University of Wisconsin Chancellor Rebecca Blank announced Tuesday UW alumni and UW Foundation board member Michael Lehman will serve as the interim Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration starting in March.

UW has been searching for a temporary replacement since Darrell Bazzell, the current vice chancellor, announced he will be leaving UW for a similar position at University of Texas-Austin.

Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration to leave UW for similar position

Lehman has high level management experience in the technology industry, Blank said in a statement.

“We are very fortunate to have someone of [Lehman’s] caliber willing and ready to step in and provide stability during this period,” she said. “His management experience at the highest levels of the technology industry make him well-suited to our needs.”

After graduating from UW’s School of Business in 1974, Lehman became the executive vice president and chief financial officer of Sun Microsystems Inc. He then served as the initial Chief Financial Officer of Palo Alto Networks, the statement said.

In addition to being a UW Foundation board member, Lehman is also a member of the Van Hise Society of supporters, Milwaukee-based Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corporation and Dallas-based Solera Holdings Inc.

He is on the Nicholas Center for Corporate Finance and Investment Banking board in the Wisconsin School of Business and is the former Dean’s Advisory Board chair.

While the search is still on for a new vice chancellor, Lehman said in the statement he is glad to help during the transition.

“I’m deeply honored to be asked to help during this transition period,” he said.

This article was updated to correct Lehman’s name.