UF senior vice president and chief financial officer Chris Cowen departs for Cornell University

Ben Sasse, President

After serving three years as the University of Florida’s senior vice president and chief financial officer, Chris Cowen will step down to accept a similar role at Cornell University beginning July 1.

“Chris has done amazing work for Gator Nation, and we’re tremendously grateful for his clear-eyed vision and his commitment to excellence,” UF President Ben Sasse said. “He’s a seasoned professional with private and public sector experience who managed the university’s complex financial operations with skill and a steady hand. He will be an asset to Cornell, just as he was here. Gator Nation wishes him well.”

Cowen’s role at UF includes financial oversight and planning for the entirety of the university’s portfolio of operations, including 16 direct support organizations. His responsibilities also include developing and implementing the university’s short-term and long-term fiscal strategies to align with the university’s established goals.

Cowen serves on the boards of UF Health Shands, the UF Athletic Association, the UF Foundation, the UF Research Foundation and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. 

“I am honored and grateful for the opportunity the Board of Trustees and the president provided me to contribute to such a wonderful institution for the State of Florida and nation,” Cowen said. “Once a Gator, always a Gator, so I will continue to admire what I am certain will be tremendous accomplishments at UF going forward.”

Prior to his service at UF, Cowen worked for 30 years in investment banking, where his portfolio included complex higher education and non-profit institutions. He regularly speaks and writes about issues pertaining to higher education finance.

Cowen earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business.