Born and bred in the South Bronx, Joe Echevarria has always approached every challenge with passion, believing wholeheartedly that such a philosophy is one of the keys to success.
“All great things in life are accomplished by people who are passionate about what they do,” Echevarria once said.
As it turns out, he was right.
From the 50-cents-an-hour job he once held as a 14-year-old cleaning the restrooms at a neighborhood gas station to leading some 70,000 workers as the chief executive officer of a major consulting and tax firm, Echevarria took on every job he ever held with fervor.
Now, he will continue to apply that philosophy as the leader of the academic institution he fell in love with 50 years ago when he stepped on its campus as a freshman.
Echevarria is the new president of the University of Miami.
Following a consultative process with faculty members and key stakeholders, the Board of Trustees overwhelmingly approved Echevarria’s new role, making him the seventh president in the University’s storied, nearly 100-year history and the first alumnus to lead the school he himself has described as “a powerful institution.”
“Joe Echevarria is a true and proven leader. His record of achievement as a chief executive, first in the private sector and for the past six years in service to our mission, speaks for itself. His commitment to his alma mater and his familiarity and passion for what our dedicated faculty and staff do day in and day out are unmatched,” Manny Kadre, chair of the board said in a message to the University community following Friday’s vote. “Joe is not an academic, but he is truly committed to investment in our academic excellence.”
A former University trustee, Echevarria packs a resume filled with achievements and an extensive history of service to the institution.
“The opportunity to continue to serve this institution—my school—and the people who make us what we are is more than an honor and a privilege; it is a full circle moment,” said Echevarria, a certified public accountant and a former CEO of Deloitte LLP, who earned a bachelor’s degree from the University’s Patti and Allan Herbert Business School in 1978.
“The faculty members who carry out our mission turned the unlikely into the achievable for me, as they have done for countless of my fellow alumni, and as they continue to do for our students, our patients, and our greater Miami community,” said Echevarria, who sent a message to the University community Friday evening.
During his 36-year tenure with Deloitte, he served in a multitude of leadership roles, including deputy managing partner, Southeast region; audit managing partner; and U.S. managing partner and chief operating officer. His leadership responsibilities extended to approximately 70,000 professionals in nearly 90 U.S. cities and India, as well as the firm’s U.S.-owned consulting businesses in Brazil, China, Germany, and Mexico.
He became chief executive officer of UHealth – the University of Miami Health System in 2020, advancing strategic expansions at the health system to enhance service to the South Florida community, implementing strategies to reduce patient mortality rates, and significantly improving patient satisfaction.
“Leadership matters,” noted Stuart Miller, chair of the University of Miami Health System Board of Directors and of the University’s Ever Brighter: The Campaign for Our Next Century. “Joe has proven himself to be an extraordinary leader who cares deeply about the University that transformed his life and was a springboard for his future. Joe seeks to ensure that the University continues to provide similar opportunity and inspiration for the next generations of graduates. The combination of professional excellence and personal passion for what we do—in the classroom, in our labs, at our patients’ bedside, and on every field of competition—is exactly what we need at this promising moment for the U and for the community we serve.”
Two years later, Echevarria’s responsibilities as UHealth CEO grew to include the entire University, and last June, the Board of Trustees appointed him acting president when Julio Frenk announced that he was stepping down to become chancellor of UCLA.
In his role as the University’s CEO and acting president, Echevarria has already compiled an impressive list of achievements—among them, investing in basic science, working with the faculty on enhancements to compensation, advancing the institution’s strategic plan, and developing a financial model for the University’s schools and colleges.
“Joe’s unwavering integrity and commitment to the University permeates his work,” said JoNel Newman, Faculty Senate chair whose term began at the same time as Echevarria’s tenure as CEO of the University. “No one better understands and communicates the importance of higher education. Joe is uniquely suited to the core presidential responsibilities of leading the development of the University and its continuous improvement.”
She commended the process that led to the decision calling it “one of the most robust consultation processes with faculty ever undertaken by our Board.” She noted the Board reached out to multiple faculty groups both formally and informally throughout the process, adding that the entire General Welfare Committee of the Faculty Senate, the speaker of the Medical Faculty Council, the deans of each school and college, and the president of Student Government unanimously endorsed Echevarria’s selection as the University’s next president.
“Joe Echevarria is trusted by the greater community,” said Sanjoy Bhattacharya, speaker of the Miller School of Medicine Faculty Council. “We expect to witness a period of stability, prosperity, and academic growth under his continued leadership.”
Roy Carrillo Zamora, president of Student Government, said Echevarria's involvement with the student body has been noticed and appreciated.
“We know that Joe cares about us and our education, experience, and future,” he said. “I have seen firsthand how he supports his leadership team to benefit students directly. Student leaders appreciate his candor and Miami Hurricanes spirit. We trust he has our best interests at heart.”
Echevarria takes the helm of a University as it approaches its 100th birthday, expands its infrastructure with a new cancer research center and student housing, and continues to advance its academic mission as one of the newest members of the Association of American Universities, an esteemed organization of 71 leading universities dedicated to transforming lives through education, research, and innovation.
His passion for the University has always been unparalleled.
Maribel Perez Wadsworth, ex officio trustee as current president of the University of Miami Alumni Association and president and CEO of the Knight Foundation, hailed the board's vote as “a point of pride for all alumni.”
“Joe Echevarria embodies servant leadership. His vision, work ethic, and authenticity reflect the very best of our vibrant community,” she said. “As we write the next chapters in the storied and interconnected history of Miami and the U, we could not be in better hands.”
Echevarria is as zealous about the U’s intercollegiate athletic program as he is about its academic, research, and health care mission. “Sports has always been in my blood,” he said during a recent Behind the U Podcast, the official podcast of Miami Athletics.
He was a spectator in the venerable Orange Bowl when Miami won its first national championship in football, a stunning 31-30 victory over a heavily favored Nebraska squad in January 1984. And even when Echevarria was based in New York as part of his responsibilities with Deloitte, he continued to travel to Miami to attend University football games.
Echevarria played an instrumental role in the hiring of head football coach Mario Cristobal, who now has the school’s storied five-time national championship football program on the cusp of winning its first Atlantic Coast Conference title and making the expanded college football playoffs.
And when the NCAA’s name, image, and likeness policy went into effect four years ago, Echevarria developed an exemplary NIL program to elevate the U’s brand and empower student-athletes to monetize their personal brands.
He remains active on various boards, chairing the Board of Directors of the Bank of New York Mellon and serving on the boards of directors of both Pfizer and Unum, a provider of financial protection benefits.
Echevarria grew up in a Hispanic single-parent inner-city household in the South Bronx and remains committed to helping others. His service to community extends to the nonprofit and public sectors. He previously served as chair of former President Barack Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper Alliance and as an advisor to the Obama Foundation. He is a former member of Obama’s Export Council and of the Presidential Commission on Election Administration.
Echevarria and his wife, Annie, are also proud Hurricane parents.
In his first message to the University of Miami community, Echevarria called for unity.
“The U means something,” Echevarria noted. “Here in our community and in cities around the world, it symbolizes the grit that achieves greatness and the swagger that follows it. For nearly 100 years, we and our community have been at our best when we achieve greatness together. Leadership is a team sport.”
