News

Resignation of CIO Sylvia Franke

Published: 25 August 2009

Dear Members of the McGill Community, I write to inform you that Ms. Sylvia Franke, McGill’s Chief Information Officer (CIO), has decided to leave the University effective 31 December 2009 in order to pursue new opportunities in higher education administration.

While Sylvia has covered the role of CIO at McGill for three years (2006-2009), she has been a valued colleague here for a much longer period of time. She was Registrar and Executive Director, Admissions, Recruitment and Registrar’s Office from 2002-2006. In addition, Ms. Franke was the Project Manager for the Banner Student Project from 2000-2002. Prior to that, she was the Project Manager for the implementation of the development and alumni relations system from 1996-1998.

Sylvia’s work on behalf of modernising McGill’s information technology and systems has been important to our community’s leadership position in Canada. She has been an active participant and indeed a leading figure in very important work over these years – making sure McGill has been at the frontlines of significant administrative change in many sectors on campus, from research and teaching support to student and administrative services.

As CIO Sylvia ensured that the work was done collaboratively across all IT units and in conjunction with partners from across our campuses. The ITS client base has expanded considerably under her watch and the scope of services and systems that are supported by ITS units has increased noticeably. I am especially proud of the way in which Sylvia introduced transparency in the way in which IT initiatives are prioritised and how McGill now defines ITS services and service levels. As the senior administrator to whom Sylvia reports as CIO, I must commend her on being so diligent in monitoring and communicating project progress to me and other executive sponsors.

Sylvia Franke has placed as much importance on addressing our stakeholders’ strategic goals as on the deployment of technology – and this has been much appreciated from all quarters of the McGill University community.

Over the next several months, Sylvia will continue to lead the IT Services management team and I expect it will be “business as usual”. I truly appreciate the fact that Sylvia has given me this much advance notice of her intentions. As I launch a search for her successor, I fully expect a smooth transition.

As Sylvia reflects on her new endeavours, I want her to know that she has really made a difference and that she will be missed. I trust that you will join me in thanking Sylvia Franke for making possible the progress we have experienced in our IST services and systems during her time as McGill Chief Information Officer.

With best regards,

 

Prof. Anthony C. Masi

Provost

 

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