Groups: FINTSC
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 has consulted as Virtual CIO of BOMI, international provider of educational products and
services to the property and facility management industries. She serves on on the Board of the
Wellesley College Business Leadership Council, on the Advisory Board of Lambent Spaces, 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