Cal Poly CBO Cindy Villa melds fun and hard work to evolving role of financial leadership

Cal Poly Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance Cindy Villa is new to the university but not to the role. Her recent transition to CalPoly after 28 years at another institution affords her a unique perspective on administrative leadership and change. "Our role over the years has evolved. A CBO now has to be far more entrepreneurial — you have to be creative and willing to take risks." This week on CBO Speaks, Villa highlights the change in the role of the CBO, the industry, and how to grapple with diversifying revenue streams and increasing efficiency within the traditional model of higher education while adapting to creative solutions and new models to address new student markets.