Webber Welcomes New Chief Financial Officer

Babson Park, FL (February 2, 2026) – Webber International University is excited to announce the hire of Roderick Blackett as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

Mr. Blackett brings 16 years of executive finance and operational leadership experience across the banking, transportation, logistics, and asset-intensive sectors. Most recently, he served in senior finance leadership roles overseeing large, multi-entity organizations with total revenues exceeding billions of dollars.

Webber’s President, Dr. Nelson Marquez, stated, “As Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Blackett will oversee the University’s financial strategy and operations, supporting our mission through sound stewardship of resources, transparency, and long-term fiscal sustainability. His experience aligning financial strategy with organizational goals will be a valuable asset as we continue to advance the University’s academic, athletic, fundraising, and community priorities.”

Throughout his professional career, Blackett has developed strong expertise in strategic planning, FP&A, end-to-end financial management, capital structure optimization, and building high-performing teams.

Blackett is a 2009 graduate of the University of Florida, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in History. While at UF, he was a member of the two-time national championship football team. He later earned his MBA from the University of Phoenix in 2011.

As Webber approaches its Centennial in 2027, Blackett stated that his “goal is to ensure Webber has the financial foundation necessary to expand programs, enhance student services, and remain competitive in a rapidly changing higher education environment.”
He further outlined his strategy for achieving long-term institutional success: “The most important strategy is creating long-term financial sustainability while investing in not only academic excellence, but enrollment growth. This includes strengthening revenue diversification, improving operational efficiency, modernizing financial processes, and aligning resources with institutional priorities.”