- Email:
- turnerjf@iu.edu
Jillian Turner serves as the Vice President of Strategy and Operations for IU LAB and Chief Strategy Officer for IU Inc. In these dual leadership roles, she leads the development and execution of transformational growth strategies, creating innovative models for industry partnerships, consortium agreements, and sustainable revenue generation that accelerate research translation, commercialization, and economic development. She develops and implements strategic partnership and revenue models that expand Indiana University's engagement with industry, government, philanthropy, and academic collaborators while strengthening the university's long-term innovation ecosystem. Her work positions Indiana University as a premier partner and catalyst for innovation across disciplines.
As a member of the IU LAB executive team, Jillian provides strategic oversight and operational leadership under the direction of the President and CEO. Working across Indiana University and with external partners, she designs and implements scalable partnership frameworks, collaborative governance structures, and innovative business and engagement models that create new revenue opportunities, enable transformational investments, strengthen cross-campus collaboration, and establish long-term strategic alliances. As Chief Strategy Officer for IU Inc., she also leads enterprise-wide strategic planning, partnership development, and organizational initiatives that advance the university's innovation, commercialization, and long-term financial sustainability.
Before joining IU LAB, Jillian served as Senior Vice President of Global Investment and Partnerships for the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC). There, she led Indiana's foreign direct investment strategy to grow key industries - including semiconductors and life sciences - resulting in over $39 billion in capital investment and managed priority partnerships, including the state's international engagement through Memorandums of Understanding and economic development missions with the Governor and Secretary of Commerce. She cultivated relationships with global companies, international governments, and strategic stakeholders to advance investment opportunities and economic growth across Indiana.
Prior to returning home to Indiana, Jillian spent a decade working in Washington, DC, including seven years at the U.S. Department of State. She served as the Secretary of State's Public Affairs Advance Lead, supporting the communication of U.S. foreign policy objectives around the world, including at the G20 Summits in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2018 and Osaka, Japan, in 2019. She also served in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, where she advised senior leadership on policy and strategic planning initiatives and managed Fulbright Programs throughout South and Central Asia, including Afghanistan and India. Earlier in her career, Jillian worked with several nonprofit organizations dedicated to strengthening cultural exchange and international engagement across Europe, the Near East, and South and Central Asia.
Jillian was awarded the Sagamore of the Wabash in 2025, Indiana's highest civilian honor, and was recognized as one of the Indianapolis Business Journal's Forty Under 40. She holds a bachelor's degree in international studies from Indiana University and a master's degree in international education policy, with a concentration in negotiations, from Harvard University. A native of Shelbyville, Indiana, Jillian is passionate about building strategic partnerships, creating innovative collaboration models, and advancing initiatives that drive scientific discovery, economic growth, and improved human health.