Georgia Tech Foundation Names Alumnus Its Next President

The Georgia Tech Foundation, Inc. (GTF), an external organization responsible for management of the private gifts that provide critical financial support for Institute priorities, has named Al Trujillo as its next president and chief operating officer. A current trustee of GTF and a former chairman of the Georgia Tech Alumni Association, Trujillo will assume the leadership position on July 1.

“As an alumnus, an astute businessman, and tireless advocate for Georgia Tech, Al is the perfect person to serve as our next president and COO,” Charlie Moseley, who chaired the search committee and currently chairs the GTF’s Board of Trustees, said in a news release. “We feel very fortunate to have someone with Al’s ability and passion in this role.”

GTF’s primary function is to manage Georgia Tech’s financial investments, a sizeable endowment used to support everything from student scholarships to strategic growth. Signs of GTF’s impact span the entire campus, with its support of the development of Technology Square and the Campus Recreation Center being among the most noteworthy. More recently, GTF provided support for the Engineered Biosystems Building (EBB) currently under construction.

Official selection of GTF’s new president occurred last week, following a vote among the 52 elected members of GTF’s Board of Trustees.

“I am honored to have been selected for this responsibility,” Trujillo said in the release. “I have a deep sense of commitment to Georgia Tech, a school that has provided me with opportunities to excel and the foundation of my educational experience.”

In addition to GTF and the Alumni Association, Trujillo has served Georgia Tech on a variety of committees and initiatives including the College of Engineering Advisory Board, the Georgia Tech Arts Advisory Board, and the Council of Outstanding Young Engineers. In addition, he most recently served as a member of the search committee for Tech’s athletic director.

“Georgia Tech has benefitted from Al Trujillo’s financial wisdom, global perspective, leadership skills, and engagement with the Institute for more than three decades – in everything from leading the Alumni Association to serving on advisory boards,” said Georgia Tech President G. P. “Bud” Peterson in the release. “It is a natural next step to have him take the helm of the Georgia Tech Foundation, partnering with business and community leaders and building on the success of one of the best-run university foundations in the nation.”

Trujillo will succeed John Carter who has led GTF for the past 15 years and given nearly 30 years of service to Georgia Tech.

“Al is the outstanding choice to be the next president of the Foundation,” Carter said. “He has enjoyed a strong business career, having proven himself an effective leader in myriad circumstances and economic situations. I look forward to supporting his leadership of the Foundation in any way he sees fit in the years to come.”

Trujillo also spoke highly of Carter, saying, “In many ways the Foundation came of age under the leadership of John Carter. I hope to provide the same level of stewardship so Georgia Tech can continue to build upon its reputation as a world-class educational and research institution.”

After a successful career in business of over 25 years, Trujillo has concentrated on volunteerism and business consulting in order to assist companies and investment groups with acquisition and operational strategies needed to optimize organizational potential.

Until 2007, he served as chief executive officer of Recall Corporation and spearheaded the creation of a leading global service organization of more than 5,000 team members, with operations in 23 countries across five continents.

Trujillo emigrated from Cuba as an infant and grew up in South Florida. He earned his bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from Georgia Tech, graduating Summa Cum Laude in 1981. He completed his graduate engineering education and MBA at Stanford University. Trujillo and his wife Melba have two daughters, Amanda and Jacqueline. Jacqueline is a computer science major at Georgia Tech and Amanda is a graduate of Clemson.

The Georgia Tech Foundation promotes higher education in the state of Georgia
 by assisting the Georgia Institute of Technology in its role as a leading educational and research university, primarily through the management of financial donations given for support and enhancement of the Institute. The elected trustees and officers work with Georgia Tech's president to help identify and provide for the most pressing needs of the Institute.

- The Georgia Institute of Technology contributed to this story