University of Minnesota President Rebecca Cunningham announced Wednesday in a system-wide email Gregg Goldman is the new executive vice president for finance and operations.

The Board of Regents will approve Cunningham’s decision at Thursday’s finance and operations committee meeting. After the Regent’s approval, Goldman will begin his appointment Nov. 11.

“To contribute in all of the ways Minnesotans expect the University of Minnesota to advance our state, we need incredibly talented, experienced and committed leaders, and Gregg Goldman fits that description perfectly,” Cunningham said in a University news release. “I’m looking forward to working closely with Gregg to help the University chart its next course and support our students, faculty and staff as they work to achieve their goals.”

Goldman will be responsible for managing the University’s $4.5 billion budget and 2,700 employees across all five campuses.

Goldman, who has served over 30 years in higher education, oversaw the financial operations for both UCLA  and the University of Arizona (U of A). As well as serving as chief financial officer for both universities, Goldman was the chief financial officer and senior vice president of investment firm Hillspire LLC.

During his time with UCLA and the U of A, Goldman managed multi-billion dollar budgets, helping UCLA maintain a $1 billion annual research budget. 

“I’m excited to join the University of Minnesota, President Cunningham, the leadership team, and be a part of our strong future ahead,” Goldman said in the news release. “I’ve spent much of my career in higher education, including land-grant institutions, and am passionate about how public research universities support healthy economies, educate our future workforce and vastly improve quality of life. I’ve seen it in action elsewhere and I will bring those experiences to help ensure Minnesotans continue to thrive in partnership with the U of M.”