Mayo Clinic recently announced that it has selected a new chief administrative officer (CAO) to succeed Shirley Weis, a longtime Mayo executive who has been credited with transforming the health care system.

Twin Cities Business broke the news in April that Weis—who has spent 40 years in the health care industry and 18 at Rochester-based Mayo—plans to retire at the end of this year.

Mayo’s board of trustees recently selected Jeff Bolton as Mayo’s next CAO and vice president of administration. Bolton will begin transitioning into his new role immediately and will work closely with Weis in the coming months before officially taking on the CAO title on November 15.

Bolton has served as Mayo’s chief financial officer (CFO) since joining the organization in 2002. He is also member of the Mayo Clinic Board of Governors and an internal member of the Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees. The health system will conduct a search to find Bolton’s successor as CFO, according to a Mayo spokesman.

The CAO title covers many duties. Weis’ responsibilities extended far beyond traditional “administrative” duties to include virtually all of Mayo Clinic’s business operations: marketing, finance, insurance reimbursement, human resources, and about a dozen other departments—essentially everything but the medical and research practices of Mayo’s physicians.

Mayo Clinic said Bolton will work with President and CEO John Noseworthy to “coordinate overall institutional strategy.”

“Jeff brings to this position a strong commitment to our mission and patients, excellent strategic insight, a broad perspective, and strong working relationships with leaders at all sites,” Noseworthy said in a statement.

Weis was the subject of a 2011 Twin Cities Business cover story, which explored her background and accomplishments at Mayo. To read the full story, entitled “Mayo Clinic’s Transformer,” click here.