Ben Lennander has been named the University of Nebraska–Lincoln's assistant vice chancellor for human resources and chief people officer. The appointment was announced July 14 by Mike Zeleny, vice chancellor for business and finance.
“Ben has demonstrated exceptional leadership and a deep commitment to fostering a positive and inclusive workplace culture,” Zeleny said. “His strategic vision and collaborative approach make him the ideal leader to guide our human resources efforts and advance our people-first mission at UNL.”
Lennander brings more than 16 years of progressive leadership experience in higher education at the university, combining a strategic financial background with people-centered HR experience. Since June 2024, he has served as interim assistant vice chancellor for human resources, where he has led strategic planning efforts and expanded HR's institutional impact through strategic partnerships and process improvements.
"I'm honored to continue leading our talented HR team as we work to empower employee success at UNL," Lennander said.
The newly expanded role includes the chief people officer designation, reflecting the university's commitment to creating an exceptional culture and work environment that empowers employees to successfully carry out the mission of the university. In this capacity, Lennander will continue providing executive leadership for the institution's human resource operations spanning seven specialized departments.
Lennander's career on campus includes serving as director of payroll operations since May 2023. Previously, he served as business processes and transformation director from 2019–2023, where he led the implementation of the Service Delivery Initiative and completed more than 100 process improvement projects.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in accounting from Iowa State University, and a graduate certificate in business analytics and Master of Arts in educational administration (higher education) from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Lennander has received numerous awards including the Nancy Kenny Academic Business Leader Award in 2021 and is a graduate of the 2023–24 NACUBO Emerging Leaders Development Program.
Lennander plans to lead strategic initiatives including the development of a comprehensive compensation philosophy, career progression pathways, enhancement of leadership training programs, and implementation of a Husker Staff POWER Framework focusing on purpose, ownership, wellbeing, engagement and relationships for staff. Additionally, he will spearhead a collaborative effort to define and implement a unified human resources model for the university.
A search will be conducted for the director of payroll operations position.
