This Monday, West Virginia University’s latest chief financial officer will be starting his new job, although he’ll be arriving with some baggage.
When the hiring of Chris Kabourek was announced on April 16, WVU trumpeted his 30 years of fiscal experience in higher education and said “we’ve found a creative, dynamic, forward-looking, and solutions-focused CFO.”
A split-screen experience began just a few days later, April 20, when his previous employer, The Ohio State University, released a 47-page report concluding its former President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. misused his position “to seek resources from the university and key university partners for a personal associate,” Krisanthe Vlachos.
The report’s focus was on the actions of Ohio State’s president, but it also singled out Kabourek and concluded that, as senior advisor to Carter, he had failed to stop or report those efforts.
“Kabourek went far beyond any other employee in supporting Carter’s efforts to assist Vlachos, both inside and outside the university; he failed to stop or report those efforts himself; and he failed to appropriately address concerns raised to him by other employees,” the Ohio State report concluded.
In response to questions by MetroNews about whether West Virginia University was aware of the allegations and why university leaders concluded he would be a good hire anyway, WVU officials continued to stand by his track record and potential.
“The University has done its due diligence in vetting Mr. Kabourek as a candidate and hire for this important role in which he will serve as a strategic partner in helping to build a stronger West Virginia University,” university officials said in a statement conveyed by spokeswoman Shauna Johnson.
The statement continued by saying Kabourek had been up front about what occurred at Ohio State.
“Mr. Kabourek fully disclosed to the University in the interview process that there would be a report from his previous employer, his perspective on the investigation which differs from what has been published, and the circumstances leading to it.
“He was candid and transparent with President Michael T. Benson, key members of the University leadership team, members of the CFO search committee, the Finance team and Board of Governors members.”
But, WVU officials said, “We cannot speak to any specifics involving past leadership at The Ohio State University.”
At Ohio State
Kabourek was named the senior vice president for administration and planning at The Ohio State University on Oct. 28, 2024. His role there expanded Sept. 1, 2025, when he was promoted to include the position of senior advisor to the president.
That time overlaps with Carter, who started as president at Ohio State on Jan. 1, 2024. Carter specifically highlighted their history of working closely together for 27 years at the University of Nebraska, where Kabourek had served as the interim president and chief financial officer after Carter’s departure.
Carter resigned from Ohio State this past March 7, and the president of the board of governors initiated an investigation the next day. The investigation was conducted jointly by the Office of University Compliance and Integrity and the Department of Internal Audit at the direction of the General Counsel.
The focus was on whether any university resources or employees were improperly influenced to benefit Carter’s personal associate, Krisanthe Vlachos, who was the founder and host of “The Callout Podcast,” a platform she created in July 2020 to connect transitioning military veterans with careers in the utility industry.
The investigation report concluded that, while Carter’s wide-ranging efforts to secure university resources for Vlachos were persistent, they were largely unsuccessful because of established university processes and the decisions of individual employees.
Carter and Vlachos apparently met in March 2023 at a “Veterans in Energy” forum while Carter was president at Nebraska.
When Carter went to Ohio State in January 2024, Vlachos gained an unusual amount of access to him, including at least 24 documented meetings and five university-funded trips where she was often identified as the point of contact for logistics.
Vlachos, who was not an Ohio State employee, sought significant university resources to support her personal business projects, enabled by Carter’s direct influence. For example, she secured a $93,716 contract with WOSU, a university unit, for the production of 50 podcast episodes and was granted complimentary office space.
The investigation concluded that her presence and Carter’s efforts on her behalf wasted extensive employee time, created mistrust and potentially jeopardized the university’s relationships with state and corporate partners.
“In sum,” the report concluded, “Carter intentionally put his own interests before Ohio State’s interests when he used the authority and influence of his university position to secure benefits for Vlachos.”
Kabourek’s role
While the university investigation focused on Carter, it concluded that Kabourek stood out for enabling Vlachos by serving as her primary university point of contact. While other university staff generally sought to disengage from Vlachos after finding her ideas infeasible, the report said Kabourek continued to collaborate.
