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Ethics and Sustainability

Build a responsible business future through ethical leadership and sustainable practices.

Prepare your teams to navigate ethical challenges, implement sustainable practices, and build responsible business models that enhance your brand reputation while creating long-term value for all stakeholders.

Expert Insight on B Corps

In this video, Poole College business sustainability expert Jessica Thomas breaks down what B Corps are and why they are important to the business community.

Program Offerings

NC State Executive Education offers expert-led professional development programs in ethics and sustainability, customizable for your organization’s needs. Browse our offerings and contact us to start a conversation about your team’s professional development.

AI Governance, Ethics, and Accountability: Leading with Trust in the Age of Intelligent Systems

Program Leader

Phaedra Boinodiris, global leader for trustworthy AI, IBM Consulting; author of “AI for the Rest of Us.”

Program Description

AI is not a futuristic concept—it is a reality shaping industries, economies, and societies. This program unpacks the foundational pillars of AI governance and what it takes to earn trust, helping executives move beyond compliance to build AI systems that are transparent, explainable, secure, and human-centric. Through practical frameworks and real-world examples, you’ll learn why AI governance is not just an IT issue, but a leadership mandate that defines competitive advantage.

Learning Objectives

  1. Learn to identify hidden risks in AI systems while understanding why all data is an artifact of human experience.
  2. Develop approaches for building explainable and transparent AI systems within evolving regulatory frameworks.
  3. Build practical strategies for embedding AI governance into corporate strategy with clear accountability and mandate.

Ethical Decision Making

Program Leaders

Leigh Shamblin, director of leadership and professor of practice, and Eileen Taylor, professor of accounting, NC State Poole College of Management

Program Description

Develop a nuanced approach to ethical decision-making that goes beyond simple rule-following. This program explores the complex moral landscapes of professional environments, challenging you to think critically about ethical dilemmas and develop principled approaches to challenging situations.

Learning Objectives

  1. Develop strategies for recognizing and analyzing ethical challenges.
  2. Learn techniques for making principled decisions in complex scenarios.
  3. Identify approaches to maintaining professional integrity across different contexts.

Privacy in a Data-Driven World

Program Leader

Julie Earp, associate professor of information technology, NC State Poole College of Management

Program Description

Navigate the complex intersection of data privacy, cybersecurity, and business value in today’s digital environment. Drawing on over 25 years of privacy research and industry experience, this program examines critical challenges organizations face in protecting sensitive information across supply chains and data management systems. You’ll learn practical approaches for implementing privacy-conscious frameworks while maintaining operational effectiveness and building stakeholder trust.

Learning Objectives

  1. Develop risk-based strategies for managing privacy across your organization’s digital ecosystem.
  2. Design strategies that balance strong data protection with business innovation needs.
  3. Implement security protocols that strengthen your organization’s privacy resilience.

Risk Management

Program Leader

Mark Beasley, Alan T. Dickson Distinguished Professor of Accounting; director, Enterprise Risk Management Initiative, NC State Poole College of Management

Program Description

Develop a strategic approach to enterprise risk management (ERM) that aligns with your organization’s governance and strategy. This program connects risk oversight processes to strategic decision-making, moving beyond traditional compliance to create value. You’ll learn practical methodologies and tools for implementing ERM processes that enhance your organization’s ability to identify, assess, and manage emerging risks, including opportunities for taking smart strategic risks.

Learning Objective

  1. Design a risk oversight process that integrates with your organization’s strategy.
  2. Create frameworks for identifying and evaluating potential emerging risks in light of strategic objectives.
  3. Develop metrics and indicators to monitor and manage key risk exposures.

Sustainability as a Business Strategy

Program Leader

Jessica Thomas, director of Business Sustainability Collaborative; associate professor of practice, NC State Poole College of Management

Program Description

Transform your organization’s approach to sustainability from a compliance requirement into a strategic advantage. This program equips you with frameworks for driving social and environmental change while creating business value. Through real-world examples and interactive exercises, you’ll learn how purpose-driven business strategies can unlock innovation, foster collaboration, and deliver lasting impact.

Learning Objectives

  1. Develop approaches for integrating sustainability across key business functions including operations, investment, and market strategy.
  2. Learn frameworks for identifying sustainability-driven opportunities that create competitive advantage.
  3. Build strategies for leading organizational transformation toward purposeful business practices.

Let’s get started.

We invite you to contact us to start a conversation about professional development for you or your team.

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