Hope College announced it has named Robin Zondervan, CPA, as its next chief financial officer and vice president for business.
Zondervan brings 25 years of financial and leadership experience to this role, and is pleased to return to her alma mater, having graduated magna cum laude from Hope in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. She succeeds Hope’s current CFO, Tom Bylsma, who is retiring this summer after serving Hope in this capacity for 21 years.
Starting July 1, Zondervan will lead Hope’s business and financial operations, reporting to Hope College President Matt Scogin and serving as an officer of the college. Her responsibilities include shaping efforts that strengthen affordability, enhancing the student experience and sustaining financial excellence impacting all matters of the college, including the endowment. In addition, she will provide leadership to the college’s business services, auxiliary enterprises, information and technology, operations and human resources departments.
“Robin brings not only exceptional financial expertise, but also a deep love for Hope College. She is a proven leader with a remarkable track record of guiding complex organizations through seasons of growth and change,” said Scogin. “Her combination of financial acumen, operational experience, and commitment to Hope’s mission makes her uniquely equipped to serve our campus community at this important moment.”
Since her first work-study job as a Hope freshman in the college’s business office, Zondervan has developed a robust set of skills and experiences in financial governance and global operations across a variety of finance roles as an auditor, corporate controller, chief accounting officer, and vice president of investor relations, financial planning and analysis and group finance.
“I am honored to be able to return to Hope College, the place that shaped me in so many ways,” said Zondervan. “From the lasting friendships I built freshman year in Dykstra Hall — to the enriching worship experiences as part of the gospel choir, to the supportive professors who connected me to internships that helped propel my professional career — I was blessed to be part of such a faithful community. Hope helped shape my own faith, my values, and my sense of calling, and I am grateful for the opportunity to give back by stewarding the college’s resources in support of its mission, vision and strategy.”
Since 2022, Zondervan served at Masco Corp. in Livonia, Mich., most recently as vice president of investor relations, financial planning and analysis, and group finance. Employing 18,000 people, Masco is a global, publicly held company that designs, manufactures and distributes a variety of home-improvement and building products under a portfolio of different brands.
She is credited with successfully guiding organizations and teams through a finance transformation project that resulted in efficiency improvements, while increasing engagement and ownership across the team.
Prior to Masco, she spent a decade at Steelcase in various leadership roles before concluding her tenure there as vice president, chief accounting officer and global corporate controller. During her last couple of years at Steelcase, she was recognized for successfully leading global teams through the pandemic-related disruption, while navigating remote transitions and operational continuity. Zondervan gained experience in a variety of financial responsibilities at Ryder System, Inc. and before that, she was an audit manager at Ernst & Young for several years in Grand Rapids.
Outside of her professional work, Zondervan shares her servant-leader approach and skill set with the nonprofit sector. Her community service includes: serving as a treasurer and board director at the Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan Foundation; as a faith and finance class facilitator for Love in the Name of Christ of Kent County; as a nursery volunteer, praise band singer and finance committee member at Grace Reformed Church; and previously as a finance committee member of the Reformed Church of America Synod of the Great Lakes.
Zondervan and her husband, Ray, have been married for more than 23 years. With their three boys, the Zondervan family enjoys traveling and spending time together around all kinds of sports and can be found watching and attending games regularly.