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Joseph James Echevarria
President and Chief Executive Officer |
A seasoned chief executive, Mr. Echevarria served as the CEO of Deloitte LLP, a global provider of professional services, from 2011 until his retirement in 2014. During his 36-year tenure with the firm, he served in various leadership roles, including Deputy Managing Partner, Southeast Region, Audit Managing Partner, and U.S. Managing Partner and Chief Operating Officer. His leadership responsibilities extended to approximately 70,000 professionals in nearly 90 U.S. cities and India, as well as the firm’s US-owned consulting businesses in Germany, Mexico, China, and Brazil.
Mr. Echevarria has a long history of service to the University of Miami, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1978. Following his retirement from Deloitte and seven years of service on its Board of Trustees from 2012 to 2019, Echevarria brought his expertise to the University of Miami Health System as a Senior Advisor to former President Julio Frenk, Interim Chief Financial Officer, Chief Administrative Officer, and Interim Chief Executive Officer. He became Chief Executive Officer of UHealth in 2020 and his responsibilities as CEO grew to include the entire University in 2022. On June 12, 2024, the University of Miami Board of Trustees appointed him Acting President of the University.
Following a consultative process with the faculty and key stakeholders, on October 18, 2024, the Board named him President of the University of Miami. Select highlights from his record of leadership and accomplishment as CEO of UHealth since 2020, CEO of the University since 2022, and his tenure as Acting President of his alma mater include:
People & Culture
- Created a comprehensive and best-in-class workforce engagement program that achieved an 80% response rate (2024 survey) and year-over-year increases to engagement overall (83.3% favorability score (2024) up from 82% (2023).
- Worked with faculty leadership groups, including the Faculty Senate, to advance enhancements to faculty compensation to drive excellence in education, research, and patient care; anticipated to invest $13M+ in Gables and Marine campuses faculty compensation during FY2025 and has invested approximately $60M annually since FY22 in medical school faculty compensation.
- Created numerous workforce engagement and retention programs, including staff compensation enhancement programming (e.g., increased hourly minimum to $17 per hour (FY2024) and a student loan repayment program (3,000 faculty and staff received contributions during FY24 totaling over $5.5M)
- Ensured a seamless transition for new interim Provost and interim CFO as they assumed their new roles
- Created an environment of transparency and mentorship for interim and new deans at the School of Law, Miami Herbert Business School, School of Nursing and Health Studies, and the Graduate School
- Recruited and appointed individuals to fill key leadership and executive positions; these positions include, university deans (Nursing and Business schools), Miller School department chairs (Surgery, Neurology, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Radiation Oncology, Human Genetics), Chief Human Resources Officer, Chief Supply Chain Officer, and Chief Revenue Cycle Officer.
- Recruited thousands of health care providers to support the growth of the clinical enterprise, including 200 clinical faculty and 54 staff physicians during FY24 alone.
- Established a cadence and open communication with key contributors across the organization, including Deans, the Faculty Senate, and Faculty Council to support collaboration and strengthen shared governance
Financial Sustainability
- Achieved revenue growth of 54% and improved operating margin from $25 million to $351million since FY20
- Established a framework linking operational efficiency and financial stability with initiatives to unlock capital and generate internal funding—$39 million as of May 2024—for teaching, research, and patient care
- Developed a financial model for the University’s Schools & Colleges that provides transparency into the sources of capital and spotlights non-mission cost and the level of service being provided
Academic & Research Excellence
- Investing $30 million over five years in Basic Science Research commencing in FY25
- Advanced the implementation of the University’s strategic plan, developing dashboards to monitor and measure the effectiveness of strategies and ensure they are contributing to the achievement of institutional goals
- Established a task force consisting of cross-functional teams to identify and prioritize areas for improvement and implement action plans targeting ranking challenges
Patient Care Excellence
- Advanced strategic expansions at the health system to enhance service to the South Florida community (Doral, Plantation, Medical Education Building, Griffin Cancer Research Building, UHealth Tower Expansion, Core Facility Upgrades, Sole Mia, One Medical, Palm Beach Primary Care, West Palm Beach Specialty, and Lessen Oncology)
- Transitioned the Annual Operating Agreement with Jackson Health System to a Joint Operating Agreement, a partnership model
- Increased ambulatory volume encounters by 22% since June 2020
- Reduced observed/expected mortality rate by 23% since June 2020
- Improved patient satisfaction from 78% to 84% likely to recommend since June 2020
Operational Excellence
- Unified HR, IT, and Supply Chain departmental functions to streamline operations, foster collaboration, and maximize resource efficiency across the institution
- Developed and launched internal communication digital platform for institution-wide communication
- Established a resilient IT environment to prioritize system integrity by minimizing cybersecurity incidents, protecting servers, and keeping technology updated
- Developed an exemplary NIL program to elevate the UM brand and empower student-athletes to monetize their personal brands
Mr. Echevarria remains active on various boards, chairing the Board of Directors of the Bank of New York Mellon, and serving on the Boards of Directors of both Pfizer and UNUM, a provider of financial protection benefits.
Having grown up in a Hispanic single-parent inner city household in the South Bronx neighborhood, he is committed to helping others. Mr. Echevarria’s service to community extends to the non-profit and public sectors. He previously served as Chair of former President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper Alliance and as an advisor to the Obama Foundation. He is a former Member of President Obama’s Export Council and of the Presidential Commission on Election Administration.
