Mamdani transition: Sherif Soliman, who worked for 3 different mayors, to serve as new budget director

Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has tapped a veteran of three different mayoral administrations to serve as his chief financial adviser.

The incoming mayor chose Sherif Soliman, most recently CUNY senior vice chancellor and chief financial officer, to head the Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Announcing the appointment at the Pomonok Houses in Queens on Thursday, Mamdani highlighted Soliman’s nearly three decades of experience in city government as a key strength in an effort to advance his affordability-focused agenda.

“Budgets are nothing if not a reflection of political choices and political will, and I am eager to make different decisions and to enact an agenda that puts first the many, not just the privileged,” Mamdani said. “Sherif Soliman is a skilled negotiator and dedicated public servant whose leadership of the OMB will ensure our administration fulfills our affordability agenda.”

Soliman, who will succeed outgoing OMB director Jacques Jaha, is credited for working to get CUNY’s fiscal house in order in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic that saw campuses close and all learning forced to go fully remote for about a year. The city’s network of community and four-year colleges slashed its structural deficit by 77% in two years and secured more than $400 million in new labor contracts with CUNY employees.

“Under his leadership, CUNY has enhanced strategic sourcing, improved financial transparency and worked closely with campus leaders to support academic priorities while maintaining long-term fiscal stability,” said CUNY Chancellor Felix Matos Rodríguez in a congratulatory statement. “[His] experience has been invaluable in navigating complex intergovernmental relationships and advocating effectively for the resources our students, staff and faculty need to succeed. ”

The incoming mayor chose Sherif Soliman, most recently CUNY senior vice chancellor and chief financial officer, to head the Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Announcing the appointment at the Pomonok Houses in Queens on Thursday, Mamdani highlighted Soliman’s nearly three decades of experience in city government as a key strength in an effort to advance his affordability-focused agenda.Photo by Lloyd Mitchell

Prior to joining CUNY, Soliman served in three different mayoral administrations: as a legislative representative under Mike Bloomberg; finance commissioner and several other administrative roles with Bill de Blasio; and as chief policy and delivery officer director for outgoing Mayor Eric Adams.

In his new role, Soliman will be Mayor-elect Mamdani’s closest financial advisor, responsible for creating, overseeing and negotiating capital and expense budgets with the City Council every year. The city budget was recently revised to a total of $118.2 billion for the current fiscal year, which ends on June 30.

The OMB director also manages federal and state grants that the city receives, forecasts revenues, monitors expenses and works to ensure efficient service and functions across all agencies of city government.

Soliman sounded a cautiously optimistic tone in accepting the new role. While he said he shares many of Mamdani’s values when it comes to affordability, Soliman stressed that advancing that agenda must be done responsibly.

“We are clear-eyed about the challenges that lie ahead, and we are excited about the opportunity to tackle the affordability crises that have strained household budgets for far too long,” he said. “Budgets reflect the values of an administration — they are about innovation and excellence in government. I look forward to the work ahead in building a budget that delivers real wins for working New Yorkers.”

Along with his previous mayoral administrative roles, Soliman served as executive director of the New York City Advisory Commission on Property Tax Reform, which recommended changes to the property tax system. He is also a former member of the MTA board.

Soliman resides in Manhattan with his wife, Hanan, and two children, Lenna and Ziyad.