Wellesley College Appoints Ben Hammond as Vice President for Finance & Administration

May 24, 2013

WELLESLEY, Mass.—H. Kim Bottomly, President of Wellesley College, today announced the appointment of Ben C. Hammond as the new Vice President for Finance and Administration at Wellesley, succeeding Andrew B. Evans who will retire on June 30.

“I am delighted that Ben Hammond will be joining us at Wellesley,” said President H. Kim Bottomly. “We are fortunate to be gaining a person who is known for his financial, strategic, and operational leadership. He brings an important perspective to Wellesley, and will be an important voice at the College. I very much look forward to working with him.”

As Wellesley’s chief financial officer, Hammond will provide strategic and operational leadership for the College’s finances, administration, and operations, and he will partner with President Bottomly, Provost Andrew Shennan, and other senior leaders to support the overall mission of the College. In addition to finance, Hammond will also oversee key operational and administrative areas, including human resources, facilities, public safety/campus police, and auxiliary and administrative services.

Hammond is currently the Vice President for Finance and Administration and Treasurer at Mount Holyoke College. He comes to Wellesley following a national search that yielded a strong pool of candidates for this senior leadership position. He will begin on July 1.

"Wellesley’s mission of providing an excellent liberal arts education for women who will make a difference in the world is more vital than ever,” said Hammond. “I am delighted to be joining the Wellesley College community, and look forward to working with President Bottomly, Provost Shennan, and every member of this campus to further strengthen the College. Even as we face an uncertain future and new challenges, we must find ways to better support excellence in teaching, scholarship, and the education of women leaders."

Since 2011, Hammond has served as Mt. Holyoke’s chief financial officer, responsible for financial, strategic, and operational leadership, overseeing the offices of Budget and Treasury Management, Comptroller, Facilities, Human Resources, Campus Police, Auxiliary Services, Environmental Health and Safety, and Risk Management. He also oversaw the College’s real estate holdings. From 2002 to 2011, he held senior positions at Princeton University, first as Director of Planning and Administration and then, from 2007 to 2011, as Executive Director of Finance and Administrative Services for Facilities, where he helped develop and manage the University’s $2.5 billion capital plan. Prior to Princeton, Hammond did volunteer work in The Gambia, West Africa, where he worked with Gambia Technical Training Institute on planning and resource allocation. Previously he worked as a management consultant, most recently with McKinsey and Company in London.

Hammond was raised in Exeter, New Hampshire. He received a bachelor's degree in history and literature from Harvard College, magna cum laude, and a master’s in business administration from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. He is married to Kate Holdsworth Hammond, associate director of the Center for Women & Financial Independence at Smith College. Together they have two young daughters.

About Wellesley College
Since 1875, Wellesley College has been the preeminent liberal arts college for women. Known for its intellectual rigor and its remarkable track record for the cultivation of women leaders in every arena, Wellesley—only 12 miles from Boston—is home to some 2300 undergraduates from every state and 75 countries.

Press Contacts:
Sofiya Cabalquinto, Director of Media Relations, Wellesley College, 781.283.3321, scabalqu@wellesley.edu

Anne Yu, Assistant Director of Media Relations, Wellesley College, 781.283.3201, ayu@wellesley.edu

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