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December 9, 2024
Amanda Distel was named Northwestern’s vice president and treasurer, effective June 5. This appointment recognizes her longstanding work with the Board of Trustees and executive leadership in support of the University’s financial planning.
Distel also has become interim chief financial officer. In this role, she oversees the central Budget and Planning office and Human Resources. She also will continue to lead her current Financial Operations portfolio.
“Mandy Distel has been a critical partner as we have plotted our financial path forward,” Northwestern President Michael Schill said. “I am delighted to announce this well-deserved appointment.”
Most recently, Distel had served as senior associate vice president for finance and treasurer for Northwestern since 2019. In this role, she led a team of 100 staff in the University’s Financial Operations, comprised of accounting, research finance, tax, treasury and student finance.
She has worked closely with trustees, Budget and Planning, Investments, schools and units, and other internal and external partners with oversight of the University’s annual financial report and the related audit. Distel is also a member of the University’s Resource Planning Workgroup and supports the annual and long-range financial planning processes.
“I look forward to working closely with President Schill and my colleagues to steward our financial resources as we serve our students, faculty and staff,” Distel said. “Our ambitious plans paired with solid financial planning will help Northwestern continue to achieve our priorities and goals.”
Additionally, Distel oversees the University’s treasury program, including managing the debt portfolio, banking partnerships and the University’s credit ratings with Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s.
Distel was senior director of finance for Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine from 2013 to 2019, where she led a team accountable for school-wide financial administration. She has also held finance roles at the University of Chicago and began her higher education career in Northwestern’s Office of Budget and Planning. Distel earned her Bachelor of Science degree in economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
