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CESR鈥檚 new executive director brings a passion for the environment, and a career in social responsibility, to Leeds.

In its search for a new executive director, the Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility at the Leeds School of Business wanted an accomplished strategist whose insights and global connections can help CESR advance on the world stage.

That鈥檚 exactly what they鈥檙e getting in Kathryn Wendell, an experienced leader in sustainability and social entrepreneurship, who will join the University of baby直播app Boulder in August.

鈥淚鈥檓 at a place in my career where I can leverage my networks to enable others to go out and make a difference,鈥� Wendell said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 important for this position, but it鈥檚 also very meaningful to me.鈥�

Wendell鈥檚 career in sustainability has spanned the for-profit world (Chevron and Levi Strauss), the public sector (World Bank and Peace Corps), and higher education (Stanford University). Prior to joining Leeds, she was a director at Stanford鈥檚 Institute for Innovation in Developing Economies鈥攌nown as Stanford Seed鈥攚hich enables social entrepreneurs in Africa and Asia to grow and scale their businesses.听

Currently, she serves on the board of the Kennebunkport Climate Initiative, a national nonprofit working to empower youth voices for climate action. She helped to launch the organization, collaborating with senior executives in Silicon Valley, New England and across the nation to advance its mission.

Bringing CESR 'to the next level'

That variety will serve her well at CESR, said Julie Waggoner, the center鈥檚 interim director.

鈥淜athryn has a lot of experience getting people excited about an idea and moving in the same direction,鈥� said Waggoner, who is continuing on as CESR鈥檚 director of operations. 鈥淚n the work she did for Kennebunkport, she was bringing together a lot of people with different, but related, interests and getting them committed to solving a problem鈥攁nd that's really what what we're looking for in this role.听

鈥淲e have many of the pieces to become a top 10 institution, in terms of sustainability, and I think Kathryn will really help us take it to the next level.鈥澨�

Wendell鈥檚 experience leading corporate social responsibility initiatives at Chevron should serve her especially well, Waggoner said. In this role, Wendell led global initiatives to foster baby直播app development in regions where the energy giant did business. In Bangladesh, she helped train local vendors and organizations to be able to supply Chevron, which imported virtually everything鈥攅ven cafeteria food鈥攆rom abroad.

An ability to build capacity is important for CESR, which aims to be the recognized leader and authority for innovative education in ethics, social responsibility and sustainability.听

鈥淟eeds is already doing amazing work鈥攊n terms of research and education鈥攚hen it comes to business solutions to environmental challenges, diversity and inclusion, and ethical leadership,鈥� Wendell said. 鈥淲here I see myself able to make an impact is in building relationships with influential businesses and organizations, to see how we can work together toward common goals.鈥�

While she鈥檚 new to Leeds, Wendell already is a Boulder resident; her husband, Mike McGehee, is a professor in the College of Engineering and Applied Science. Wendell is a firm believer that the engineering and business disciplines have much to learn from one another as they try to solve problems related to clean energy and the environment.听

The environment, of course, was what drew her to Boulder in the first place.

鈥淚 love to ski and backpack, and I鈥檓 an avid trail runner,鈥� she said. 鈥淥ne of the main motivations to come to Boulder was to be able to appreciate the outdoors, and be surrounded by people who deeply care about the environment.鈥澨�

When she鈥檚 not in the mountains, Wendell enjoys travel鈥攕he has lived, worked or studied in more than 80 countries鈥攚hich has given her a great network, but also a worldly perspective that鈥檚 crucial to solving the kinds of challenges confronting the business world.

鈥淲e are going to see a lot of change over the next decade, especially as companies integrate climate, diversity and ethics into their core business strategies. For business students, it's an incredible time to learn about the issues and identify innovative solutions,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an honor to join Leeds as CESR advances our understanding of the challenges and offers the fresh ideas and best practice models that the business world seeks.鈥