Shinya Yamanaka
2012 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine | Inventor of iPS Cell Technology | Senior Investigator, Gladstone Institutes | Professor, UCSF
Rebecca Henderson
John & Natty McArthur University Professor at Harvard | Fellow, British Academy & American Academy of Arts & Sciences | Author, Reimagining Capitalism
Rebecca Henderson is one of Harvard's 25 University Professors and the world's leading authority on sustainable capitalism. Her research — backed by 30+ years of fieldwork and S&P 500 board experience — gives business leaders a rigorous, evidence-based framework for building purpose-driven organizations that outperform. Audiences leave equipped to act, not just inspired to agree.
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Rebecca Henderson biography
Rebecca Henderson is one of the most influential economists working at the intersection of business, capitalism, and climate — a Harvard University Professor whose research has reshaped how senior leaders think about the relationship between profitability, purpose, and long-term survival. Holding the John and Natty McArthur University Chair, one of only 25 University Professorships ever awarded at Harvard, she brings joint appointments to the Harvard Business School’s General Management and Strategy units, and has spent more than three decades studying how large organizations innovate, transform, and either thrive or fail in the face of systemic disruption.
Sustainability speaker Rebecca Henderson is best known for her book Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire (PublicAffairs, 2020), which was shortlisted for the FT/McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award and named one of the Financial Times’ best business books of that year. The book — drawn from twenty years of research across organizational change, innovation economics, and political theory — makes the case that capitalism is neither inherently broken nor inevitably destructive, but that its current form has become dangerously unbalanced, and that business leaders have both the incentive and the responsibility to help fix it. The MBA course of the same name became the most successful elective launched at HBS in years and is also available through Harvard Online.
The Business Case for Reimagining Capitalism
Henderson’s authority is not purely academic. She has served on the board of IDEXX Laboratories, an S&P 500 company, for more than two decades, and previously served on the board of Amgen — a Fortune 200 pharmaceutical company — for over a decade, during which the Financial Times named her one of its three Directors of the Year. She is a Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research and a fellow of both the British Academy and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She has consulted with IBM, Unilever, BP, Eli Lilly, Cisco, and dozens of other major corporations on strategy, sustainability, and organizational transformation. Before joining Harvard, she spent twenty-one years at MIT’s Sloan School of Management, where she was named Teacher of the Year.
As a speaker, Rebecca Henderson challenges the assumption that sustainability and profitability are in tension — and does so not with advocacy, but with data. Her keynotes draw directly from primary research and real corporate case studies to show what purpose-driven leadership actually looks like in practice, why companies that ignore systemic risk increasingly underperform, and what boards and C-suites can do right now to build organizations capable of thriving in a world that is changing faster than most strategies can keep pace with. Senior audiences — particularly those navigating ESG pressure, stakeholder capitalism debates, and climate transition risk — find her sessions to be among the most intellectually rigorous and practically grounded they encounter.
Rebecca Henderson Speaking Videos
Reimagining Capitalism with Rebecca Henderson
Conversation with Prof. Rebecca Henderson, Harvard Business School
Rebecca Henderson Keynote Topics
Drawing from her landmark book and two decades of corporate research, Henderson dismantles the false choice between profitability and purpose. Through case studies from Walmart, Unilever, and dozens of other firms, she shows how companies that embrace environmental and social responsibility consistently outcompete those that don't — and what leaders need to do now to position their organizations for the economy that is already emerging.
Most organizations manage risk within their industry and competitive set — and ignore the systemic risks that will ultimately determine whether their business model survives. Henderson makes the strategic case for taking climate change, inequality, and institutional fragility seriously, not as ethical concerns but as material factors that are already reshaping markets, talent pools, regulation, and capital flows.
Henderson's thirty years of research into organizational change converge in this session on what it actually takes to shift a large, complex organization toward more sustainable practices. Moving beyond frameworks and aspirations, she addresses the internal barriers — incentive structures, cognitive biases, short-term financial pressure — that consistently derail well-intentioned sustainability strategies, and what leaders must do differently to make change stick.
