The Business-Higher Education Forum Announces New Leadership ― Barbara R. Snyder to serve as chair and Roger W. Ferguson, Jr. to be vice chair

Washington, D.C. (June 11, 2013) — The Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF) inducted its new leadership for 2013-2014 during its summer member meeting. Barbara R. Snyder, president, Case Western Reserve University, will lead the organization as its new chair, and Roger W. Ferguson, Jr., president and CEO, TIAA-CREF, will serve as vice chair. Snyder succeeds Wes Bush, chairman, CEO, and president, Northrop Grumman Corporation, as BHEF chair.

“BHEF and our members are committed to collaborating to maximize BHEF’s impact on improving higher education outcomes,” stated BHEF CEO Brian Fitzgerald. “Wes’ leadership over the past two years has been influential in supporting us to develop an integrated strategy, the National Higher Education and Workforce Initiative to influence national policy and respond to regional workforce needs. Wes has personally encouraged other members to collaborate in their regions on their highest demand workforce areas. Following his example, BHEF members have launched over a dozen workforce projects. We are most grateful for his generosity of time, resources, and good humor.”

Snyder added, “I echo Brian’s sentiment. Wes has led BHEF through a time of remarkable transition and focus, squarely positioning BHEF member efforts within the Initiative as the organization’s signature product. These regional workforce projects form vital national networks in common fields and enable higher education and business to work together on a new level. Wes has made a great organization even better. I thank him for his enduring commitment, and look forward to continuing the tradition of advancing innovation and creating solutions for America’s graduates and workforce.”

“It’s an exciting time to be part of BHEF,” declared Ferguson. “The organization’s groundbreaking model of strategic business engagement is providing evidence-based solutions to our nation’s critical workforce challenges. As with all our chairs, Wes created a tremendous legacy of leadership, and I look forward to working with Barbara to continue that rich tradition.”

About Barbara R. Snyder

Barbara R. Snyder became president of Case Western Reserve University on July 1, 2007. A professor who began her academic career as a faculty member at our School of Law, she returned to campus committed to increasing academic excellence, enhancing faculty collaboration, and improving alumni engagement.

During her tenure, the university has set all-time records for annual fundraising and total donors, doubled the number of undergraduate applicants, and significantly strengthened the academic qualifications of entering students. In 2011 the university launched Forward Thinking, the university's $1 billion capital campaign, with more than 60 percent of the goal raised during the quiet phase.

Snyder assumed the Case Western Reserve presidency after serving as Executive Vice President and Provost of The Ohio State University, and as Professor of Law at the Moritz College of Law for 19 years. She graduated from the University of Chicago Law School, where she served as executive editor of its law review, and earned her bachelor's degree from Ohio State.

Snyder is an executive committee member of the Greater Cleveland Partnership and also sits on the Ohio Third Frontier Advisory Board.

Please visit www.case.edu for more information.

About Roger W. Ferguson, Jr.

Roger W. Ferguson, Jr., is President and Chief Executive Officer of TIAA-CREF, a national financial services organization.

Mr. Ferguson served as Vice Chairman of the Board of Governors of the U.S. Federal Reserve System. He was a voting member of the Federal Open Market Committee, served as Chairman of the Financial Stability Forum, and chaired Federal Reserve Board committees on banking supervision and regulation, payment system policy, and reserve bank oversight.

Prior to joining TIAA-CREF in April 2008, Mr. Ferguson was head of financial services for Swiss Re, Chairman of Swiss Re America Holding Corporation, and a member of the company’s executive committee. From 1984 to 1997, he was an Associate and Partner at McKinsey & Company. He began his career as an attorney at the New York City office of Davis Polk & Wardwell.

Mr. Ferguson is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences and a member of the Academy’s Commission on the Humanities and Social Sciences. He is a member of President Obama’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness and served on its predecessor, the Economic Recovery Advisory Board.

Mr. Ferguson is co-chair of the Committee on Economic Development, and he serves on the Board of Directors of International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. and Audax Health, as well as the boards of several nonprofit organizations, including the Institute for Advanced Study and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. He is a member of the Advisory Board of Brevan Howard Asset Management LLP and serves as co-chair of the National Academy of Sciences’ Committee on the Long-Run Macro-Economic Effects of the Aging U.S. Population. He is vice chairman of the Economic Club of New York and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Harvard University Visiting Committee for the Memorial Church, and the Group of Thirty.

Mr. Ferguson holds a B.A., J.D., and a Ph.D. in economics, all from Harvard University.

Please visit www.tiaa-cref.org for more information.