What Happened?
Fairfax, VA-based George Mason University has Appointed Marilyn T. Smith as Chief Information Officer
About the Company
George Mason University is an innovative, entrepreneurial institution with global distinction in a range of academic fields. Located in Northern Virginia near Washington, D.C., Mason provides students access to diverse cultural experiences and the most sought-after internships and employers in the country. Mason offers strong undergraduate and graduate degree programs in engineering and information technology, organizational psychology, health care and visual and performing arts. With Mason professors conducting groundbreaking research in areas such as climate change, public policy and the biosciences, George Mason University is a leading example of the modern, public university. For the third year in a row, the Chronicle of Higher Education, the premier publication for academic news and issues, named Mason one of the "Great Colleges to Work For." Mason was recognized in seven different categories, making it the only four-year institution from Virginia on the list`s “Honor Roll.” The categories in which Mason excelled are: Collaborative Governance, Professional/Career-Development Programs, Job Satisfaction, Work/Life Balance, Confidence in Senior Leadership, Supervisor or Department-Chair Relationship, Respect and Appreciation. George Mason University—Where Innovation Is Tradition.
About the Person
Marilyn Smith was named Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer of George Mason University in 2013. As the Chief Information Officer of MIT from 2009-13, Ms. Smith led the central IT department, overseeing a budget of $60 million and a staff of 300. In a highly distributed environment she developed strong partnerships with faculty, staff and students, and led the department in its transformation to a customer, results and people focused culture. From 2006-09 Ms. Smith was President of the Life Companies at The Hanover Insurance Group in Worcester, MA. She directed the sale and transition of The Hanover's life insurance companies to Goldman Sachs. These complex and successful programs required creativity in retaining customers and in energizing, motivating, developing and retaining employees. Prior to that role she served as COO of Life Operations, responsible for transaction processing, call centers, and financial and operational reporting for Hanover's life business, with a budget of $30 million and staff of 350. Ms. Smith started her tenure at The Hanover Insurance Group (formerly Allmerica Financial) in 2000 directing all new information technology development for the corporation as Vice President of Project Delivery. After graduating from Wellesley College with a major in Astronomy, Ms. Smith spent 25 years at John Hancock in information systems management, including key positions in Retail Insurance and Investment Management. Subsequently she spent 4 years at Liberty Mutual as Vice President and CIO of Personal Market Information Systems. Ms. Smith is a Director on the Board of CSP, Inc., a provider of IT solutions, systems integration services and dense cluster computing systems. She is a member of the Audit, Compensation and Nominating Committees. Ms. Smith serves on the Babson College Graduate Advisory Board and the Northeastern College of Professional Studies Advisory Board. She is a member of the Bryant University Technology Leadership Council. She has served as Chair of the Wellesley College Alumnae Achievement Awards Committee, was Co-Chair of the Wellesley College Business Leadership Council, and served on the Wellesley College Alumnae Association Board. She is a member of the Boston Club and of the Boston Chapter of the Society for Information Management. She received an MBA with highest distinction from Babson College. She is a graduate of the Aspen Seminar on Leadership.
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