Cas Holloway Appointed Chief Operating Officer

Dear fellow members of the Columbia community:

I am delighted to share that I have appointed Cas Holloway as Columbia’s Chief Operating Officer. He will begin on February 5, 2024. As COO, Cas will serve as a member of the University Leadership Team and will provide strategic oversight in key administrative areas including Facilities and Operations, Human Resources, Columbia University Information Technology, Columbia Health, and Columbia Technology Ventures.

Cas joins the Columbia community after a distinguished career as a public servant, business leader, and entrepreneur. After receiving his degree from Harvard, Cas started his career at the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. He went on to graduate from the University of Chicago Law School, clerk for a federal judge, and work as a litigator for two New York law firms. In 2006, he joined the administration of Mayor Michael Bloomberg as Chief of Staff to the Deputy Mayor for Operations, where he led efforts to secure federal funding to address the health effects of 9/11. He then became Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection, responsible for management of the City’s vast network of water and sewer infrastructure, including a $19 billion capital program.

In 2011, Cas was appointed Deputy Mayor for Operations, overseeing 11 mayoral agencies and offices, including the Departments of Sanitation, Buildings, and Environmental Protection; Citywide Administrative Services; Labor Relations and Contracts; and the Mayor’s sustainability agenda, PlaNYC. He also assisted in the management of the FDNY, the Office of Emergency Management, and the Office of Management and Budget. As Deputy Mayor, Cas consistently took on challenges that required agencies to think and operate differently, including an overhaul of the 9-1-1 emergency response system; restructuring of the administration of technology projects; development of a plan to double the City’s recycling rate; and consolidation of the City’s fleet operations. He also oversaw the City’s response to Hurricane Sandy, including the rebuilding of homes and neighborhoods most affected by the storm, and the development of a long-term citywide resilience strategy.

From 2014 to 2019, Cas worked at Bloomberg LP, where he served as Deputy COO and Global Head of Technical Operations, managing customer support for the Bloomberg Terminal, global network operations, electronic trading operations, and IT infrastructure and support for the firm’s employees. In this role Cas focused on improving every aspect of the customer and employee experience, from the resolution of technical issues to the resiliency of the firm’s global network and electronic trading operations.

Following Bloomberg, Cas had leadership roles at New York-based start-up companies Unqork and Shiftsmart, where he worked to bring new technologies to the public sector, including applications to assist New York and other cities in the distribution of COVID-related relief.  Most recently, Cas has served as a consultant to early-stage technology companies on their public sector strategies and advised organizations on a wide array of local, state, and federal issues.

As we welcome Cas to our community, I express my deep thanks to everyone in these essential functional areas that Cas will oversee. I am especially grateful to Anne Sullivan, our esteemed Chief Financial Officer, for her strategic leadership and for fostering a transformative era for Columbia University Information Technology since 2015. I have asked Anne to undertake additional responsibilities for finance that will benefit from her capabilities and acumen. Of special note, I am, and will remain, deeply indebted to the leadership and wisdom of Senior Executive Vice President Gerald Rosberg, who has been a trusted advisor and friend to so many since his joining Columbia in 2016. Gerry has generously agreed to help facilitate a smooth transition.

Please join me in congratulating Cas on this appointment and in welcoming him to Columbia.

Sincerely,

Minouche Shafik
President, Columbia University in the City of New York