CHICAGO, IL.- Madeleine Grynsztejn, Pritzker Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), Chicago, announces that Teresa Samala de Guzman has been appointed the new Chief Operating Officer of the MCA, concluding a comprehensive national search.Prior to coming to the museum, de Guzman served as Senior Associate Dean for Finance and Administration at the Darden Graduate School of Business at the University of Virginia. She assumes her new responsibilities at the MCA on December 8, 2014

"Terry brings expertise in non-profit and corporate leadership and organizational management that will greatly benefit the MCA," says Grynsztejn, "and I am particularly impressed by her wide-ranging interests, stellar knowledge base, and exceptional strategic thinking." Of her appointment, de Guzman said, "I am honored to lead the MCA's operations and to build on the museum's momentum as a top 21st-century contemporary art museum."

Prior to her tenure at the University of Virginia - where she led its operational sustainability initiative, developed its international student loan program, and launched innovative and visible expressions of Darden's diverse, global, and inclusive community, including the Darden Art Project - de Guzman held posts as Finance Manager at American Express, Principal at Kwasha Lipton, and Division CFO at Bellcore. She successfully transitioned to the education field as Chief Operating Officer and Associate Head of School at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School in New York, where she led the launch and implementation of its $70M LEEDS campus expansion project.

In addition to her over 30 years in corporate and education, she founded "The Next Step," a company offering executive leadership and career-life coaching, as well as strategic financial and operational consulting. Among her many clients are the Harvard Business School, the Darden Business School, and the University of Virginia. She also holds adjunct faculty appointments with Darden, the Federal Executive Institute and the Piedmont Virginia Community College. Her courses include Global Leadership, Family Enterprises, and Business Management. An advocate for financial literacy, her community work included teaching at the Fluvanna Correction Center for Women.

De Guzman was born and raised in the Philippines, has a BS in Accounting from St. Theresa's College, and an MBA in Finance from New York University's Stern School of Business. She is a CPA, and has earned the designation of Associate Certified Coach by the International Coach Federation. She and her husband, Allen, have two adult children, Alexandra and Philip.