Kenneth M. Mullen Named New Vice President for Business and Finance<br />Feb 18, 2014<br /><br />University of the Pacific President Pamela A. Eibeck today announced the appointment of Kenneth M. Mullen as Vice President for Business and Finance following a successful national search. Mullen, who has served as Controller and Associate Vice President for Business and Finance at Pacific for the last two years, will assume his new post on May 12, 2014.<br /><br />""Ken demonstrated that he has the financial acumen, breadth of experience and leadership skills that will serve Pacific well into the future,"" said President Eibeck. ""We are delighted that someone from within our organization is able to bring national-level capabilities to this important leadership position."" <br /><br />The University launched a national search for a successor to Patrick D. Cavanaugh after he announced his intent to retire in May as Vice President, a post he has held since 1997. Cavanaugh helped to oversee a remarkable turnaround, steering the University from perennial University deficits to 17 consecutive years of budget surpluses. The University's financial strength helped attract top candidates from around the country to fill Cavanaugh's shoes. Four finalist candidates visited the University in the past two weeks, and Mullen emerged as the top choice of the search committee and the President.<br /><br />Working closely with the President and the Board of Regents, Mullen will oversee the University's $316 million budget and its $337 million endowment. As head of the Division of Business and Finance, Mullen will lead 235 staff in the Offices of Budget & Risk Management; Controller; Support Services and Physical Plant; Human Resources; Assessment, Training and Technology; Treasury Management; Internal Audit; and Capital Planning and Space Management.  <br /><br />""It has been one of the highlights of my career to work under Vice President Cavanaugh,"" said Mullen. ""I am grateful for the opportunity to continue working with all the dedicated staff in Business and Finance. We will work enthusiastically with the entire University community to fulfill our strategic vision.""<br /><br />In his two years at Pacific, Mullen has helped to increase the visibility and effectiveness of the Controller's Office and become a trusted collaborator on projects on all three campuses. He currently serves as co-chair on the Institutional Effectiveness Committee. He helped lead the roll-out of the institution-wide enterprise risk management process, instituted the production of quarterly financial statements, helped to launch new software packages such as web-time-entry for payroll and endowed scholarship systems, oversaw the launch of Tapingo and IPad mobile payment applications, and improved financial reporting tools and resources.<br /><br />Prior to joining University of the Pacific, Mullen served for 19 years in finance leadership positions at Elon University in Elon, N.C. He was comptroller there from 1993 to 2001, and assistant vice president for business and finance from 2001 to 2011. During his tenure at Elon, Mullen coordinated more than $100 million in financing to help double the square footage of the campus over the 19 years he was there. He also helped design financing for new academic programs and revamped a wide range of financial practices and policies.<br /><br />Mullen had previously worked in budget and finance positions at the New York Botanical Gardens and at Wayne State University Internal Medicine Corporation.<br /><br />Mullen holds a BBA in finance and an MBA in management from the University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio. He lives in Lodi with his wife, LeeAnn, and daughter. He also has a son who attends Pacific, a son in Greenville, N.C., and a daughter in Provo, Utah. Mullen is currently chair of the board of the San Joaquin Emergency Food Bank.<br />