“While Christina’s had great personal success, it’s her passion for giving back that really stands out about her. Her commitment to helping young people succeed is extraordinary, and I am confident that she’ll bring that same ethic to her work with the board,” Whiteman said.
Selby began her professional career as part of GE Capital’s highly competitive financial management program, with roles in accounting, financial planning and business development. During her 20-year tenure with the company, she worked in a variety of audit and chief financial officer (CFO) roles in locations that include the United States, Sweden, Australia, and Mexico. After two years as CFO for GE Capital Real Estate, where she was responsible for the financial management of a $35 million commercial real estate portfolio, she left the company in 2016.
She joined Vanguard as the business unit chief financial officer for its Institutional Investor Group in 2017. In this role, she helps set and drive the strategy of the business, leads financial planning and reporting, and is involved in product pricing.
“I’ve enjoyed the opportunities I’ve had to interact with students and help them both to understand what it means to work in corporate finance and to assess if it’s the right career path for them,” Selby said. “As a board member, I’m looking forward to helping to educate and expose Smeal students to the various career options the finance major can offer."
Smeal’s Finance Advisory Board is composed of alumni in the finance and investment communities. Board members meet twice each year — one time on the University Park campus and one time in New York City — to advise faculty and administration on matters related to the strategic direction of the department, work with students in the classroom and through mentoring roles, facilitate internship opportunities, and encourage research and collaboration between faculty and students. Board members also make a financial commitment to the college in support of innovative programs and services.
“Christina has such a diverse set of professional and international experiences,” Whiteman said. “I feel confident that she’ll be a powerful advocate for our students and for furthering Smeal’s reputation for academic excellence.”
As she considers the future of the Finance program, Selby said she is excited by the opportunities that things like artificial intelligence and machine learning will bring to the field.
“I think the evolving challenge for the major is to stay current and provide a good foundation of finance, but also introduce these emerging topics to our coursework,” she said.
Both David Marcinek and Craig Chobor, co-chairs and founding members of the board, said they are looking forward to working with Selby.
“Despite the virtual format of our spring meeting, which was her first as a board member, Christina came prepared to work hard and make a difference,” Marcinek said.
“Her passion for Penn State and the Smeal College is obvious,” added Chobor. “She understands that there are many career paths our students can follow and she’s committed to making sure they’re prepared to succeed, no matter which path is right for them.”
The board’s fall meeting is scheduled to take place on Friday.
Selby’s commitment and the board’s efforts will advance "A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence," a focused campaign that seeks to elevate Penn State’s position as a leading public university in a world defined by rapid change and global connections. With the support of alumni and friends, “A Greater Penn State” seeks to fulfill the three key imperatives of a 21st-century public university: keeping the doors to higher education open to hardworking students regardless of financial well-being; creating transformative experiences that go beyond the classroom; and impacting the world by fueling discovery, innovation and entrepreneurship. To learn more about “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence,” visit greaterpennstate.psu.edu.