With decades of S&P 500 board experience at IDEXX and Amgen, Henderson brings a practitioner's eye to the question of how boards can evolve from compliance-focused oversight bodies into genuine strategic partners in building sustainable, long-lived companies. A rare session that combines academic rigor with direct boardroom experience — designed for directors, CFOs, and governance professionals.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Rebecca Henderson
Why Rebecca Henderson?
Booking Rebecca Henderson means bringing to your event a speaker who combines the intellectual authority of one of Harvard's most distinguished professors with the boardroom credibility of a seasoned S&P 500 director. She doesn't argue for sustainability as an ethical imperative — she argues for it as a strategic one, backed by decades of empirical research and first-hand corporate experience. Her ability to translate complex systemic challenges into clear, actionable frameworks makes her uniquely valuable for boards, executive committees, and leadership conferences grappling with ESG, climate risk, stakeholder capitalism, or the future of corporate purpose. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to check availability and discuss how her keynote can be tailored to your audience.
What is Rebecca Henderson's main argument in Reimagining Capitalism?
Henderson's central thesis is that capitalism is the most powerful economic system ever devised — but that in its current form it has become "radically unbalanced," generating enormous wealth at the top while externalizing costs onto society and the planet in ways that ultimately threaten the system itself. She argues that the dominant doctrine of maximizing short-term shareholder value is not only socially harmful but strategically self-defeating, and that companies embracing purpose, fair wages, and genuine environmental responsibility consistently outperform over the long run. Crucially, she frames this not as a call for altruism but for enlightened self-interest: businesses that ignore systemic risk — climate, inequality, institutional decay — are businesses that will not survive the next generation of competition.
What is Rebecca Henderson's role at Harvard?
Henderson holds the John and Natty McArthur University Professorship at Harvard — one of only 25 ever awarded by the university, recognizing scholars whose work crosses disciplinary boundaries and has exceptional impact. She has joint appointments in the General Management and Strategy units at Harvard Business School, where she teaches the MBA course "Reimagining Capitalism" and the required course "Leadership and Corporate Accountability," as well as programs in Executive Education. She is also Co-Director of the Business and Environment Initiative at HBS and a Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research.
What topics does sustainability speaker Rebecca Henderson cover?
Henderson speaks on sustainable capitalism and the business case for purpose-driven strategy, climate transition risk and corporate responsibility, ESG as a strategic imperative, organizational change and innovation, and the role of business leaders in sustaining healthy institutions and markets. Her talks are particularly valuable for financial services, energy, healthcare, and consumer goods sectors, as well as for any organization navigating the growing tension between short-term performance pressure and long-term systemic risk. Reach out to Aurum Speakers Bureau to explore how her session can be structured for your event.
How to book Rebecca Henderson as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Rebecca Henderson as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Rebecca Henderson's availability for a speaking engagement. One of our booking agents will respond to your request immediately and contact the speaker to let them know you want to hire them. We will assist you with obtaining speaking fees, booking information, and confirming availability for Rebecca Henderson or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Rebecca Henderson speaking fee?
Rebecca Henderson speaking fees are determined by several factors, including the event's date, whether it's a virtual or in-person event, the duration, format, preparation required for their speech, and more. The same applies to the cost to hire any other top expert speakers and celebrities. The Speaker Fee Range listed on our website is simply a guideline and is subject to change without notice. If you would like to hire Rebecca Henderson to deliver a keynote speech for your event, please fill out the contact form or email us at info@aurumbureau.com with as much detail as possible. One of our experienced agents will get in touch with you and let you know exactly how much it will cost to book Rebecca Henderson.
How can I contact Rebecca Henderson?
We only work with Rebecca Henderson on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Rebecca Henderson and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Rebecca Henderson speak at your event. We will be your sole point of contact throughout the process. Get in touch with Aurum Speakers Bureau today, and we will reach out to any motivational speaker or celebrity you want to enquire about speaking at your event. If you wish to contact Rebecca Henderson for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Rebecca Henderson for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Rebecca Henderson is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Rebecca Henderson for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
