65: Amir Rahnamay-Azar on Collaborative Leadership at Carnegie Mellon

Dr. Amir Rahnamay-Azar, Vice President & CFO, Carnegie Mellon University

Seasoned business officer Amir Rahnamay-Azar joins us on the show this week to share his leadership practices as a new member of the Carnegie Mellon University leadership team. Just celebrating his 1-year anniversary, Amir has developed a strategic plan for his division, illuminating the objectives shared by the institution and how his operation contributes to achieving them. His process for encouraging buy-in and developing a collaborative leadership relationship with the provost is a true highlight of his work, and we encourage you to listen in as Howard Teibel and Pete Wright learn how Amir is shepherding the entrepreneurial into his administrative office. 

About Dr. Amir Rahnamay-Azar
Amir Rahnamay-Azar is the Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer at Carnegie Mellon University. Prior to serving as CFO, Dr. Rahnamay-Azar was Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance at the Georgia Institute of Technology.  In his role at Georgia Tech, Dr. Rahnamay-Azar managed a wide range of functions, such as the institute’s overall budget, capital planning and space management, institutional research and planning, organizational development, sustainability, real estate development, and financial services. From 1999 to 2010, Amir was at USC and rose through the ranks from Staff Associate and Associate Director of Operations in the Office of Budget and Planning, to Associate Senior Vice President for Operations in the Office of the Senior Vice President for Administration. Amir earned his Ed.D. in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania, and his MBA and bachelor’s degree in business administration from the California State University, Sacramento.