Executive Sponsor Group

Last updated: April 15, 2024
Audience: All UW

Note: The ESG held its final meeting in March 2024. As of April 2024, the responsibility for executive oversight of this domain has transitioned to the I&T Executive Committee.

Purpose & Responsibilities

The Executive Sponsor Group provides executive-level direction, strategic alignment and investment for major changes in the domain and for this governance model.

Members are responsible for:

  • Strategic Alignment
    • Align high level plans and major changes in the domain with institutional strategic goals.
    • Ensure the success of the Workday ecosystem, consistent with the UW’s transformation goals in UW Finance Transformation and HR/Payroll Modernization.
    • Identify and prioritize changes in UW business processes, policies and organizations needed to meet institutional goals for the domain.
    • Identify and prioritize institutional risks that need to be addressed in this domain.
  • Direction
    • Prioritize major changes in the domain and resolve prioritization questions escalated from other levels of governance.
    • Provide other levels of governance with clear institutional priorities to guide their more detailed prioritization.
    • Identify and scope new programs.
  • Investment
    • When necessary, seek out appropriate levels of additional funding for work in this domain.
    • When needed, “pre-approve” urgent work that needs additional funding before that funding has been fully secured.
  • Governance
    • Provide executive sponsorship for the HR & Finance Workday Governance structure.
    • Ensure that the governance model is planned, resourced and reassessed over time.
    • Periodically review this governance model and plan improvements.
    • Among the participating units, plan the staffing of governance supporting functions.

Membership

  • Chair: Margaret Shepherd, Chief of Staff, Office of the President
  • Andreas Bohman, Vice President for Information Technology and CIO, UW-IT
  • Jacqueline Cabe, Chief Financial Officer, UW Medicine
  • Sarah Norris Hall, Senior Vice President and CFO
  • Mindy Kornberg, Vice President, UW Human Resources
  • Fredrick Nafukho, Vice Provost for Academic Personnel, Office of Academic Personnel
  • Eric Neil, Chief Information Officer, UW Medicine
  • Mari Ostendorf, Vice Provost, Office of Research

With participation from Strategic Alignment support team, guests and presenters as invited.

Meetings

The Executive Sponsor Group meets monthly, with more frequent meetings as needed during periods of high activity.

2023

2024