On Kabourek the report concluded: “Numerous other Ohio State employees received indirect or derivative requests or were contacted personally by Vlachos who communicated Carter’s implicit or explicit authorization for the contact or request. With one exception, these employees all sought to avoid Vlachos’ communications, or efforts on her behalf, within a few meetings or contacts. That exception was Chris Kabourek.
“Kabourek served as Carter’s university point of contact for Vlachos. No other employee other than Carter communicated so extensively with Vlachos, and no other employee had the same level of awareness of or involvement in Vlachos’ activities both inside and outside the university.”
Specifically, the report indicated, Kabourek drafted a formal project plan for the app that included a $20,000 university contract for a pilot program — and he organized subsequent meetings in November and December 2025 to keep the app project alive within the university, even after senior colleagues had expressed clear skepticism.
Furthermore, the report noted Kabourek took a red-eye flight from a university business trip in Washington specifically to attend a December 10, 2025, meeting about the app at the private, nonprofit economic development corporation JobsOhio.
The report ultimately found Kabourek’s claims—that he had done everything possible to limit Carter’s efforts — “not credible” given the extent of his continued assistance to Vlachos throughout early 2026.
The report notes that Vlachos texted Kabourek this past March 3 and asked to catch up with him. He replied and they scheduled a phone meeting on March 12. That meeting was canceled on March 8.
Vlachos texted him on March 9, after Carter’s resignation was announced that morning, to say “When you have a moment, I’d appreciate a brief call please. I need your advice with something so I know best way to handle.”
Kabourek told Ohio State officials that he did not reply to Vlachos by text or call.
Kabourek resigned from his leadership position at Ohio State this past April 13, effective immediately.
Three days after that, his hiring by WVU was announced.
Kabourek’s pay and responsibilities at WVU
Kabourek’s contract, obtained by a MetroNews Freedom of Information Act request, shows that he will make $550,000 a year.
In addition to his base pay, he is eligible for a maximum aggregate of $350,000 in deferred compensation over a five-year period. The actual amount awarded each year, ranging from $50,000 to $100,000, is determined at the sole discretion of the university president based on Kabourek meeting specific performance goals.
The contract runs through June 30, 2029, but specifies that Kabourek’s appointment as chief financial officer is made “at the will and pleasure of the President of the University.”
The university can terminate his employment immediately for “cause,” which is defined to include fraud, dishonesty or moral turpitude, regardless of whether the conduct is related to the university.
As chief financial officer at WVU, Kabourek will be responsible for managing the university’s financial health, facilities, technology and operational infrastructure.
WVU’s position on hire
When his hiring was announced, university officials emphasized his 30-year higher education track record rather than his last few years at Ohio State.
That was again a focal point of the university’s response to questions from MetroNews.
“For decades, Chris Kabourek has served in senior leadership roles at two major public, land-grant, R1 universities — Nebraska and Ohio State. Like West Virginia University, these are large, complex institutions with collaborative academics, research, finance, facilities, technology, athletics, health care and state relationships.
“As Interim President at Nebraska, Mr. Kabourek also served on the Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors, which gave him a seat at the table for some of the major strategic issues facing large public universities. That kind of extensive experience matters.”
WVU officials expressed confidence in Kabourek’s commitment to upholding ethical obligations. The university statement cited core principles for personal conduct, academic success and professional behavior.
“We can say extensive background checks and reference checks were conducted prior to Mr. Kabourek’s hire. The University has done its due diligence in vetting Mr. Kabourek as a candidate and hire for this important role in which he will serve as a strategic partner in helping to build a stronger West Virginia University.
“WVU culture is built on the Mountaineer Values of Service, Curiosity, Respect, Accountability and Appreciation. Already, we have seen Mr. Kabourek embrace these Values as he engages with members of the University community prior to his June 1 start date.”