Bio

100-word bio

Robert A. Watling, CPA, MBA, is a finance and operations leader in higher education. He has led budgeting, treasury, accounting, procurement, capital planning, and institution-wide operational initiatives, partnering closely with presidents, provosts, and boards to translate strategy into measurable execution. Robert is known for clear financial communication, decision-ready modeling, and building accountability systems that improve service and performance. Outside of work, he’s a runner and a soccer fan who appreciates the discipline of long-range goals and consistent pacing.

200-word bio

Robert A. Watling, CPA, MBA, is a senior finance and administration executive in higher education with more than 20 years of leadership experience across budgeting, treasury, accounting, procurement, capital planning, and enterprise operations. He partners with institutional leadership and boards to strengthen financial stewardship, improve transparency, and execute complex initiatives that align resources with mission and strategy. Robert’s work emphasizes decision-ready modeling, practical governance, and operational follow-through—turning plans into accountable workstreams with clear measures of success. He is recognized for communicating financial reality with empathy and clarity, and for building systems—dashboards, service levels, and planning frameworks—that improve performance without unnecessary bureaucracy. Outside of work, Robert enjoys running, travel, and soccer; he finds that endurance training reinforces many of the same habits required for sustained organizational performance: pacing, discipline, recovery, and consistent incremental improvement.

One-paragraph speaker introduction

Please welcome Robert A. Watling, a CPA and higher education finance and operations executive. Robert has led enterprise financial strategy, planning, and operational execution across complex institutions, supporting senior leadership and boards with clear analytics, strong controls, and practical implementation. His work focuses on sustainable performance—aligning budgets, capital plans, and accountability systems with institutional priorities. He also brings a personal perspective shaped by endurance running and a lifelong interest in soccer: both reinforce the importance of pacing, discipline, and learning under pressure.