Professor Joanne Lawrence’s Social Innovation
class encourages students to partner with
global organizations like the United Nations
Development Program, the World Health
Organization, and UNICEF to tackle some of
the world’s seemingly unsolvable problems.
Countries Hult students and the UNDP have
jointly focused on over the last two years are:
Barbados, Colombia, Haiti, Egypt, Jordan,
Somalia, Syria, and Yemen.
How do you bring
your own experience
into the classroom?
In my corporate role I was constantly facing
ethical dilemmas: apartheid in South Africa,
prices and access to medicines, too much
sugar in drinks, etc. Those experiences helped
to shape the teacher I’ve become. I use such
examples to inform my lectures: there is
nothing quite like learning from stories drawn
from real situations.
What makes Hult different?
Its truly global outlook and entrepreneurial
attitude. While Hult respects the past, it’s not
tied to it. It is very much about the future.
What is the role of business in society?
Today’s world is very much interconnected and
a global, ethical mindset is critical. Business can
only thrive in societies that are stable and
inclusive. Companies have a critical role to play
in helping to create those societies by
integrating social and environmental principles
into what they do and how they do it. I truly
believe that Hult students will lead that effort as
they apply what they learn and will thrive as
they help to move the world forward.
Follow Joanne on LinkedIn or go to
hult.edu/blog and search “Joanne Lawrence”
Joanne has 35+ years of corporate and
consulting experience with global organizations
including BP, IBM, SmithKline Beecham, the
World Bank, and the UN Global Compact. She
was named one of Britain’s Top 20 Corporate
Women by the Sunday Times and won the
Case Centre’s 2018 Best Case Study Award in
the Ethics and Sustainability category for
“Sustainability as Opportunity: Unilever’s
Sustainable Living Plan.”
To truly understand society you first
need to immerse yourself within it.
Social Innovation elective
Joanne Lawrence
American
Practice, Business &
Global Society
Professor
FACULTY INSIGHT