UCSB names new vice chancellor of finance and chief financial officer

After serving in the role on an interim basis, Kerry Bierman has been formally appointed as UC Santa Barbara's vice chancellor of finance and chief financial officer, effective July 1, 2026.

Vice Chancellor Bierman will oversee the offices of Budget and Planning, Strategic Asset Management, Business and Financial Services, and Audit and Advisory Services. She will work closely with campus leadership to advise on capital planning activities, budgetary and academic planning, and strategic initiatives to ensure the prudent stewardship of financial resources across UC Santa Barbara.

"Kerry brings to this role more than two decades of financial leadership experience across higher education, government, and the private sector, including nine years at UC Santa Barbara," Chancellor Dennis Assanis said in announcing the appointment. "She has a broad portfolio of financial management experience, a deep operational understanding of our university, and a strong commitment to the principles of transparency and shared governance. She will be a strategic leader and partner for our campus as we chart our path forward."

For the past year, Bierman served as interim vice chancellor and CFO, playing a key role in the implementation of the campus's Financial Management Modernization (FMM) project, a transformative initiative establishing a unified financial platform using Oracle. Working with senior administrative leaders and the Academic Senate, she led the creation of a budget transparency website to support campus goals of openness and accountability and explain our campus budget and the steps we are taking to ensure financial stability. In addition to working with departments and colleagues across our campus, Bierman has also worked closely with UC Office of the President and has a strong understanding of systemwide policies and processes.

"It's a real honor to step into this role as UC Santa Barbara's next Vice Chancellor of Finance and Chief Financial Officer," Bierman said. "Over the last year, I've been proud of what our team has accomplished through our financial management modernization initiative. At the same time, we have more work ahead of us, structural budget challenges that are tied to our reliance on state and federal funding, which will require creative thinking around revenue diversification and long-term resilience. I'm ready to continue that work, and am energized by the vision Chancellor Assanis is charting for this campus's future. I look forward to working closely with him and our broader campus community to turn our constraints into opportunities, strengthening UC Santa Barbara's long-term financial health."

Bierman previously served as senior associate vice chancellor in the Office of Budget and Planning, responsible for overseeing the monitoring, planning and forecasting of campus revenues and expenditures, and driving strategic financial planning, analysis and modeling for critical areas. Before that, she was a divisional CFO for UCSB's Design, Facility and Safety Services Division. She came to UCSB from the County of Santa Barbara, where she held roles as the CFO for the District Attorney's Office and for the Community Services Department. Before moving to Santa Barbara, Bierman was the Director of Budget and Financial Planning at Oregon Health & Science University.

About UC Santa Barbara

The University of California, Santa Barbara is a leading research institution that also provides a comprehensive liberal arts learning experience. Our academic community of faculty, students, and staff is characterized by a culture of interdisciplinary collaboration that is responsive to the needs of our multicultural and global society. All of this takes place within a living and learning environment like no other, as we draw inspiration from the beauty and resources of our extraordinary location at the edge of the Pacific Ocean.