Reporting to President and CEO Jim Cuno, Mr. Olsen will be responsible for budget, finance, capital planning, and the Getty’s operations. He will join the Getty this summer, replacing current VP, CFO, COO Patricia Woodworth, who is retiring.
Mr. Olsen is currently vice chancellor and chief financial officer at UCLA, a position he has held since 1999. In that role he was responsible for strategic, academic, budget, and financial planning for a $7.5 billion operating budget. Prior to that he served as chief deputy director for the California Department of General Services, serving as COO for the state’s procurement, real estate, and telecommunications services, as well as Deputy Director of the California Department of Finance.
In addition, as part of his responsibilities at UCLA, Mr. Olsen served as treasurer and finance committee chairman of the Hammer Museum, restructuring the Hammer’s endowment and negotiating UCLA’s purchase of the Occidental Petroleum building. He currently serves on the boards of the Hammer Museum and Geffen Playhouse. He is also a classically trained cellist who actively performs.
“We are delighted to have Steve join us. He brings in-depth experience in managing complicated academic and arts organizations like the Getty, and in working with local, national, and political agencies,” said Mr. Cuno. “While we will miss Patti Woodworth very much, we are confident that Steve’s experience managing budgets for complex, far-reaching organizations will serve the Getty well.”
Mr. Olsen will begin at the Getty after Ms. Woodworth’s retirement this summer. “I am very much looking forward to working for an arts organization with such an enormous impact here in Los Angeles and worldwide,” he said.