From: Melanie Woodin, President
Date: November 19, 2025
Re: Appointment of Susan Christoffersen as Presidential Advisor on Innovation Investments

As the University of Toronto approaches its third century, I’ve called on Professor Susan Christoffersen to serve as Presidential Advisor on Innovation Investments. In this newly created role, Professor Christoffersen will apply her remarkable depth of scholarship and expertise to identify ways in which the University can strengthen our innovation ecosystem through building venture capital investment opportunities and establishing structures to support student-managed investment funds. Not only will these initiatives create more experiential learning opportunities and attract new potential revenues to the University, they will also aim to elevate the University’s position as a hub of economic growth and innovation for the country.

I am delighted that Professor Christoffersen has agreed to begin this important work as of January 1, 2026. As a result, she will complete her term as Dean of the Rotman School of Management on June 30, 2026, and will not seek a second term. Over the coming months, Professor Christoffersen will prioritize her focus on ensuring a smooth transition in leadership at the Rotman School and will fully transition to her new role once she completes her term as Dean. Details regarding a search for Professor Christoffersen’s successor as Dean will be forthcoming soon.

Professor Christoffersen has served as Dean of the Rotman School since July 2021, guiding the school out of the pandemic and into a period of dynamic transformation. Under her leadership, Rotman strengthened ties across the University, deepened engagement with business and alumni communities, elevated its global research profile, expanded executive education and advanced bold innovations in its academic portfolio. The recent launch of two new graduate programs—the One-Year MBA and the Master of Management—are examples of Rotman’s ongoing commitment to innovative, next-generation business education.

A longstanding advocate for student success and well-being, Professor Christoffersen previously served as Vice-Dean, Undergraduate & Specialized Programs, from 2015 to 2020. In that role, she launched three specialized programs and spearheaded the transformation of the Rotman Commerce program in collaboration with the Faculty of Arts & Science. With over a decade of dedicated leadership, she leaves a lasting impact on Rotman that will benefit future generations of students.

Professor Christoffersen is the William A. Downe BMO Chair in Finance. Her research focuses on investment funds and the role of financial institutions in capital markets. She has published in top finance journals, and her work has been cited in The New York Times, International Herald Tribune, Bloomberg News Service, and The Wall Street Journal. Susan has received grants from SSHRC, IFM2, and FQRSC and research awards from Q-Group, Bank of Canada, BSI Gamma Foundation, INQUIRE, and the Swiss Finance Institute. Her scholarly expertise and exemplary administrative leadership make her ideally suited to take on this new role.

Please join me in thanking Professor Christoffersen for her dedicated service to the Rotman School, and for her willingness to take on this new role within the University.