The Crystal Tearoom at the Wanamaker Building was an elegant backdrop for the Philadelphia Business Journal’s 2022 CFO of the Year Awards. Wistar Institute Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Joseph Trainor, CPA, was celebrated among top honorees representing for- and non-profit health care, financial, academic, communications, sports, and other industry sectors across the region. Trainor’s outstanding leadership, especially through the tumultuous two plus years of the pandemic contributed to the immense growth and success of Wistar science.
Trainor started his Wistar career nine years ago and since then has worked to grow the Institute’s funding and endowments through careful innovative financial planning, analysis, and management. Since Wistar is a non-profit biomedical research institute, primary funding comes through federal grants and its endowment. In the last six years, Wistar has doubled its grant funding and tripled its endowment – all under the financial leadership of Trainor.
When Trainor accepted his award on stage, he answered one question: What is his guiding philosophy as CFO? Trainor said, “Surround yourself with great people, listen to them, and follow the mission. The best decisions I’ve made were those decisions made with others.”