The university announced today that Executive Vice President of Operations Dave Lawlor has resigned his position at Marquette to join Gen 3 Capital. President Michael R. Lovell has appointed Joel Pogodzinski, formerly chief financial officer, to the role of senior vice president and chief operating officer, which will be effective immediately and will be a permanent position reporting directly to the president.
“On behalf of the Board of Trustees and the entire Marquette community, I want to thank Dave for his leadership and many contributions to the university,” said Marquette President Michael R. Lovell. “Since joining Marquette nearly two years ago, Dave has made a significant impact. Most notably, he helped close a 10-year partnership with Wintrust Financial Corp., which includes a substantial gift to scholarship aid and athletic sponsorships.”
Lawlor was a key architect behind acquiring The Marq apartment complex through a lease and revenue sharing arrangement, which allowed the university to expand housing options for students. He put decades of experience in operational best practices to use by increasing efficiencies and operationalizing the university’s strategic plan, Beyond Boundaries, and brought a more business-minded rigor and analysis to university operations.
The following units will report to Pogodzinski in his new role: Planning and Facilities Management, Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology Services, Marquette University Police Department, and the Office of Marketing and Communication. University Advancement will continue to report to President Lovell, with Advancement Operations having a dual reporting relationship to Pogodzinski. Moving forward, the Office of the General Counsel and the Office of Public Affairs will report to the president.
“Joel has decades of experience as a senior leader in complex organizations, and I know he will serve Marquette well,” Lovell said. “His strong relationships within the university and his knowledge of our strategic priorities will ensure we continue our momentum and deliver on our vision of being among the most innovative and accomplished Catholic, Jesuit universities in the world.”
A 1994 graduate of the Marquette College of Business Administration, Pogodzinski joined Marquette in 2017. He previously served as vice president of finance and chief financial officer at Broan-NuTone LLC in Hartford, Wisconsin. There, he was the key leader in developing and implementing the global residential ventilation products manufacturer’s five-year strategic plan. Prior to that, Pogodzinski worked for Milwaukee-based construction and mining equipment manufacturer Caterpillar Inc., where he began his career in 1994 when it was then Bucyrus. He served in a variety of leadership roles including controller, controller — surface mining product group and director of accounting.
Pogodzinski graduated from Marquette University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. He was a member of the 1993–94 Marquette men’s basketball team, which reached the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament.