Two University of Iowa executives resign, per agreements

IOWA CITY — The University of Iowa this month agreed to separate from and settle employment disputes with two employees in leadership positions — one of whom had been on the job just over a year.

Sriram Chari — who started Nov. 1, 2021 as UI executive director of Administrative Information Systems in its Information Technology Services department — agreed to resign April 3, according to a separation agreement aimed at resolving “any disputes arising from the employee’s employment.”

Chari was making an annual salary of $186,850.

The agreement didn’t compel additional payment and didn’t constitute admission of guilt, but UI did agree to assume the premium costs of Chari’s health and dental benefits through June 30 and to not dispute his unemployment claims.

Chari, per the deal, agreed not to sue UI or any of its agents or officers for grievances, damages, or other claims.

The university April 3 also split with Joshua Sestak, who had been chief operating officer and project management director in its UI Pharmaceuticals unit, which calls itself the “longest-running FDA-approved university-associated (contract development and manufacturing organization) in the U.S.”

UI Pharmaceuticals for about 45 years has been a “stable, reliable source of contract pharmaceutical manufacturing and testing.”

Sestak was making $139,893.

His separation agreement also didn’t include any additional payout but did continue benefits through April 30. The deal — meant to resolve any disputes — did not constitute an admission of guilt or liability on the part of UI, the state, or Board of Regents.

Neither separation agreement included details of the circumstances that precipitated them. And UI officials didn’t provide more information to The Gazette.

Sestak on his LinkedIn page reported working as chief operating officer and business development officer for UI Pharmaceuticals from August 2020 to February 2023. He reported currently working as a principal for Agape Life Science and previously serving as president and CEO of Orion BioScience Inc. in Omaha.

UI in October 2021 announced it had hired Chari as its new Administrative Information Systems executive director following a competitive national search. Before starting in November 2021 at UI, Chari worked as director of middleware IT operations at Emory University for seven years, “providing executive oversight, mentoring, and leadership with advanced technical knowledge to a team of five senior managers and 40 staff members and managing annual operating budget of $7 million,” according to the UI announcement.

Before Emory, Chari was an IT director for Elevon Inc.; an enterprise architect for SunTrust Bank; and a developer and delivery manager at Allstate Insurance.

He earned a Master of Business Administration from the Illinois Institute of Technology, a master of computer science information systems degree from Northern Illinois University, and a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University of Madras in India.

In a statement at the time, Associate Vice President and Chief Information Officer Steve Fleagle said, “We are fortunate to have Sriram, and I am confident he will thrive in this role."

“He has a track record of driving innovation and change by removing barriers, applying financial acumen, and unifying employees, systems, and processes,” Fleagle said. “He is a leader who sees the big picture, listens to and motivates others, and has sound judgment and decision-making skills.”

Vanessa Miller covers higher education for The Gazette.

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