The University of North Texas at Dallas announced that Arthur Bradford, a successful finance leader in the corporate sector, has been named Executive Vice President for Administration and Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

Bradford, with extensive financial experience in the retail, real estate, consumer packaged goods, and food service & vending sectors, will oversee all university financial functions, as well as facilities and police/campus safety. He will replace Jim Main, who is retiring.

Bradford most recently served as Head of Stores, Finance for JCPenney. In two stints with Walmart, he served as Senior Director & Division CFO, U.S. Operations Finance & Strategy (2008-12,) and also served as Senior Director, Corporate Finance and Strategy (2012-13) before returning to the company in 2015 as Senior Director, Real Estate Finance and Investment Analysis.

He also has worked for Luxottica (LensCrafters), Conagra Foods and PepsiCo Frito-Lay.

“Mr. Bradford brings a rich set of skills to UNT Dallas that have been honed at such great companies as Walmart, PepsiCo Frito-Lay and JCPenney,” UNT Dallas President Bob Mong said. “I know we also will benefit from his well- deserved reputation as a mentor and developer of talent. We could not be more pleased to welcome him to the UNT Dallas community.

 “At the same time, I want to thank outgoing CFO Jim Main for his impactful service to the university. He can go into a well- deserved retirement knowing that he accomplished great things helping us build our young university.”

Bradford will officially join UNT Dallas, the fastest-growing public university in Texas and the only four-year university in Dallas to focus on urban students, on Oct. 1.

"It is personal,” Bradford said of joining UNT Dallas. “When I think about the students at UNT Dallas, their backgrounds and life experiences, I see myself. From a very young age and with the encouragement from my parents, teachers and mentors, I have always viewed education as the unrestricted passport to success.  Empower. Transform. Strengthen. I believe in the mission at UNT Dallas because it is personal."

Bradford, a Certified Public Accountant, holds a bachelor’s degree from Grambling State University, an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Biblical & Theological Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary.