Colleen O’Neill is set to be Penn’s next vice president for finance and treasurer, effective April 13.
In her new position, O’Neill — a 1998 College, 1999 Graduate School of Education, 2016 Fels Institute of Government, and 2018 Wharton MBA graduate — will serve as the principal leader of Penn’s financial assets and functions. Her appointment follows Mark Dingfield’s August 2025 departure from the role in order to serve as the University’s Executive Vice President.
“Colleen brings a unique blend of strategic vision, analytical rigor, and operational expertise,” Dingfield said in a Feb. 27 press release, adding that her leadership will help “steward resources responsibly and sustain our capacity to advance Penn’s priorities and ambitions.”
As vice president for finance and treasurer, she will oversee major aspects of the University’s financial resources — including the Comptroller’s Office, risk management, procurement services, finance and treasury, and student registration and financial services.
Since July 2023, O’Neill has overseen financial operations, facilities, capital projects, and human resources at The Wharton School in her role as chief operating and financial officer. During her tenure as the school’s COO and CFO, she led optimization efforts that created the largest operating margin in Wharton history.
“Colleen has been an invaluable strategic partner on all financial matters, deftly managing the School’s resources to enable us to make generational investments in faculty, students, and facilities that drive innovation and excellence,” Wharton Dean Erika James wrote in the press release. “It should come as no surprise to see a talented Wharton graduate guiding the fiscal priorities of one of the world’s most complex and influential institutions.”
O’Neill has overseen other operational initiatives at Wharton, such as the relocation of its San Francisco campus. She also helped launch Wharton’s first global hybrid degree program, which offered mostly online instruction for experienced MBA candidates.
Before her most recent role, O’Neill held several other leadership positions at Wharton, including executive director of Wharton Customer Analytics and the director of the Wharton Global Consulting Practicum. Earlier in her career, she worked as a vice president of operations at a private commodities business in Philadelphia and as an equity trader at Rorer Asset Management.
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“Philadelphia and Penn have shaped me in lasting ways, both professionally and personally,” O’Neill wrote. “I’m deeply grateful to be part of this community and honored to step into a role with even greater responsibility.”
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Staff reporter Mishal George covers University finances and can be reached at george@thedp.com. At Penn, she studies journalism and political science. Follow her on X @mishalgeorgee.
