and a variety of outdoor activities.

The Ithaca City School District, which encompasses Ithaca and the surrounding area, enrolls about 5,500 K-

12 students in eight elementary schools, two middle schools, Ithaca High School, and the Lehman

Alternative Community School. Several private elementary and secondary schools are located in the Ithaca

area, including the Roman Catholic Immaculate Conception School, the Cascadilla School, the New Roots

Charter School, the Elizabeth Ann Clune Montessori School, and the Ithaca Waldorf School. Ithaca has two

networks for supporting its home-schooling families: Loving Education At Home (LEAH) and the Northern

Light Learning Center (NLLC).

The economy of Ithaca is based on education, with technology and tourism in supporting roles. As of 2006,

Ithaca has continued to have one of the few expanding economies in New York State outside New York City.

It draws commuters for work from the neighboring rural counties.

Ithaca has many of the business characteristics of small American university towns: bookstores, art house

cinemas, craft stores, and vegetarian-friendly restaurants. The collective Moosewood Restaurant, founded in

1973, published a number of vegetarian cookbooks. Bon Appetit magazine ranked it among the thirteen

most influential restaurants of the 20th century. Ithaca has many local restaurants and chains both in the city

and town with a range of ethnic foods. It has become a destination and residence for retirees, and Cornell

has programs to appeal to them.

The Ithaca Farmers Market, a cooperative with 150 vendors who live within 30 miles of Ithaca, first opened

for business on Saturdays in 1973. It is located at Steamboat Landing, where steamboats from Cayuga Lake

used to dock.

CORNELL UNIVERSITY BACKGROUNDER | 21

Culturally, Ithaca has much to offer. Founded in 1983, the Sciencenter, is a non-profit hands-on science

museum, accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) and is a member of the Association of

Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) and Association of Children’s Museums (ACM). The Museum of the

Earth is a natural history museum created in 2003 by the Paleontological Research Institution (PRI). The PRI

was founded in Ithaca in 1932 and is the publisher of the oldest journal of paleontology in the western

hemisphere. Exhibits cover the 4.5 billion-year history of the earth

in an accessible manner, including interactive displays. As of

2004, the PRI is now formally affiliated with Cornell.

The Cayuga Nature Center occupies the site of the 1914

Cayuga Preventorium, a facility for children with tuberculosis;

treatment of what was then considered an

incurable disease was based on rest and good nutrition. In 1981,

the Cayuga Nature Center was incorporated as an independent, private, non-profit educational organization,

offering environmental education to local school districts. In 2011, the PRI merged with the Cayuga Nature

Center, making it a sister organization to the Museum of the Earth.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is located in the Imogene Powers Johnson Center for Birds and Biodiversity.

The Lab's Visitors' Center and observation areas are open to the public. Displays include a surround sound

theater, object-theater presentation, sound studio, and informational kiosks featuring bird sounds and

information.

The Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art houses one of the finest collections of art in upstate New

York. Special exhibitions are mounted each year, plus selections from a global permanent collection, which is

displayed on six public floors. The collection includes art from throughout Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas,

graphic arts, medallic art, and Tiffany glass, ranging from the ancient to the contemporary.

The Center for the Arts at Ithaca, Inc., operates the "Hangar Theatre". Opened in 1975 in a renovated

municipal airport hangar, the Hangar hosts a summer season and brings a range of theatre to regional

audiences including students, producing a school tour and

Artists-in-the-Schools programs. Ithaca is also the home to

Kitchen Theatre Company, a non-profit professional company

with a theatre on West State Street; and Civic Ensemble, a

creative collaborative ensemble staging emerging playwrights'

work and community-based original productions.

CORNELL UNIVERSITY BACKGROUNDER | 22

Ithaca is noted for its annual community celebration, The Ithaca Festival. The Constance Saltonstall

Foundation for the Arts provides grants and summer fellowships at the Saltonstall Arts Colony for New York

State artists and writers. Ithaca also hosts one of the largest used-book sales in the United States.

The city and town also sponsor The Apple Festival in the fall, the Chili Fest in February, the Finger Lakes

International Dragon Boat Festival in July; Porchfest in late September, and Ithaca Brew Fest in Stewart Park

in September.

Ithaca has also pioneered the Ithaca Health Fund, a popular cooperative health insurance. Ithaca is home to

one of the United States' first local currency systems, Ithaca Hours, developed by Paul Glover.

To learn more, please visit: www.visitithaca.com.

Background Checks:

Prior to submitting your resume for this position, please read it over for accuracy. LLLS does verify academic

credentials for its candidates, and our clients frequently conduct background checks prior to finalizing an

offer.

To learn more, call

Jill Lasman, Senior Vice President at

617-262-1102

or send nominations or cover letter and resume to

jlasman@LLLSearches.com.

All inquiries will be held in confidence.

Diversity and inclusion are a part of Cornell University’s heritage. It is a recognized employer

and educator valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities.

Setting the Standard in Development Search

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