Chief Financial Officer; CFO

Overview

The Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association (WFAA)*, the private fundraising and alumni relations organization for the University of Wisconsin-Madison is recruiting for a Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

WFAA has exclusively retained The QTI Group to lead the search for a Chief Financial Officer. to apply directly

Reporting to the President and CEO, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) leads the organization’s fiscal strategy, oversight, and reporting. As a member of the Senior Leadership Team and advisor to the President and CEO, Board of Directors, and key stakeholders, the CFO oversees budgeting, financial planning and analysis, and all fiduciary responsibilities within a complex financial environment. This CFO provides expertise across fund accounting, financial reporting systems, audit oversight, internal controls, financial risk management, investment accounting, treasury management, facility operations, and gift services, while partnering with campus finance teams on gift fund management.

• Assess organizational performance against both the annual budget and the organization’s long-term strategy.
• Develop tools and systems to provide critical financial and operational information to the President and CEO and make actionable recommendations.
• Advise the President and CEO on recommendations for key business model parameters such as the institutional advancement fees, spend plan, chargeback rates, enterprise-level liquidity management, and interest payments on the short-term investment pool (STIP).
• Develop financial business plans and forecasts in alignment with organizational strategy.

• Advise the President and CEO on setting appropriate risk levels for the short-term investment pool (STIP) and own the financial risk management system and processes in alignment with CEO direction.
• Direct the development, implementation, and maintenance of financial policies and accounting controls; ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and standards.
• Serve as an in-house compliance expert; analyze, interpret, and implement FASB and other regulatory directives, and propose changes to improve or enhance current accounting practices.
• Coordinate closely with the Foundation’s investment team (WISIMCO) on risk management, internal controls, and compliance matters.

• Oversee all financial accounts, ledgers, and reporting systems, ensuring compliance with appropriate GAAP and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain internal control safeguards and coordinate all audit activities.
• Oversee budgeting and the implementation of budgets to monitor progress and present financial metrics both internally and externally.

• Lead, supervise, and develop staff, fostering a shared vision, acting as a role model, and demonstrating the Foundation’s values.
• Work effectively across a matrixed environment, partnering with campus finance departments and other internal stakeholders to build trust, alignment, and effective gift fund stewardship.
• Build and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with the Senior Leadership Team, Finance Team, and WISIMCO to support shared goals and effective decision‑making.

• Advise the President and CEO on the appropriate rate of growth in advancement operations and levels of reserves, while ensuring the business model can deliver on long-range objectives.
• Develop and utilize forward‑looking, predictive models and activity‑based financial analyses to provide insight into operations and business plans.
• Design, implement, and maintain operating policies and procedures to ensure gift/other revenue transactions are recorded in the customer relationship management (CRM) system on an accurate and timely basis, consistent with donor intent, core WFAA objectives, and industry standards.

• Provide strategic oversight of the STIP and oversee consolidated investment accounting and reporting across WFAA’s investment pools, applying a strong understanding of financial markets and…