Jerry Strawser Named Texas A&M VP For Finance And Administration

Dr. Jerry Strawser, who currently serves as dean of Texas A&M’s Mays Business School, has been named the university’s new vice president for finance and administration and chief financial officer (CFO).

Strawser’s appointment, effective immediately, was approved Wednesday (Sept. 3) by The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents upon the recommendation of Interim University President Mark Hussey.

“In addition to Dr. Strawser’s vast experience in academics, he brings a strong financial and business understanding to his role as vice president for finance and administration and CFO,” Hussey said in announcing the appointment to faculty, staff and students. “In this role he will be able to provide management oversight for financial, human resources, and operational services in support of the academic, research, and service mission of Texas A&M University.”

Strawser, who has headed Texas A&M’s business school since 2001, also holds the endowed KPMG Chair in Accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant. He served as the university’s interim executive vice president and provost from June 2007 through August 2008.

He holds three degrees from Texas A&M: a BBA earned in 1983, master’s in 1984 and a Ph.D. in 1985–all in accounting.

Since being appointed dean of Mays Business School, Strawser has helped raise more than $100 million commitments for faculty, student, and program support, including support for named chairs, professorships, faculty fellowships and graduate student fellowships. During his tenure as dean, Mays has received national recognition among the top 10 public institutions based on the quality of the undergraduate programs, MBA programs, and faculty scholarship.

Strawser has co-authored three textbooks and more than 60 journal articles. He has also presented more than 30 papers at national academic conferences. In addition to his academic experience, Professor Strawser had prior public accounting experience at two international accounting firms. He has also developed and delivered numerous executive development programs to organizations such as AT&T, Centerpoint Energy, Chinese Petroleum, Continental Airlines, ConocoPhillips, Halliburton, KBR, KPMG, Minute Maid, PricewaterhouseCoopers, McDermott International, Shell and Southwest Bank of Texas (now Amegy Bank).

Prior to joining the Texas A&M administration and faculty, Strawser served as interim dean of the C.T. Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston and was the Arthur Andersen & Co. Alumni Professor of Accounting. He began his professorial career at Louisiana State University.

In his new position, Strawser succeeds B. J. Crain, who has accepted another position within the university, that of special assistant to the dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.