Jack Callahan, a New Haven native, joined Yale in August 2016 as the inaugural Senior Vice President for Operations. In that capacity, he serves as the university’s Chief Operating Officer.
Jack lives in New Canaan, Connecticut with his wife April, and three children – Ryan (21), Kate (19), and Carey (17). Both Ryan and Kate attend the University of Notre Dame, and Carey is a rising senior at New Canaan High School. Given the variety of leadership roles that he held in the past, Jack admits that work-life balance has been a real challenge at times. Jack credits his remarkable wife, April, for carving out time for “family only events,” from going to dinner together to fun vacations, including a recent trip this summer to Germany.
Jack earned a B.A. at Yale in 1980 (as a member of Davenport College) and a M.B.A. from the Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth in 1986. He has held leadership positions at several major global organizations. Most recently, Mr. Callahan was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of S&P Global (formerly known as The McGraw-Hill Companies), in New York City where he led a highly successful multi-year transformation of the company.
At S&P Global, Jack was the Executive Sponsor for the Woman’s Initiative Network, the largest and oldest affinity group in the company. WINS had over 3,000 members across the globe in close to 30 locations. Examples of his contribution to WINS included recruiting (cajoling) several senior women who were not active to step up their contribution as important role models; proactively spending time with the local networks during International travels, especially where the senior management tended to be overly male and hierarchical like India; and speaking at the major events. Jack also hired and developed several executives who today are among the most senior diverse leaders in the company, including three who are on the S&P Global Operating Committee.
Jack already has some experience working on diversity at Yale as a member of the Yale University Council Committee on Workplace Diversity, 2005 – 2007. He is excited to become the Executive Sponsor for YAAA. YAAA provides Jack with another horizontal view across the University to learn more about each unit; but, also an opportunity to better understand the aspirations, needs and potential barriers facing YAAA members. As in his previous roles as an Executive Sponsor, Jack intends to devote time, listen a lot, and identify specific ways in which to make a difference.
Jack has his primary office on the 4th floor of 2 Whitney Avenue, and spends significant time at 25 Science Park. Be sure to say hi and introduce yourself if you have the opportunity.