ST. PAUL, Minn., September 9, 2026 – University of Northwestern – St. Paul and Northwestern Media are pleased to announce the appointment of Mark Loe as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and the promotion of Dr. Greg Johnson from Vice President for Strategy and Chief of Staff to Chief Operating Officer (COO).
Mark Loe earned his MBA from New York University Leonard N. Stern School of Business and a B.A. from Bethel University. Loe has served for 25 years as a financial executive with gained experience in technology finance, pricing, financial and capital planning, and analysis. For the last 16 years, Loe has served in various leadership capacities at UnitedHealth Group (UHG) and its subsidiaries, including Optum. From 2022-2026, Loe was the CFO for Vivify Health. Most recently, Loe was tasked with establishing financial discipline and supporting scalable growth for Optum.ai. Prior to Optum and UHG, Loe served as a finance director for Ameriprise Financial and senior finance manager for Pfizer.
Speaking about his new role at Northwestern, Loe said, “I am drawn to the opportunity to use my finance leadership experience in service of a Christ-centered organization where faith guides how people lead, steward resources, and care for one another.”
President Corbin Hoornbeek shared, “Throughout the interview process, I was impressed with Mark’s ability to grasp Northwestern’s current realities and envision opportunities to grow a large and complex organization. I was also deeply encouraged with Mark’s enthusiasm for and alignment with Northwestern’s UNWavering mission and vision. He is a great fit for Northwestern and this role as we anticipate how God will use our organization for His glory going forward.”
Johnson was elevated to COO in August after serving Northwestern in his previous Vice President/Chief of Staff capacity for nearly four years. Over his 19-year tenure at Northwestern, Greg has served both as adjunct faculty and staff with roles stretching various departments and areas including athletics and university marketing. Dr. Johnson is a clear mission fit with deep commitment to Northwestern’s UNWavering mission to God’s Word and world.
When asked about Johnson’s transition, President Corbin Hoornbeek shared, “Greg has served admirably in his previous role as Vice President for Strategy and Chief of Staff. Promoting him to COO provides an opportunity for him to provide greater organizational leadership as we grow into our unified Northwestern strategy. He brings a great deal of focus and accountability to fulfilling our mission and achieving our vision across the organization.”
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University of Northwestern – St. Paul (UNW) is a nondenominational, Christian university in St. Paul, Minn. With a Biblical worldview integrated into all programs, UNW provides a unique educational experience for students who want to combine faith and education. Northwestern offers more than 50 areas of study, including five master’s degrees, and online and early college programs. Northwestern Media, a ministry of the university, owns and operates 105 radio signals throughout the Midwest across 13 states with a total listenership of more than 2 million listeners. Visit unwsp.edu for more information.
