Groups: CARE Senior Fellows, FINTSC
Marilyn T. Smith
Vice President of Information Technology and CIO (Retired)
George Mason University
Director, Board of CSP, Inc.
Marilyn served as Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer from 2013 through 2019 at George Mason University, where she led the Information Technology Services department in supporting aggressive growth of the university to its current position as the largest research university in Virginia. Marilyn drove the development of an IT strategic plan and IT Governance. She led the expansion of a robust WIFI network, substantial strengthening of the IT Security organization and a significant increase in university IT Security awareness. She partnered with three Academic VPs to lead a strategic student experience redesign program resulting in the establishment of a customer relationship management (CRM) platform and improved business processes and systems. For the last three years of her tenure, Marilyn led the Commonwealth of Virginia Higher Education CIO Council.
As Chief Information Officer of Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 2009 through 2013, Marilyn worked in partnership with faculty, staff and students to transform IT at MIT to a customer, outcomes and people focused organization and culture. This included designing and implementing a robust IT Governance system, developing and executing multi-year student and administration strategic roadmaps, and redesigning and automating major processes including registration, admissions, payroll and finance.
In 2020 Marilyn won The Tambellini Group CIO of the Year Award for her accomplishments at George Mason University and at MIT.
After graduating from Wellesley College with a major in Astronomy, Ms. Smith spent 26 years at John Hancock in information systems, including leadership positions in Retail Insurance and Investment Management. Subsequently she spent 4 years at Liberty Mutual as Vice President and CIO of Personal Market Information Systems, and 9 years at The Hanover Insurance Group, the last three of which she served as President of the Life Companies. Marilyn received an MBA with highest distinction from Babson College.
Ms. Smith is a Director on the Board of CSP, Inc., a provider of IT high performance products and technology solutions. She is Chair of the Compensation Committee and a member of the Audit and Nominating Committees. Marilyn consults as Virtual CIO of BOMI, international provider of educational products and services to the property and facility management industries. She serves on the Board of the Wellesley College Business Leadership Council, on the Advisory Board of Armored Things, on the NSF City and County Cybersecurity Governance Advisory Board and on the Friends of Music at Mason Board (FOMM). She is a Fellow of the Center for Assurance and Research Engineering (CARE). She is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) and Women Corporate Directors. Marilyn is a graduate of the Aspen Institute Executive Leadership Seminar and of the Harvard Business School Managing the Information Services Resource Program and she is an MIT Leader to Leader Fellow.