Cleveland State University President Ronald M. Berkman has appointed James "Jim" Bennett to the position of Chief of Staff and Special Advisor to the President. He began December 1.

Mr. Bennett is a longstanding leader in the Northeast Ohio business and civic communities. He spent 30 years at McKinsey & Company serving as managing partner for the Canadian and Midwest practices covering strategy, operations and organizational effectiveness.

"With Jim joining the leadership team at CSU, the university is gaining a team member with exceptional experience in senior, strategic roles who will support the university's momentum and growth," said Dr. Berkman.

Mr. Bennett has led governance and strategy development projects for universities and independent schools and most recently he was Senior Vice President at MMPI where he led the construction and opening of the $465 million Cleveland Convention Center and Global Center for Health Innovation.

"This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to an organization that is an invaluable asset to the region and state, and is increasingly viewed as a model for urban universities," said Bennett.

Mr. Bennett earned a Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University and is a graduate of Harvard Law School.