Brian Lorigan Joins Baldwin as New CFO

After an extensive national search, we are delighted to announce the appointment of Brian Lorigan as the new Chief Financial Officer at The Baldwin School. Brian's profound commitment to community, as evidenced by his extensive experience and successful track record of financial leadership in higher education, aligns perfectly with our school's values. His appointment is a testament to our commitment to fostering a community-centric environment at Baldwin.

Currently, Brian leads the Office of Budget, Planning and Financial Analysis at Drexel University, where he serves as the right hand to the CFO, managing intricate financial matters and operational challenges with an annual budget of approximately $1 billion. His role involves close collaboration with university leaders to ensure alignment of financial and operational plans with Drexel's mission and strategy. Brian has served on the President’s strategic planning committee and engages with various departments, including campus planning, facilities services, institutional research and more, to manage capital and operational needs effectively. In addition, he advises all administrative operations of the university, including Human Resources, Institutional Technology, Enrollment Management, Facilities, Public Safety, Risk Management and Community Relations, among others.

During his tenure, Brian forged strong partnerships between the academic and administrative sectors. He is a standing non-voting member of the Faculty Budget, Planning and Development Committee and the Drexel College of Medicine Faculty Finance Committee. Additionally, he co-founded and co-chairs the Responsibility Center Management (RCM) Governance Committee, overseeing the university's resource allocation model. One of Brian’s significant achievements at Drexel was revamping the RCM model to reflect strategic priorities and implementing a transparent, data-driven methodology that earned the trust and reliance of the Provost for resource allocation. 

Before joining Drexel, Brian served as Assistant Director of Finance at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), where he played a pivotal role in establishing the financial planning operations of this new campus. This included developing a 10-year financial plan and policies balancing the needs of the NYUAD community with the expectations of the UAE government and NYU leadership.

Brian’s management style emphasizes teaching, coaching and empowering team members, and his approach has fostered a department culture of trusted advisors throughout the university. He is known for his high ethical standards and exceptional communication skills. A colleague of his remarked, “No one is willing to get down in the weeds and learn how this place works more than Brian.” This dedication to understanding and improving his environment was clear throughout our interview process and reflects Brian’s passion for building and being part of a community.  

With a wide range of experiences from institutions large and small, both within and outside education, Brian is well-prepared to lead in this role at Baldwin. I am extremely grateful to our search committee, including members of the Finance Committee of our Board of Trustees and our Senior Leadership Team, for their time, engagement and sage guidance throughout this process. We are excited to welcome Brian to Baldwin and look forward to the exceptional contributions he will bring to our community!