Hillel Appoints Executive VP

Harvard Hillel announced the latest in a series of aggressive structural reforms yesterday, appointing a new Executive Vice President who will strengthen fundraising efforts and streamline day-to-day operations at the Jewish cultural center.

Paul Sassieni, a United Kingdom native with a background in banking and corporate finance, joins Hillel at an “auspicious moment” that has seen an influx of paid professionals into the organization’s leadership and a drastic recent transformation of its board of directors, according to Dr. Bernard Steinberg, President and CEO of Harvard Hillel.

“Going way back, the purpose of the board was to actually be involved in a much more hands-on day-to-day basis in the life of Hillel, but that was when it was much smaller,” Steinberg said.

The organization has grown tremendously over the course of Steinberg’s 11 years at the helm, and Sassieni’s appointment swells its professional staff to 14.

In addition to serving as the Executive Vice President, Sassieni will also hold the title of Chief Operating Officer, taking care of the “nuts and bolts” of Hillel’s daily management, which will allow Steinberg and the board of directors to concentrate their energies on long-term goals.

A press release published Sunday described Sasseini’s new role in lofty terms, saying that his appointment will “help ensure that Harvard Hillel has the resources and support required to transform vision into reality.”

In an interview yesterday, Sasseini outlined his function more succinctly, explaining that he would be cultivating donors and streamlining the organization’s fundraising efforts.

“The [board of directors] has really been revamped to include senior level executives from the business world— Harvard graduates who are well connected to the University who can really give us the presence and the financial resources to expand our mission,” Sasseini said.

According to Steinberg, world events have forced Hillel to adapt that mission in recent years, and the changes in its managerial structure have been designed to reflect that.

“Our mission has been redefined, as we’re more focused on creating conditions for our students to be involved in the world at large,” Steinberg said.

An affiliate of the national Hillel organization, the Harvard chapter has used its $2.4 million annual budget to operate 400 programs each year involving Jewish education, activism, religious reflection, and advocacy for the state of Israel.

Sasseini said he had intended to break into the non-profit world since he left his position at BankBoston in 2000. He had been working as a risk management consultant for the past several years, and when Harvard Hillel offered him a position, he jumped at “the opportunity to work for a mission-driven organization which is doing some good in the world.”

According to Steinberg, Sasseini was chosen for his experience in finance and his extensive involvement in local Jewish organizations in Boston. In addition to serving as an executive of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston, Sasseini also founded the Boston Israeli Action Committee.

—Staff writer Leon Neyfakh can be reached at neyfakh@fas.harvard.edu.