Bentley University has named Maureen Forrester as vice president and chief financial officer / treasurer. Forrester has led a distinguished career of financial leadership in higher education and the corporate sector.

Forrester comes to Bentley after nine years as university controller at Harvard and 11 years in senior management positions at Staples, where she served as vice president of finance for the U.S. retail business unit, among other roles. Forrester began her career at professional services firm EY where she earned her CPA, serving last as a senior auditor, and later spent several years as a commercial bank lender.

At Bentley, Forrester will oversee all aspects of university finances, including strategic budgeting and financial planning, risk management, financial accounting and reporting, student financial services, treasury and debt management, and investment oversight. Her administrative responsibilities include university purchasing, the conference center, facilities management and campus sustainability efforts.

“Bentley’s strong financial position as a non-profit university is based on sound fiscal stewardship and a high-quality business education that is more relevant than ever for graduates in today’s professional climate,” said Forrester. “I’m excited to work with President Alison Davis-Blake to continue the financial oversight that has led to such a solid fiscal position.”

Moody’s Investors Service upgraded Bentley’s bond rating last year from A3 to A2, a sign of the university’s excellent finances, even as it downgraded its outlook for higher education as a whole from “stable” to “negative.”

Read About Moody’s Upgrade of Bentley’s Bond Rating

Forrester holds a bachelor of science degree in Accounting and Management from Babson College.