As vice chancellor and chief information officer, Mark D. Henderson leads the strategic development, implementation, and delivery of digital services and solutions that underpin the University of Pittsburgh’s academic, business and research missions. Overseeing a dedicated team of nearly 300 full-time and 90 student staff members at Pitt Digital, Henderson drives digital transformation across five campuses, focusing on academic systems, artificial intelligence enablement, analytics, enterprise solutions, information security, research computing and digital infrastructure.
He is an influential figure in technology and education sectors, serving on the board of directors for the Keystone Initiative for Network Based Education and Research, a statewide network supporting over 135 diverse organizations. His commitment to the region is further demonstrated through his involvement with Pittsburgh’s AI Strike Team, promoting the city as a leading hub for AI development and innovation.
Henderson spearheaded the Atlantic Coast Conference CIO group, fostering knowledge exchange and collaborative opportunities among ACC institutions. Additionally, he contributes his expertise on the board of directors for CIB Marine Bank and Holding Company.
With more than 40 years of experience in both higher education and the corporate sector, Henderson has held significant roles at Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Procter & Gamble and GE, where he had global IT leadership responsibilities for overhaul and repair shops as well as running network operations that supported GE Infrastructure business.
Before joining Pitt, Henderson was the CIO at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he aligned technology initiatives with strategic goals, increased efficiency, and successfully secured research grants through partnerships between IT staff and faculty. His previous academic roles include interim vice president and CIO at Case Western Reserve University and at University of Maryland and director of infrastructure services at the University of Cincinnati.
Henderson grew up in Pittsburgh and earned his Bachelor of Science in business administration, concentrating in information systems, at Xavier University in Cincinnati.