I have been in Higher Ed for almost thirty years. Just the thought of that is mind boggling to me. From the humble beginnings of a registrar clerk’s desk to the high honor of serving as a Partner at Deloitte, my journey has been very fulfilling. I feel the best is yet to come.
I have seen Higher Ed transition from paper to faxes to computers. I remember when students had to register for classes in large gymnasiums. The age of scantrons came and went, and IVR soon followed. It is amazing to see how far we have come today with mobile enrollment. I have used mainframes to manage SIS transactions and then gone on to help numerous schools migrate to client-server environments, and eventually, the cloud. I have seen the decision lens move from process optimization to a more student-centric approach. For those of you in Higher Ed, you know what a seismic shift that has been.
While all that historical change was somewhat transformative, it pales in comparison to the mega-disruption we have experienced over the past few weeks as institutions were forced to shift to online classes almost overnight. As painful as that process may have been for many, the disruption has shed a much brighter light on what the future of Higher Ed must look like, and the change we will need to embrace. It is safe to say that it will be an interesting next few months and years. That is for sure.
As I leave Deloitte to return to the entrepreneurial roots that led me there in the first place, I can not help but reflect on the many unselfish people who have mentored me, the colleagues who have supported me, dedicated coworkers that have enabled me, and clients who have trusted me; that’s many of you are reading this. I thank you for being part of this incredibly impactful part of my journey.
I was inspired by the amazing and transformational people in Deloitte Human Capital who befriended and equipped me to think about what we really do for clients and how to be innovative through a “human-centric” mindset. Thank you.
In the next few weeks, you will hear more about the narrative that pushes me forward. I hope it is one that resonates with you. It is all about the Future of Work, Future of Student, and Future of Learning…the reality is that the Future is now. As many of you know, over the past few years my focus has been centered on Smart Campus and Future of Work. The topic is more relevant now than ever before. The pandemic has accelerated the need to have discussions on digital transformation and how campuses serve.
My first step out of the gate will be to assemble the best and brightest minds in Higher Ed, entrepreneurship, innovation and industry, to accelerate the narrative that is so needed at this time.
My sincere hope is that this next chapter of life will have an impact on Higher Ed, my kids, and the generations that follow. I look forward to collaborating with many of you on this movement that I truly believe in. I will leave you with a statement that drives much of who I am. I share it with you in hopes that it will inspire you to think differently as we face these very interesting times.
“ You can design what you do Today for Tomorrow or you can Design Tomorrow, Today.”
Be well everyone,
