CalSTRS announces retirement of CFO Robin Madsen

Robin Madsen, CFO of the $231.6 billion California State Teachers’ Retirement System, will retire March 31. Madsen is only the second person to hold the position of CFO for CalSTRS.

Madsen began her tenure at CalSTRS in June 2009 as a special consultant to then CFO Christine Ford. She was appointed CFO in November 2009, following Ford’s transition to the chief of staff position.

In the nine years since, Madsen has spearheaded numerous large-scale accounting and financial projects that have streamlined data input and output. Under her direction, CalSTRS accounting and financial reporting was migrated from complex digital spreadsheets to professional-grade financial planning and analysis software. The decision to use a software solution not only modernized CalSTRS accounting functions, but also allowed for a seamless implementation of GASB 67 and GASB 72.

“Robin has seemingly unlimited energy and enthusiasm for her role. Her responsibility for the accuracy and quality of the work of over 100 employees engaged in budgets, cash and investment accounting, risk and compliance, and even legislative analysis, is enormous. She carried on all of this responsibility while helping usher CalSTRS into the modern era with the integration of a state-of-the-art financial system,” said Jack Ehnes, CEO of CalSTRS, in a statement.

“CalSTRS has provided me with tremendous opportunities to do work I enjoy, collaborate with engaged stakeholders and employees, and deliver financial information to support long-term decision making,” Madsen said in a statement. “I have had immense support from a great team of professionals who were willing to change and work through challenges to achieve our goals. And I really want to highlight CalSTRS’ role in support of public education through the delivery of a secure and reasonable retirement benefit to the most critical employees of our public school systems, California’s close to 1 million dedicated educators.”