MAEESHA MERCHANT
Executive Vice President; Chief Financial and Operating Officer
The Colburn School
Maeesha Merchant, as the EVP / chief financial and operating officer for Colburn, has significantly impacted the institution’s success through her leadership in financial and operational oversight (including facilities, food service, production, security, IT, and HR), partnerships strategy, investments, and major capital projects. One of her most notable achievements includes breaking ground on the $400 million Frank Gehry-designed campus expansion, the Colburn Center, which promises to transform Los Angeles’s cultural landscape. Not only does she oversee the construction, she was also pivotal in closing the lead fund source of $200 million and the school has raised 80% of the $400 million campaign.
The new world class venue is not just for the Colburn students & community but for Los Angeles and Southern California as a whole. It’s focused on affordable tickets and accessibility both for audiences and performers. Merchant has been responsible for putting together the funding plan and ongoing business plan and model for this project, overseeing the construction, architecture, and project management teams. In her words, this is the biggest highlight of her time at Colburn, and she cannot wait for the opening in early 2027.
Under Merchant’s financial leadership, the Colburn School has achieved remarkable improvements in its operating results through revenue growth and built substantial financial resilience. She restructured the school’s debt, saving the school an impressive $25 million in net present value. Additionally, Merchant successfully terminated a costly swap, at an opportune time, further enhancing the school’s financial stability.
