Corporate Sustainability Performance Expert to Speak at MBA Sustainability Commencement

Mike Wallace, an expert in corporate sustainability and governance, will speak at the commencement ceremony for the business school’s MBA Sustainability program on Sunday, Aug. 3, at 2 p.m. in the Power Center Ballroom.

Mike Wallace

Wallace is the managing director for BrownFlynn, a Cleveland-based consulting firm whose practice in corporate responsibility and sustainability serves clients that include Fortune 500 corporations as well as organizations in sectors ranging from health care to mining. Before joining BrownFlynn as director of Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) U.S. and Canadian operations, Wallace was instrumental in creating that organization’s sustainability reporting framework, a comprehensive system now used in every portion of the North American economy and by local, state and federal governments.

According to Dr. Robert Sroufe, holder of the Murrin Chair of Global Competitiveness and the Beard Institute’s director of Applied Sustainability, Wallace’s expertise in developing and implementing corporate governance and sustainability reporting, not to mention his extensive public service, are apt complements for the aspirations and ideals of MBA Sustainability program graduates.

“I have known Mike for a few years since meeting him at a Wharton School conference where he was recruiting academic stakeholders to be a collaborative part of the GRI’s growth. He is an example of the success possible from the alignment of corporate engagement, global issues and performance measurement,” Sroufe said. “These graduates are the change agents and future we have been waiting for. I know they will make the most of every business opportunity, just as Mike Wallace has turned opportunities into reality as a successful change agent influencing corporate performance.”

This year’s 29 graduates are the seventh cohort for the MBA Sustainability program, which over the years has garnered international recognition for infusing ethical, environmental and social impact into the MBA curriculum. According to Sroufe, this year’s cohort stands out for the contributions to Duquesne’s reputation, including winning international case competitions and presenting at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.