CONTACT:
Jeanan Yasiri Moe
Director of Strategic Communications and Public Affairs
[email protected] | (608) 960-9892
MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation announces Lysa Thoeny as WARF’s new Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Thoeny will oversee the accounting and finance group along with the information technology group for WARF. She brings to her new role deep experience in leading nonprofit finances including a decade of experience with WARF.
“We’re delighted to promote Lysa to this senior role leading WARF’s finances,” says Erik Iverson, WARF’s Chief Executive Officer. “Lysa brings exceptional financial acumen combined with expert knowledge of our organization and our partnership with the University of Wisconsin and the Morgridge Institute.”
Since 2013 Thoeny has served WARF’s Finance team, most recently as Senior Director of Finance. She joined the organization as Controller and was promoted to Director of Finance and Accounting in 2019. Prior to her work at WARF Thoeny served as Controller of the YMCA of Dane County and as a Manager at McGladrey and Pullen LLP (now RSM US LLP).
“I am honored to join the executive team of WARF,” says Thoeny. “WARF’s nearly 100-year legacy of supporting the great research at UW-Madison and the Morgridge Institute for Research is recognized worldwide. It is my privilege to advance that mission.”
Thoeny succeeds John Gransee as CFO. Gransee announced his departure in September.
Thoeny received her bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance from UW-La Crosse in 1999.
About WARF
Incorporated as a nonprofit foundation in 1925, WARF has a founding purpose “to promote, encourage, and aid scientific investigation and research at and within the University of Wisconsin-Madison.” Over 98 years the foundation has funded more than $4.4 billion in cumulative research grants to UW-Madison and the Morgridge Institute for Research (adjusted for inflation), has been issued more than 4,200 patents (with 2,200 active patents), generates an additional 375 invention disclosures and 55 revenue-generating licenses each year, and has helped create 190 startup companies based on UW-Madison technologies. For more information, visit warf.org and watch a video about how WARF stewards the Cycle of Innovation.
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