From friends and classmates to professors and advisors, there are a lot of people to keep track of at UM. Here are some of the names and faces of UM leadership you should know.
Joe Echevarria, Chief Executive Officer and Acting President
Following the announcement of former UM President Julio Frenk stepping down to become chancellor of the University of California, Los Angeles, current UM CEO Echevarria also became UM’s acting president.
Although Echevarria has additional responsibilities as acting president, he has been a ’Cane for many years, earning a bachelor’s degree from the Miami Herbert Business School in 1978. He was previously on the Board of Trustees and served as the senior advisor and CEO of the UM Health System. Echevarria was named the CEO of UM in 2022.
Before returning to UM, Echevarria worked for Deloitte LLP, an international company that provides financial services. He performed various roles during his 36 years with the company, including CEO.
In addition to his roles at UM, Echevarria is on the Board of Directors for New York Mellon, Pfizer and Unum Insurance.
Manuel Kadre, Chair of the Board of Trustees
Kadre was promoted from vice chair to chair of the UM Board of Trustees in May of this year. He has served as a board member since 2004 and began his time as vice chair in June 2021.
Kadre replaced Laurie Silvers, who was the chair for 3 years prior. She remains on the board as the chair of the Talent and Compensation subcommittee and the liaison to the faculty senate.
Kadre is also the CEO and chairman of MBB Auto Group and is the shareholder and senior executive of companies in various industries.
In his new role, Kadre is most interested in upholding and expanding UM’s high regard.
“The University has one of the great reputations and brand names anywhere in the world,” Kadre said to News@theU. “From a priority standpoint, it’s about having the U continue to be represented with such prestige.”
Wayne Chaplin and William L. Morrison, Vice Chairs of the Board of Trustees
Chaplin, the current president and CEO of Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, and Morrison, former executive at Northern Trust Corporation, have taken over as the vice chairs of the Board of Trustees as of May. The two replaced Kadre and Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., the president and CEO of the Society of Human Resource Management.
Chaplin attended UM as both an undergraduate and law school student and credits the UM School of Law with making him a more confident public speaker and person.
Morrison graduated from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and was previously the chair of the UM Board of Trustees Investments Committee.
Paul Pavlou, Dean of the Miami Herbert Business School
Pavlou, the former dean and Cullen Distinguished Chair Professor in the University of Houston C. T. Bauer College of Business, was named the Dean of the Miami Herbert Business School in April and officially started in his position last month.
His appointment comes after former dean John Quelch stepped down from the position at the end of 2022. Ann Olazábal, the interim dean who took Quelch’s place, is the new department head of the Business Law Department.
Pavlou attended Rice University as an undergraduate and University of Southern California as a graduate and Ph.D. student. He earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in electrical engineering and a Ph.D. in information systems. Pavlou is passionate about students receiving a multidisciplinary education, as business is closely related to many industries.
“The world of business has become so interdisciplinary, and business today transcends so many fields, from health care to engineering to the sciences and the arts. We need to develop our students as true business leaders that have a true multidisciplinary perspective,” said Pavlou to News@theU.
While at Houston, Pavlou helped to build connections between the school and companies and helped the College of Business have nearly 100% of its graduates go onto high-paying jobs. Pavlou is hoping to see similar success at UM.
Hudson Santos, Dean of the School of Nursing and Health Studies
After two years as a UM professor, Santos was named the new dean of the School of Nursing and Health Studies this past May. He has previously been the interim associate dean of the Graduate School and the acting director of the Ph.D. in Nursing Science program.
Santos is replacing Cindy Munro who served as the dean of the SNHS for almost seven years.
Before coming to UM, Santos was a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing. He also worked at the Institute for Environmental Health Solutions at the Gillings School of Global Public Health as director of training and mentorship division.
Throughout his career, Santos has done research on how stressors and environmental factors can play a role in the health of mothers and their children and has contributed to over 100 publications.
“In Dean Santos, we have a proven leader whose prolific portfolio is matched only by his passion for guiding colleagues and students to excellence in research,” Frenk said to News@theU.
In his role as dean, Santos is hoping to strengthen the relationship between the SNHS, Jackson Health System and UHealth. He also aims to promote the school’s revolutionary academics and research.