A Message from President Harroz – Organizational Updates: Financial and Operational Functions

Dear Colleagues,

I write to share key organizational updates related to our university's financial and operational functions. First, we bid farewell to two outstanding OU leaders whose faithful service will leave an enduring impact on our institution:

Matt Brockwell, our Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, has announced his departure from the university, with his last day set for March 31. Since joining OU in December 2021, Matt’s extensive 35-year background in the financial services industry has enriched the university in a myriad of ways. His notable accomplishments include enhancing fiscal strategy in Athletics, streamlining College of Medicine operations, initiating a long-term I.T. development framework, and advancing cross-campus finance team integration.

Ken Rowe, Vice President for Administration and Finance at OU Health Sciences, will retire from OU, effective February 1. With over three decades of experience in finance and administration, Ken joined OU in 1998 and has since become an integral part of the university’s success. His contributions have been vast, including skillfully guiding OU Health Sciences to a sustainable operating model, and in playing a key role in the OU Health merger.

With Matt’s and Ken’s upcoming departures, pending OU Regents’ approval, we will establish two university-wide positions, both reporting to the president:

• Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
  Effective February 8 and pending Regents’ approval, Stewart Berkinshaw will transition into this role, leading the financial operations and strategies across all three campuses. Stewart has demonstrated exceptional leadership and strategic financial acumen as Associate Provost for Academic Finance (2014-2018), Chief Budget Officer (2018-2020), and Associate Vice President for Budget and Finance (2020-current) for the Norman campus. His achievements reflect a deep commitment to strengthening the university's financial position. He has fostered a results-oriented culture emphasizing exceptional customer service, collaboration, efficiency, creativity, and transparency, ensuring the success of administrative and financial teams under his leadership. Prior to working at OU, Stewart served as Senior Manager with KPMG in Dallas, serving clients in higher education, health care, and government. He is a graduate of OU’s Price College of Business, with a BBA in Finance and Accounting and a Master of Accountancy. He is also a certified public accountant.
• Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO)
  The COO will drive continuous improvement and excellence in operational services, providing strategic leadership to ensure the full integration and alignment of HR, I.T., Capital Projects, Safety, Facilities and Operations, and Strategic Initiatives across all three campuses. A national search for the COO is currently underway.

Please join me in recognizing Matt and Ken and sending them our best wishes. We also extend our gratitude to Stewart for his continued efforts to position the University of Oklahoma for sustained financial health and operational excellence.

Live On, University,

Joseph Harroz, Jr.
President