(St Paul, MN) — April 26, 2023 — The University of St. Thomas in Minnesota today announced Jodeen A. “Jodee” Kozlak will be the next chair of its Board of Trustees. She will assume the position on July 1.
Kozlak is founder and CEO at Kozlak Capital Partners, LLC and her career spans Alibaba Group, Target Corp., and Minnesota law and accounting firms. She will help guide St. Thomas – Minnesota’s largest private university – on its journey to become a top national Catholic university.
“I’ve gotten to know Jodee as an exceptional source of wise counsel,” said St. Thomas President Rob Vischer. “She is a proven leader who cares deeply about the St. Thomas mission and our ability to thrive in an increasingly competitive environment. I could not be more excited to welcome her as our next board chair.”
Kozlak helped drive Alibaba’s international expansion as global senior vice president of human resources. She also was one of Target’s longest-serving C-suite leaders, having served 10 years as executive vice president and chief human resources officer. In 15 years at Target, she was also general counsel for both the International Owned Brands Sourcing Business and labor and employment, and trustee of the Target Foundation. Kozlak was the first woman in Target’s C-suite and will be the first woman to chair St. Thomas’ Board of Trustees.
“St. Thomas is a storied university with an incredible legacy. Over the next three years, I am eager to work with Rob Vischer and the board to preserve the university’s great foundation and elevate our scale and impact on a national level,” said Kozlak, who will succeed Ryan Companies Chairman Pat Ryan when his term as St. Thomas board chair ends June 30.
St. Thomas also announced two new vice chairs to its board as Amy Goldman, CEO and chair of the GHR Foundation, rotates off:
James Kolar recently retired after more than 34 years at PriceWaterhouseCoopers. Kolar serves on the boards of United Way of Metropolitan Chicago, Economic Club of Chicago, and Chicago Urban League, among others. He joined St. Thomas’ Board of Trustees in 2020.
Philip Soran is co-founder and executive chairman of educational software company Flipgrid, which was acquired by Microsoft in 2018. He serves on the boards of Flipgrid, Foodsby, Piper Jaffray Companies, SPS Commerce and others. He joined St. Thomas’ board in 2017.
