Steven M. Phillips has accepted a position as the University of Utah’s new controller beginning Monday, May 24, 2021.

Phillips brings extensive experience in governmental accounting obtained while working for the Utah Department of Health (UDOH). He held various roles at UDOH, most recently as assistant finance director (controller) with responsibility for the day-to-day operations of accounts payable, accounts receivable, grants management, budgeting, accounting and purchasing. One of his signature projects while at UDOH involved streamlining and automating contract creation and approval by reducing processing time from 117 days to 23 days.

The controller is a key member of the U’s Financial and Business Services leadership team and is responsible for the departments of general accounting, tax services, income accounting and student loans, and accounts payable. Phillips will be joining the OneU PeopleSoft Optimization project as a key member of the general ledger redesign team. His prior experience with rethinking an organization’s general ledger will augment the team by bringing a fresh perspective.

“I am excited to join the Financial and Business Services team at the university,” said Phillips. “I am eager to work with the team as well as others throughout the university and to do my part to help make it an even better place to work, attend school, see the arts and receive world class healthcare.”

Phillips graduated magna cum laude with an MBA in accounting from the U and with a bachelor’s degree in finance from Westminster—also magna cum laude. He is a Utah CPA.

“I’m thrilled Steven will be joining the U in this new role and am looking forward to having him on my team,” said Theresa Ashman, associate vice president for Financial and Business Services. “He brings a wealth of experience in governmental accounting and finance as well as great skills in optimizing business processes.”