Rachel Nielsen

Rachel has served as the Vice President of Finance and Administration at Cardinal Stritch University since October 2022.

Immediately prior to joining Stritch, Rachel was the Director of Finance and Operations at the Urban Ecology Center, a local non-profit focused on connecting people in Milwaukee to nature and each other. Rachel led the Finance, Benefits Administration, Program Evaluation, Facilities, IT, Facility Rentals, Land Stewardship and Research & Community Science teams. She helped shepherd the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic, managing government funding and ensuring there were no involuntary staff reductions or furloughs.

Rachel worked for several Fortune 500 companies before her transition into non-profit leadership. She worked at Rockwell Automation as the Finance Leader in multiple business units. She streamlined processes, improved business practices to enhance financial metrics and strategically supported multiple acquisitions and integrations. She also worked for several years at Best Buy in Minneapolis, where she supported multi-billion dollar business units, enhanced profit optimization and identified seven-figure reverse supply chain improvements for the organization.

Rachel graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison with a bachelor’s in Journalism and an M.B.A. in Applied Corporate Finance. She lives in Wauwatosa with her husband, two kids and multiple pets. She enjoys reading and outdoor activities such as hiking and camping.