WashU IT is proud to recognize Mark Chapman, Director of IT Service Management (ITSM), as a Person of ImpacT. Nominated by his peers in 2024, Chapman is celebrated for his dedication to value-driven service, his passion for refining ITSM practices, and his commitment to building strong, genuine relationships across teams. He’s known not just for his expertise, but for the way he leads—with heart, humility, and a collaborative spirit that inspires those around him.
Being recognized by his peers as a Person of ImpacT is both humbling and inspiring for Chapman.
“It affirms the value of the work I’ve done and motivates me to continue driving positive changes within our community,” he said. “It’s a reminder that the small actions we take each day can ripple outward and make a meaningful difference.”
Chapman shares this honor with the talented people on the End User Experience (EUX) and Service Management Office (SMO) teams, emphasizing that “this recognition is an opportunity to celebrate my own contributions, as well as the collective accomplishments of these teams and the strong relationships that we’ve developed along the way.”
To Chapman, a Person of ImpacT is someone who embodies leadership, empathy, and innovation. They’re committed to excellence in their work, while uplifting those around them, fostering collaboration, and cultivating a culture of belonging.
“A Person of ImpacT strives to create lasting, positive change—not for recognition, but because they genuinely care,” he said.
With decades of experience in service management, Chapman leads the Service Management Office with deep knowledge and passion.
“Chapman has a passion for service and more importantly, value-driven service,” said Tim Brooks, Executive Director, IT Portfolio and Project Management Office and one of Chapman’s nominators. “He leads organization-wide efforts to establish and continuously improve our IT Service Management practices—including incident, service, problem, asset, knowledge, and more.”
Leanne Carver, Assistant Director, Identity Governance, and another of Chapman’s nominators, adds, “Chapman goes above and beyond to deliver his work and makes a point to foster relationships with his team. He puts in more than his fair share of effort to support our service management and projects.”
In his role, Chapman leads the Service Management Office with a clear focus on delivering seamless, user-centered IT services that meet the evolving needs of the WashU community. He empowers his team with the resources and encouragement to bring innovative solutions to life, fostering a culture of transparency, empathy, and continuous improvement.
Chapman’s personal credo reflects his leadership approach:
“Never accept mediocrity or be afraid to challenge the way things have always been done.”
This mindset drives innovation and progress within his team and across WashU IT.
Currently, Chapman is primarily focused on the IT Asset Management program, where he utilizes his ITIL expertise alongside problem-solving and strategic thinking to develop and enhance solutions that improve operations and deliver exceptional experiences for end users.
Before coming to WashU, his career was focused on leading, enabling, and empowering organizations across the globe to create and implement IT Service Management disciplines and solutions, with much of his work centered in healthcare. At WashU, he feels he has truly found his place to make a positive and lasting impact.
Coming from a corporate background where leadership was more autocratic, Chapman appreciates WashU’s culture of openness and empowerment. “Leaders at all levels are able to provide input,” he said. “We are not just another level in an autocratic machine.” This refreshing environment allows him and his colleagues to “challenge and say, ‘have you ever thought of doing this differently?’”
Chapman believes that for employees to truly feel engaged and valued, “their voices need to be heard, and their contributions, recognized.” He emphasizes the importance of transparent communication, active listening, and creating opportunities for growth. To foster this, he advocates prioritizing “meaningful dialogue, mentorship, development opportunities, and celebrating achievements—big or small—across our teams.” He also highlights the importance of visibly acting on employee feedback, noting that engagement deepens when people can see how their input shapes decisions.
His unofficial superpower? Bringing people together to a common understanding of a task at hand, solving problems collaboratively in ways that benefit multiple teams and customers across WashU.
Chapman shares his excitement for integrating new technologies, especially AI, into service management, noting: “I would like to be able to use AI to help people find answers and to help enhance the practices that EUX and the SMO follow… Being able to provide automation to make things easier and more robust for our customers.”
Outside the office, Chapman is a passionate guitar builder and restorer. “My shop was like the ‘land of misfit toys.’ I believe that meaningful things that have been tarnished over time can be brought back to life to be treasured for generations to come—especially old guitars.” This creative outlet helps him recharge and brings fresh perspectives to his professional life.
Drawing from his passion for guitar building and restoration, Chapman lights up when asked what it would be like to form a band with his team at WashU IT. “Well, given that I’m a musician, I’d be the guitar player,” he said. “I would like to be able to set the melody for the band, and to be able to support people like the lead singer and be able to collaborate with the drummer and with the bass player. What would the band be called? I think we’d be called The Innovators.”