Oxford University names Mette Morsing as next director of Smith School

Oxford University has selected Professor Mette Morsing as the next director of the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment.

Morsing, who is currently head of the principles of responsible management education at the UN Global Compact in New York, will take over from Professor Cameron Hepburn as director of the school on October 1, 2023. 

She becomes a professor of business sustainability at Oxford and has also been elected a fellow by special election at St Edmund Hall.

Dame Sarah Whatmore, who led the appointment process, said: “Mette brings deep academic expertise in organisation theory and corporate sustainability, allied with a wealth of experience in educating future business leaders to address climate change.  

She added: “Her appointment will further strengthen the Smith School’s research and impact on the vital role of enterprise in achieving net-zero emissions and sustainable development.”

Morsing’s research expertise is in organization theory and corporate sustainability, with a focus on governance, strategy, communication, identity, and cross-sector partnerships. Previously, she held professorial positions at the Copenhagen Business School, where she was the founding director of the Centre for Corporate Sustainability, and the Stockholm School of Economics, where she was executive director of the Mistra Centre for Sustainable Markets.

The Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment is part of the School of Geography and the Environment at Oxford. It focuses on addressing the intersection of climate risk, environmental economics, sustainable finance and the law. 

The school aims to achieve global net-zero emissions and sustainable development by bringing public and private enterprises together with world-class research.