Strategic CIO transition SURS recently appointed a new CIO, Michael Schlachter, with the previous CIO set to retire in 2024. This leadership change presents an opportunity to engage on strategic technology modernization, risk management, and vendor consolidation during a period of executive transition.

Growth and geography With 61 employers across Illinois and a member base exceeding 250,000, SURS has a broad, stable donor and beneficiary network. This breadth signals potential for scalable service offerings, education campaigns, and platform enhancements that support large, multi-employer retirement ecosystems.

Award-winning programs SURS has earned leadership recognition awards for its Deferred Compensation Plan redesign and Retirement Savings Plan, highlighting a track record of innovative benefit programs. This positions SURS as a receptive partner for further improvements in DC/DB plan design, participant engagement, and compliance-driven analytics.

Technology stack Current tech includes Burgiss Private i Platform, SQL, Python, and Jira, indicating familiarity with advanced data analytics, financial modeling, and workflow collaboration. Opportunities exist to propose integrated data solutions, governance tooling, and automation to enhance plan administration and reporting.

Financial scale Annual revenue in the mid-range for public pension funds (~$25M–$50M) and a mid-sized employee base suggests a focus on cost-effective, scalable solutions with strong ROI, including cloud-based security, compliance monitoring, and vendor management that align with government administration needs.