This email was sent to university business offices.
Dear colleagues,
In recent months, our Business Affairs team has undertaken a comprehensive assessment of the financial and budget services we provide to our partners across the university. As a result of this review, Financial Services, the Office of Budget and Planning, and Finance Strategy & Solutions have been consolidated into the new Finance & Budget division.
Under this new organizational structure, we have made the following leadership changes:
- Andrew Brennan is the new Chief Procurement Officer, overseeing Delivery & Warehousing, Purchasing, Contracting, and Accounts Payable, taking over for Ted Nasser who will be retiring this summer.
- Matt Kennedy has been promoted to Assistant Vice President of Budget & Treasury, overseeing a broader portfolio including the Treasury team and the offices of the Bursar, CatCard, and Budget & Planning.
- Mary Moore has taken on an expanded role as Director of Operations & Organizational Development for the Finance & Budget team.
Bringing together previously separated units will enhance collaboration, knowledge sharing, and strategic decision-making, creating more cohesive financial strategies for the institution while improving the support model for colleges and divisions. This includes supporting ongoing business operations, delivering finance services, providing budget planning expertise, and developing creative solutions that address financial opportunities.
Updates to our online resources
The Financial Services website has been updated and rebranded as finance.arizona.edu. All pages from the previous site will be redirected to the new site. You will find the Office of Budget & Planning and Finance Strategy & Solutions under the new Finance & Budget website. Please update any bookmarks and links that you have to our website. If you encounter issues, please clear your browser cache and try again later. Please note that redirects can take up to 48 hours to initiate.
You can continue to consult the Financial Services Policy Manual for information about policies and use email handles that include FNSV to contact our team.
Our priorities moving forward
Our Finance & Budget team will be focusing on simplifying business processes and enhancing services to provide more consistent support and expert guidance for colleges and divisions. We are implementing several key improvements to provide faster resolutions and reduced administrative burden for our partners. These efforts include:
- Optimizing our internal processes, website resource, and various online forms for more effective financial and operational support.
- Advancing our current technology solutions, including improvements to Chart of Accounts, expansion of SAP Concur Expense and PCard, and upgrades to the UAccess Financial System.
- Increasing communication and proactive engagement opportunities with our various leaders and partners across the university.
I firmly believe that these changes will build a foundation for excellence in all aspects of finance and budget at the university, strengthening our financial operations in alignment with our institutional mission and priorities.
As always, we are committed to transparency and ongoing dialogue with our partners. You may contact our team using our web form, or feel free to contact me directly if you wish to discuss our new structure and approach.
Sincerely,
Garth Perry
Vice President of Finance & Chief Budget Officer