San Jose State University Research Foundation Executive Director Andrew Exner

Andrew Exner (he, him, his) is the Executive Director of the San José State University Research Foundation (SJSURF). In his role as Executive Director, Andrew provides strategic leadership and direction to the independent auxiliary organization that provides administrative and business support to the campus research enterprise.

He leads an organization responsible for more than $84M in annual research expenditures and nearly 1,000 employees. Since his arrival in 2020, the organization has consistently grown revenue while simultaneously driving down the ratio of administrative costs. Prior to joining the SJSURF, Andrew served as Senior Director of Business Development for the California School Boards Association. He has a diverse background of professional experience working in for-profit and nonprofit organizations in the United States and Canada. The majority of his career has been spent focused on the needs of public education systems, having created products and implementation programs for a number of global education technology companies, including SMART Technologies and FrontRow. His nonprofit experience also includes grant-funded startup support program management and tech transfer activities while at TECTERRA Inc., a government-funded innovation support center.

Andrew holds a bachelor’s degree in Applied Communications with a specialization in Public Relations from Mount Royal University in Calgary, Canada and has completed executive education programs at NYU, Cal Berkeley, and the University of British Columbia.