UVAFinance welcomes new Director of Financial Reporting

UVAFinance is pleased to welcome Thomas Schneeberger to Financial Operations as Director of Financial Reporting. In this role, he will be responsible for the year-end close, including coordination with State Auditors, UVAFinance, and Foundations, the preparation of the University’s annual and quarterly financial reports, and generally stewarding the University’s financial system. 

Thomas Schneeberger

Schneeberger most recently served as the Assistant Director of Financial Reporting and Management Services at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, but his career path covered many miles prior to that role.

Schneeberger’s career in finance began with a degree from the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration in Austria, and shortly thereafter brought him stateside for a role with the City of Lexington in North Carolina after a year in Puerto Rico, where he married his wife Irela.

After serving as the Lexington’s Senior Accountant and then Financial Services Manager, Schneeberger decided to pursue his Master in Accounting at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and subsequent CPA licensure, which in turn led to a position with Ernst & Young as an auditor. For Ernst & Young, Schneeberger worked in Raleigh and the Cayman Islands, where he predominantly focused on the financial services industry. Eventually, he sought to leave the sphere of public accounting in favor of working in higher education.

Since his arrival at UVA early this May, he has been completing training in Oracle and other finance modules, as well as prepping the financial report for next year, assessing the impact of new standards from the Governmental Accounting Standards Board, and generally getting acquainted with UVA.

“I’m wrapping my head around the university structure, getting to know the players and stakeholders involved, and beginning to get in and get my hands dirty,” Schneeberger said.

He said he has found the transition from UNC to UVA to be positive.

“UVA is certainly a school with a great reputation, and Charlottesville is a nice town with a lot going on,” he commented, adding that he and his wife have already found some favorite places among Charlottesville’s many offerings, and they both look forward to enjoying outdoor activities, especially those involving water.

Schneeberger is a surfer, avid swimmer, and lover of water sports. His sports acumen doesn’t stop there; he was also somewhat of a basketball star in college, playing in a national semi-professional league in Austria.

Schneeberger’s enthusiasm for his new role is due especially to his enjoyment of working in higher education.

“As a University, we don’t just impact our direct customers – we do outreach in the community, we perform research, and we affect the world. We do a lot of good things here, and when you’re in a financial reporting role, you see the overall perspective and get to report on all of it.”