Leadership Spotlight: Jim Hillman, Senior Director of Finance and Business Analytics

What key skills do you believe are essential for success in your role?

For my role, several key skills are crucial:

1. Effective Communication: Communication is fundamental in my role. I regularly interact with various stakeholders across the campus and often act as a mediator between operations and central finance. It’s essential to ensure that both sides understand each other clearly.
2. Prioritization: With multiple deadlines to manage, it's important to prioritize tasks based on factors like risk, complexity, and due dates. This helps me stay organized and on track to meet each deadline efficiently.
3. Flexibility and Multi-tasking: The ability to adapt and handle multiple tasks simultaneously is vital. Priorities and needs can shift frequently, requiring a flexible approach to manage changing demands effectively.
4. Data Analysis: Proficiency in analyzing historical data and trends, combined with current factors, is crucial for tasks like budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting. This skill helps in predicting future behavior and making informed decisions.

What initiatives or projects are you most excited about currently?

The project I’m most excited about is our Operational Dashboard. Although it’s still in the early stages, this initiative is designed to deliver key operational data to our leaders through an online dashboard. The dashboard will provide real-time insights on various metrics, such as the number of F/S Parking Permits sold during a specific period, the usage days of Fleet Services vehicles, Hokie Passport transactions, and Mail Services package deliveries. By automating these updates, the dashboard will eliminate the need for manual reports, making data access faster and more efficient.

 If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would it be and why?

Jackie Robinson has always been a source of inspiration for me. Growing up, baseball was my favorite sport, and I remain a passionate fan to this day (Go Braves!). The impact Jackie Robinson had on the game of baseball and the challenges he faced in becoming the first African American to play Major League Baseball are truly remarkable.

How do you build and maintain relationships with stakeholders and partners?

The foundation of building and maintaining relationships with stakeholders and partners is trust. This is achieved through honesty and transparency, coupled with demonstrating your competence in the role. It’s also crucial to actively listen to others' ideas while confidently sharing your own thoughts and perspectives.