Richard P. Melnick profile photo

Richard P. Melnick

Chief Financial Officer

    Bio

    Rick joined HBS in 1992 and has been the Chief Financial Officer since 2003. He has overall responsibility for the School’s $1 billion operating budget that includes the MBA, Doctoral and Executive Education programs as well as HBS Online and the separately incorporated Harvard Business Publishing entity. Rick works directly with the HBS Dean on strategic financial planning including multi-year financial planning, capital budgeting and reserve and endowment forecasting. He manages a staff of 15 including the HBS Controller/Risk Officer and the Director of Financial Planning and Analysis. Rick helps to monitor and manage the finances and compliance issues for the School’s global offices. He is on the audit committee for Harvard Business Publishing.

    Rick is also involved in university-wide financial governance. He is on the IT Capital Review Board (chaired by the University CIO) that evaluates the business, technical and financial case for major university administrative technology investments. He sits on several Executive Committees that manage the implementation of university financial systems. Rick has twice served on the university team for contract negotiations with the 5,000 member Harvard University Clerical and Technical Worker’s union.

    Rick is a member of the Board of Trustees of Minerva University and is a Past President of the Boston Chapter of Financial Executives International. Rick attended Yale College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree cum laude in economics and has an MBA from the Harvard Business School. He lives in Lexington with his wife and has three adult children.