Ritu Kalra is an accomplished Indian-American financial management expert who has been appointed as Harvard University’s vice president for finance and chief financial officer.
She currently holds the position of assistant vice president of finance and treasury and special projects adviser at Harvard.
As the VP Finance and CFO, starting in July, Kalra will have comprehensive oversight of financial management at Harvard, including long-range planning, budgeting, endowment fund spending policy, treasury, and financial reporting.
Leading multiple financial departments, Kalra will manage a dedicated workforce of over 200 professionals.
With her background in investment banking and treasury management, Kalra will play a crucial role in forecasting debt and liquidity needs, managing cash operations, and making strategic investment decisions for the university.
Since joining Harvard in 2020, Kalra has demonstrated exceptional leadership and provided valuable advice on various financial matters and university priorities.
Prior to Harvard, she had a successful 18-year tenure at Goldman Sachs, where she held progressive roles and served as head of public sector and infrastructure finance.
Kalra has a proven track record of providing strategic advisory services to both public and private sector entities, including designing innovative financing strategies to address climate-related risks and manage the impact of disasters.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, graduating summa cum laude, and a master’s degree in journalism from New York University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, with a focus on business and economic reporting.