Joanne DeStefano serves as the Senior Partner to Brettschneider Executive Search, advising the firm’s executive search engagements across industries and executive leadership roles. She most recently served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Cornell University, where she was a trusted leader through periods of significant growth, institutional change, and economic disruption.

Over a distinguished and loyal tenure at Cornell, Joanne rose through increasingly senior roles to lead enterprise-wide financial and administrative operations in support of one of the world’s leading research institutions, with approximately $4.3 billion in annual revenue and $15 billion in assets. As CFO, she oversaw a broad portfolio spanning accounting, audit, compliance, investment management, facilities, public safety, and budget and planning, leading approximately 1,700 staff. She also served as the institution’s chief accounting and reporting officer, with responsibility for audited financial statements, regulatory filings, tax reporting, and the development and enforcement of financial policies and procedures.

Her impact was defined by disciplined financial stewardship through both challenge and expansion. She guided the university through the global financial crisis by developing and executing a multi-year fiscal strategy that strengthened liquidity, rebalanced the debt portfolio, and introduced long-term capital discipline. She later played a central role in navigating the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, maintaining stability during a period of significant disruption while conducting institution-wide financial stress testing and planning.

In parallel, Joanne led a number of transformative institutional initiatives. She established and integrated enterprise risk, audit, and compliance functions under a unified structure, advanced strategic sourcing and procurement initiatives that delivered meaningful cost savings, and led operational and shared services transformations to improve efficiency and controls. She also played a key role in major capital and expansion efforts, including the financial strategy and negotiation support for a new technology campus in New York City Her work consistently reflected an enterprise-wide approach, aligning financial strategy with operational execution and long-term institutional priorities.

Joanne is widely recognized for her ability to partner effectively with boards, trustees, and executive leadership, bringing a governance-oriented perspective shaped by deep experience in enterprise risk management, policy development, and institutional strategy. She has served on multiple boards and advisory bodies and is known for her ability to translate complex financial and operational challenges into clear, actionable strategies.

As a Senior Partner, Joanne plays an active role with clients in shaping institution and search strategy, advising clients on future structure, candidate profiles, and assessing senior talent. Her perspective is particularly valuable in identifying leaders who can operate at scale, navigate complexity, and engage effectively with boards and stakeholders while driving sustainable performance. She brings a rare combination of institutional leadership, operational depth, and board-level credibility to each engagement.