Alison Donnelly Joins Berklee as New Vice President of Finance

Donnelly comes with years of experience working in the private and nonprofit sectors and supporting community organizations. 

April 3, 2019

Alison Donnelly has joined Berklee College of Music as vice president of finance. She comes to Berklee with more than 25 years of financial management and leadership experience in both the private and nonprofit sectors.       

“I am very pleased that Alison has joined Berklee and our administration and finance team,” said Mac Hisey, chief financial officer and senior vice president of administration and finance. “Her success in the private and nonprofit sectors across a variety of finance functions provides her with a solid foundation for leading our finance function. We are very excited about the contributions she will make in ensuring Berklee’s financial strength, now and in the future.”

Previous to Berklee, Donnelly spent five years at Harvard University, where she was responsible for the finances of the Harvard Library and Harvard College Library, including long-term financial planning and forecasting, annual budgets, management reporting, and capital planning. She successfully balanced the Harvard College Library budget after a period of budget deficits, and helped drive effective utilization of more than 1,500 restricted funds. She also developed and executed a long-term financial plan to deploy the library’s resources to the highest strategic priorities.  

Her experience in the private sector includes serving as vice president of finance for Fidelity Life Insurance, which has more than $200 million in operating expenses. At Fidelity, Donnelly performed decision support analysis for all new product proposals and actively managed the overall business cost structure. Her experience includes the development of key performance indicators and monthly financial reporting.

Earlier in her career, she served in finance roles at General Electric and American Express. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from Colgate University and a Master of Business Administration degree from New York University. A member of the Cambridge Boat Club, Donnelly competed in Masters Worlds in 2001 and the Head of the Charles Regatta in multiple years.  

She has also served as a board member of the Lincoln School Foundation, a mentor for the Home for Little Wanderers, a workcamp volunteer with the Kenyan Volunteer Development Association, and a business volunteer for the Boston Arts and Business Council.

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