Rodney Irwin

Prof. Dr. Rodney Irwin is Chief Education Officer, Corporate Secretary to the Executive Committee, and a member of the Leadership Team at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), based in Geneva, Switzerland.

As Chief Education Officer, Rodney oversees and is responsible for WBCSD’s education, training and capacity building activities, and delivers training on leadership, governance, risk management, reporting, ethics and strategy. He also manages the organization’s relationships with key education partners including Yale University, the Institute for Management Development (IMD) and the Inner Development Goals. Education has become a Transformation Priority for the WBCSD under Rodney’s leadership with the expansion of the flagship leadership programs (Leadership Program & LEAP), the launch of the WBCSD Academy offering online education on a wide range of sustainability topics, alongside the development of a strong portfolio of tailored solutions for bespoke education clients.

As the Corporate Secretary, Rodney is also responsible for WBCSD’s corporate governance and statutory duties. As a fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland and member of the Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland, Rodney was WBCSD’s Chief Operating Officer leading the transformation of the WBCSD support operations and expansion of offices in Europe and Asia. Rodney created and led WBCSD’s award-winning Redefining Value program for nine years prior to his current role.

Rodney holds a BSc in Economics from Queen’s University Belfast, an MSc in Management from Birmingham City University, a MSt in Sustainability Leadership from Cambridge University, and is a Doctor of Business Administration cum laude in comparative corporate governance, ethical decision making and reporting from ISM Paris.

Rodney holds the following advisory, board and academic positions:

• Professor of Accounting and Sustainability: Leuphana University in Lüneburg, Germany
• Faculty Lecturer: Yale School of Management
• Research Fellow: Lancaster University Management School
• Member of the ICAEW Sustainability Committee