Laura Syer, associate dean of finance and administration in the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, has been named vice president for budget and planning, effective Aug. 1. Her appointment was approved May 28 by the Executive Committee of the Cornell Board of Trustees.

Syer succeeds Paul Streeter, MBA ’95, who previously announced plans to retire this summer.

“Laura brings a wealth of experience to her new role as vice president for budget and planning,” Provost Michael I. Kotlikoff said. “She played a key role in the financial and administrative stewardship of the SC Johnson College of Business, from its successful launch through the challenges posed by the pandemic. She has the knowledge and institutional insight to help us ensure the university’s financial health.”

Syer has served as associate dean of finance and administration in the SC Johnson College since its launch in 2016.

She led administrative services for finance, budgeting, human resources and IT across the college, which has more than 700 employees and a roughly $300 million budget. She oversaw the integration of the three schools’ finance and human resource organizations, developed financial reporting for one allocated budget with endowed and state resources, restructured human resource and finance school-based groups into single college teams, and supported the centralization of more than 15 units within the college.

Prior to that, she worked as associate dean of administration as well as executive director of finance and business intelligence in the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management, and manager of decision support and project director in the Division of Budget and Planning.

“We are fortunate to have Laura join our senior leadership team to support and strengthen the strategic planning and innovation for both operating and capital budgeting and planning at Cornell,” said Joanne DeStefano, vice president for finance and chief financial officer. “She will be an essential partner in allocating resources to meet Cornell’s institutional priorities and academic programming and needs.”

As vice president for budget and planning, Syer will be responsible for managing the university’s resources and leading the annual budgeting process of the Ithaca-based campuses, in addition to engaging with the Weill Cornell Medical College on budgetary and planning matters. She will also lead institutional research and planning as well as university-wide space and capital planning efforts.

“I began my career at Cornell almost 10 years ago in the Division of Budget and Planning, and I am eager to return to help advance the work in budget, planning and data and information dissemination for strategic planning efforts across the university,” Syer said. “It will be a privilege to work with Executive VP and CFO Joanne DeStefano and Provost Kotlikoff, both of whom I have professionally respected and appreciated throughout my time at Cornell.

“Coming from a strong group of university college officer peers, I recognize the important role Paul Streeter developed over the last several years as a trusted partner between central administration and the academic units,” Syer said. “I look forward to continuing to strengthen the bond Paul cultivated in support of the university’s teaching and research mission.”

Syer received a bachelor’s degree in health and human services with a minor in business from Ohio University in 2000; a master’s degree in sport administration from Canisius College in 2002; an MBA from Quinnipiac University in 2006; and an executive master’s degree of consulting and coaching for change from INSEAD International Business School in Fontainebleau, France in 2020. Before coming to Cornell in 2012, Syer was a financial analyst and manager of international finance for ESPN, Inc.