CHIEF DEVELOPMENT AND ALUMNI RELATIONS OFFICER

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CHIEF DEVELOPMENT AND ALUMNI RELATIONS OFFICER

FISHER COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

Columbus, Ohio

The Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business (Fisher) seeks an experienced, collaborative, charismatic fundraising leader to serve as its head of development, donor relations/stewardship, and alumni relations. The Chief Development and Alumni Relations Officer (CDARO) will create and implement a strategic plan to meet campaign goals and reinvigorate a culture of collaboration.

The CDARO is responsible for understanding the mission, needs and value proposition of the college to strategically create awareness, engagement, and support (philanthropic and otherwise) from a variety of constituent groups including alumni, donors, and friends. The successful candidate will bring a strong executive presence, extensive experience in building fundraising and engagement teams and will be able to apply contemporary best practices in a complex higher education environment.

The role will strategically leverage the Office of Advancement’s central services: prospect development, gift planning, regional development officers, donor experience, principal gifts, foundation relations and corporate relations to help accomplish the college’s fundraising goals. The CDARO will strengthen donor relations and stewardship strategies, enhance and grow prospect and donor pipelines, while sustaining and elevating an engaged network of donors. It is also imperative that the CDARO strategically engage alumni in efficient and effective ways with particular focus on increasing support for the college. The successful candidate will also collaborate with the Alumni Association to utilize new tools to segment and strategically reach the college’s alumni population.

As a premiere professional college at Ohio State, Fisher attracts a diverse student body and has an alumni community of nearly 90,000. The CDARO will be charged with growing the college’s annual fundraising goal to help fulfill strategic needs and goals of the college as well as well as reach the college’s goal of $200 million as part of the university’s Time and Change fundraising campaign. 

The position leads a team of approximately 15, including eight fundraisers plus stewardship and alumni engagement professionals, and has oversight of the Dean’s Advisory Council within the college. The CDARO reports to Stephen Chaykowski, Assistant Vice President of Development, and has a dotted line to Anil Makhija, Dean of the Fisher College of Business.

Founded in 1870 as the land-grant and state flagship university, and subsequently receiving designations as a sea- and space-grant university, The Ohio State University is one of the world’s finest institutions of higher education. A member of the distinguished Association of American Universities, it is consistently recognized among the most innovative and far-reaching universities in the world. It is an engine of innovation and discovery with annual research expenditures of approximately $968 million. The central campus is located in the state capital of Columbus with regional campuses in Lima, Mansfield, Marion, Newark, and ATI in Wooster that extend its reach and provide access to students throughout the state. The Ohio State University boasts over 580,000 living alumni, and its endowment stands at nearly $5.3 billion. 

The university is home to approximately 68,000 students and 45,000 faculty and staff. With 15 academic colleges, a nationally renowned academic medical center, and hundreds of undergraduate and graduate programs as well as dozens of centers and institutes, the university has an astonishing intellectual range. It is an institution with enormous ambition and potential to achieve even greater heights. The 2017 strategic plan, Time and Change, moved the university forward on many dimensions and established Ohio State as a national leader in programs to support affordability and access for students. Today, the university is poised to embark on a new plan that will lay out its next phase of growth and innovation. 

Students at Ohio State are exposed to a vast array of ideas, experiences, and cultures. Inclusive excellence is a central tenet of the institution. While historic highs in applications, academic excellence, diversity of students, first-year retention rates, and graduation rates demonstrate that the university’s momentum has never been greater, the university is committed to making investments and innovations to ensure more success in recruitment, retention, and a truly inclusive campus culture. In 2018, the university launched the Digital Flagship, a comprehensive university-wide digital learning initiative, representing a ground-breaking approach to utilizing technology to support and enhance educational access and opportunity for students.  These efforts prepared the university to respond quickly and thoughtfully to the changes brought on by the pandemic.

Fisher College of Business is located at the northern entrance of Ohio State's main campus. The 370,000 square-foot complex is the largest multi-building project ever undertaken by the university and one of the few fully integrated management education campuses in the nation. This beautiful setting is home to an undergraduate business education program ranked 15th overall amongst public and private universities. Fisher’s research expenditures and publications rank in the top 20 and they are recognized nationally for their diversity and inclusion programs. Fisher is committed to creating an equitable learning environment that inspires and engages a diverse student body. This inclusive community seeks faculty and staff from all genders, races, ethnicities, nationalities, faiths, sexual orientations, gender identities, physical abilities, and socioeconomic circumstances. 

The Fisher College of Business believes business leadership requires a distinct and nuanced set of skills for a business world that is changing at the fastest pace ever seen. Central themes of innovation and entrepreneurial spirit, global awareness, and principled leadership—are essential to what distinguishes Fisher graduates when they enter the work force. These themes provide a consistent backdrop for Fisher’s curriculum and programs and guide their thought leaders. These ideas are essential for a singularly engaging and impactful experience on campus, and for success beyond it.

Ohio State has retained Mr. Jack Gorman of the national executive search firm Isaacson, Miller to assist in conducting this important recruitment. For more information, to submit a nomination, or to apply for this role, please visit: 

www.imsearch.com/7904   

The Ohio State University is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, national origin, disability status, or protected veteran status.