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Margo Steurbaut Retirement

February 11, 2021
Office of the President

To: The Campus Community
From: Thomas F. Rosenbaum, Sonja and William Davidow Presidential Chair and Professor of Physics
Date: February 11, 2021
Re: Margo Steurbaut Retirement

Margo Steurbaut, who has served Caltech with imagination and dedication since 2016, has announced that she will retire in August. In the redefined role of vice president for administration and chief financial officer, Margo has applied daunting energy and expertise to administrative functions that cut across the Institute: budget and finance, accounting, procurement, debt, new buildings, laboratory construction and renovations, campus facilities, human resources, research administration, benefits management, academic and administrative computing, audit, security, and the Athenaeum.

I have appointed a joint trustee, faculty, and staff search committee to recommend a successor. The committee, chaired by Vice President for Strategy and Implementation Diana Jergovic, includes Trustees Timothy Sloan (Chair, Investment Committee) and Suzanne Woolsey (Chair, Business and Finance Committee); Professors Dennis Dougherty (Chair, CCE) and Ares Rosakis (EAS); and staff colleagues Leon Alkalai (JPL), Aleen Boladian (GPS), and Cathy Light (Secretary to the Board of Trustees). Hillary Downs will staff the committee.

When she joined the Institute, Margo brought more than 20 years of experience in business, finance, and operations within higher education. During her five years at Caltech, Margo has introduced innovative solutions to long-standing challenges, demonstrating a steadfast commitment to the success of the professional staff directly responsible for the functions in her portfolio. She served as an advisor to the president and two provosts, staffed three Board of Trustee committees, chaired or served on more than one dozen campus committees, and engaged with professional organizations across the country to represent Caltech and to contribute to the professional development of others in her field. Margo is a frequently invited guest speaker at the USC Marshall School of Business, where she is an alumna.

There will be an opportunity, later in the year, to celebrate Margo's service to Caltech. For the moment, please join me in congratulating Margo on her retirement and wishing her well as she transitions to the next chapter of her life.