Ranked #1 in the World
Hey there, Iʼm Laura Clise, a 2008 Thunderbird grad. At AREVA, a French energy multinational dedicated to providing CO2-free power generation and transmission and distribution, I am responsible for sustainable development and continuous improvement for North America. Broadly speaking, I define and execute our sustainable development strategy for the region, which for the moment means that I am working with our business units and subsidiaries across the U.S. and Canada to implement our framework for integrating sustainable development into our business operations.
Over the past few years, a lot of companies have jumped on the sustainable development and corporate responsibility bandwagons; however, I am excited to represent a company at which sustainable development and continuous improvement frame and drive our strategic business decisions.
At Thunderbird, I discovered that my professional passion lies at the intersection of corporate social responsibility and international development. I have worked on projects for the U.N. Global Compact, Intel, Business for Social Responsibility, the Jordanian Ministry of Planning, and the U.N. Decade for Education in Sustainable Development.
While I cannot promise to provide answers, my blogging will touch upon the following questions: What is the role of companies regarding local economic development around their sites? How should companies engage with local and national stakeholders to simultaneously facilitate an enabling business environment and ensure that they act as responsible corporate citizens? How can companies continuously innovate to instill a corporate culture that defines progress through the lens of economic, environmental and social responsibility? How can companies serve both shareholders and stakeholders?
From an upcoming stakeholder engagement tour with Native American tribal leaders, to continued work with ADAGE, our biomass joint venture with Duke Energy, to change management challenges concerning the alignment of our sustainable development practices across North America, I look forward to contributing to a dialogue about global corporate citizenship and the evolving definition of corporations and their responsibilities.
Prior to Thunderbird, I worked in brand management at General Mills, and in strategy and operations management for McMaster-Carr. I received my B.A. from Carleton College, where I studied International Relations with a focus on political and economic transition in China.
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