Deborah Leipziger

Senior Fellow in Social Innovation, Lewis Institute at Babson College

Deborah Leipziger advises companies and organizations around the world on social and environmental issues. She has been a force for change in fields as diverse as mining, technology, fashion, and food. Her client list, past and present, includes Heineken, Ajinomoto, Adobe, Shell and many other companies. She played a key role in the development of several key social standards including Social Accountability 8000 and the Ethical Trading Initiative and has consulted to the UN Global Compact, the Global Reporting Initiative, the UN Environment Program, the ISEAL Alliance, among others.

As an author, consultant, professor and lecturer, Deborah has reshaped how we think about the role of corporations in promoting human rights and the environment. She is the author of several leading books in the field of sustainability and corporate responsibility, including The Corporate Responsibility Code Book, now in its third edition. She co-authored Creating Social Value: A Guide for Leaders and Change Makers with colleagues at Babson. Her books have been translated into Portuguese, Chinese, and Korean.

In 2019, Deborah became a Founding Judge for the Meaningful Business 100 and the Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards. She has served on many boards relating to sustainability, including Aviva’s Socially Responsibility Investment Advisory Committee (UK), Instituto Ethos International Advisory Board (Brazil), and the SERA CSR awards (Nigeria).

Deborah is a Senior Fellow in Social Innovation at the Lewis Institute at Babson College. She has taught at the Bard MBA in Sustainability and the Simmons School of Management. Born in Brazil, Deborah has a Masters in Public Administration from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and a BA from Manhattanville College in Economics and International Studies. An award-winning poet, Deborah resides in the Boston area in the United States. Visit her website at http://deborahleipziger.com/

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