MCW Names Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration and Chief Operating Officer

Milwaukee, August 4, 2022 – The Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) announced the appointment of Matthew Lester, MBA, MHA, CPA, as Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration, and Chief Operating Officer at MCW, effective August 1, 2022. Lester succeeds Christopher P. Kops, CPA, MBA, who retired on July 31, 2022, after more than six years at MCW.

Prior to MCW, Lester served as Vice Dean, Finance and Administration, at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine (Cleveland, Ohio) – a position he held since joining the institution in 2016. He also served as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the School’s Division of General Medical Sciences.

“After conducting a comprehensive nationwide search, we are so pleased to welcome Matthew as he fills this important leadership role at MCW,” said Dr. John Raymond, President and CEO of MCW. “Matthew brings extensive expertise to the table and represents an exciting next step into the future at MCW.”

In his role, Lester serves as the principal administrative officer of MCW and a member of the senior leadership team. He is responsible for the financial functions of the institution, as well as the planning, organizing, evaluating and monitoring of all administrative and facilities functions, including strategic financial and administrative planning, budget development and implementation, policy formulation and facilities.

Additionally, Lester has oversight of facilities, central purchasing, information services and other institutional functions as required to support MCW’s missions. He serves as a strategic partner and confidant to leadership and internal stakeholders, develops trusted relationships with clinical affiliates, and is a strong internal and external advocate by working to elevate MCW locally, statewide and nationally to help position the institution for further growth and even greater levels of success.

From 2006-2013, Matthew was Managing Director, Higher Education/Life Science Practice for Huron Consulting Group, LLC. In that position, he led business planning, financial planning and operational improvement engagements for clients across the US, served as strategic advisor and implementation leader for research expansion across large health systems and academic medical centers, advised university and health system CFOs on departmental financial turn-around projects involving improved budgeting/financial management, operational efficiency and restructuring to enhance performance, and led strategic planning engagements. Matthew served as Manager, Healthcare Advisory Practice for PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP, from 1999-2006.