Mark N. Amiri, formerly vice president for finance and chief investment officer at Baylor Scott and White Health in Dallas, has been appointed associate vice chancellor for finance and treasurer at Washington University in St. Louis, effective Aug. 1, according to Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton.
Amiri succeeds Amy B. Kweskin, who was promoted Jan. 1 to vice chancellor for finance and chief financial officer.
In his new role, Amiri will be responsible for safeguarding and effectively stewarding the university’s financial resources, and also will manage the offices of Treasury Management, Insurance and Risk Management, and Student and Parent Loan Programs.
“Mark Amiri is well-qualified and brings the right kind of experience and financial savvy to the position,” Wrighton said. “We are pleased to have him joining our leadership team and I have no doubt he will shepherd the university’s resources wisely and responsibly.”
In his most recent position, Amiri was responsible for oversight of $5 billion of investible assets of the Baylor Scott and White Health System, the largest not-for-profit health care system in Texas and one of the largest in the United States. He also oversaw the entire cash management operation of the health system, worked closely with the chief debt officer to execute tax-exempt and taxable bond transactions, and collaborated with the chief financial officer and finance and investment committee to set key financial goals and objectives.
“After conducting a national search to fill this role, we have found an experienced and well respected financial professional in Mark Amiri,” Kweskin said. “I look forward to him joining the financial services team and continuing our long history of careful management of the university’s resources. He will be an important partner and a great asset to our organization.
“I also would like to thank the search committee, which joined me in working to identify a strong bank of candidates for this important position. I am grateful for their efforts and could not be more pleased with the result of our collective work.”
Amiri, who was honored in 2015 as the Innovative Healthcare CIO of the year by Asset International CIO magazine, previously served as vice president and treasurer at Baylor Health Care System, also in Dallas. He also worked for St. Louis-based Ascension Health (formerly Daughters of Charity National Health System) for nearly 30 years, helping to lead the debt team that facilitated the $2.3-billion debt transaction that formed Ascension Health.
A certified public accountant, Amiri earned his MBA from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.