Vice Chancellor - Chief Financial Officer

Pierre Ouillet, Vice Chancellor and Chief Financial Officer

Pierre Ouillet is vice chancellor at UC San Diego and chief financial officer for both the main campus and Health Sciences.

He is accountable for an annual budget of $6 billion; a human resources function supporting 35,000 employees; information services covering all campus needs; real estate for both the campus and the Health System; and a housing, dining and hospitality division housing 20,000 residents.

As CFO for Health Sciences, he is responsible for the financial health of the professional schools, the various academic and clinical departments, and the operational and financial integration with the Health System.

Prior to joining UC San Diego, Mr. Ouillet was vice president of finance, resources and operations at University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, Canada. At UBC, he helped the University absorb the impact of the global financial crisis and declining public funding by identifying and realizing annual savings and new revenues through collaboration with faculty. Previously, he served as vice president of finance for Best Buy International and Best Buy Canada.

Collaborating with the senior leadership team, Mr. Ouillet focuses on the operating excellence and the financial sustainability of UC San Diego. He ensures that the university’s financial and human resources support institutional priorities in a climate of inclusion and diversity. His joint appointment between the general campus and Health Sciences allows him to drive interdisciplinary synergies across the academic, research and clinical missions of the University.

Mr. Ouillet has a Master of Science degree from the University of Maryland, and a Master of Business Administration from INSEAD (European Institute of Business Administration). He is also a Certified General Accountant.

Allorah Pradenas, Assistant Vice Chancellor and Chief of Staff

As Assistant Vice Chancellor and Chief of Staff to the Vice Chancellor and Chief Financial Officer at UC San Diego, Allorah works closely with faculty, administrators and colleagues across the University to advance the vision and values of UC San Diego as a student-centered, research-focused, service-oriented public university. She engages with key stakeholders on complex issues affecting the campus and serves a strategic advisor and collaborator, providing expertise and counsel on policies, programs, and operations for administrative units that report to the Office of the CFO.

In addition to her Chief of Staff role, Allorah oversees the Office of Operational Strategic Initiatives (OSI) at UC San Diego. In this role, Allorah provides guidance and oversight for campus-wide strategic initiatives and projects as well as provides leadership for continuous improvement/Lean Six Sigma programs, operational excellence, and organizational reviews and strategy. Since joining the University in 2015, she has led significant process and organizational assessment, redesign, and implementation efforts at UC San Diego and across the UC system. Prior to UC San Diego, Allorah served as a program manager and director of policy and implementation teams at several higher education institutions for over a decade.

Additionally, as a LEAD Fellow, Allorah serves as a campus champion for equity, diversity, and inclusion, by engaging in and leading crucial conversations around improving organizational learning and campus climate. Allorah supports the CFO organization and works closely with the CFO Committee for Inclusive Excellence in championing its diversity initiatives. 

Allorah earned her undergraduate degree in Writing at University of Redlands and her Master’s degree in Creative Writing at UC Riverside, Palm Desert Campus. Allorah is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and a ProSci Change Management practitioner.

Ashley Chen, Executive Assistant

As Executive Assistant to UC San Diego’s Vice Chancellor Chief Financial Officer (VC CFO) for both the main campus and Health Sciences and to the Assistant Vice Chancellor and Chief of Staff (AVC-COS) to the VC CFO, Ashley provides support on a wide range of issues involving the highest level of administrative work. She oversees the day-to-day operations of the VC CFO Office, which includes serving as the primary contact for the VC CFO and AVC-COS, managing busy day-to-day schedules, and planning and coordinating all travel.

Caitlin Chu, Director Business & Fiscal Operations

Reporting to the Assistant Vice Chancellor and Chief of Staff, and serving as an overarching partner of the institution to provide financial guidance, the Director has oversight responsibility for CFO’s Business and Fiscal Operations. This position serves as a special advisor to the CFO and unit financial managers on all aspects of budgetary and financial management. This position also serves as the Financial Officer for VC CFO.