CESR Advisory Board

Ellen Balaguer, Retired Global Managing Director, Accenture

Ellen was a senior executive with Accenture for 27 years and is now retired. During her tenure at Accenture, Ellen held a variety of roles, the most recent of which included Global Managing Director for HR & Learning Services and Global Managing Director for Innovation and Offer Management for the Outsourcing business.

While at Accenture, Ellen spearheaded many top strategic growth initiatives for the organization and led some of the largest and most complex deals done on a global basis. She also successfully turned around several distressed business units and drove significant growth in several areas of both the outsourcing and consulting businesses.

Ellen served on several Accenture corporate boards including the Global Leadership Council, the Global Investment Committee, various corporate strategic growth plan initiatives, Accenture Development Partnerships and several corporate citizenship initiatives.

Since retiring from Accenture, Ellen is now a philanthropist/board member, and works with a number of education and conservation organizations and nonprofits in the U.S. and around the world. She is an active member of the Leeds Advisory Board (an emeritus board chair), the secretary of the CU Boulder Enterprise Corporation (CUBEC) Board and advisor/board member at the Business School at the University of Colorado Denver campus. She has served as both a board member and officer at the Jane Goodall Institute, the Florence Crittenton School Denver, and the Colorado Ballet. She is an investor and strategic advisor to several EdTech startups. She is a founding member of the Technical Impact Circle at World Pulse and a member of the Industry Advisory Board for ActivateWork. In 2023, Ellen was named an Influential Leader by AACSB International, a testament to her track record of creating positive impact through leadership that is compassionate, curious and resilient, with a focus on purpose, people and planet.

Ellen strives to be a wholistic investor in the organizations with which she works contributing considerable time toward mentorship and guidance across strategic, operational, talent and fundraising initiatives. She finds mentoring students and young business-people very rewarding.

Ellen attended the University of Colorado at Boulder where she earned both a BS in Finance and a BA in Psychology in 1982. In 2012, Ellen was the Leeds Undergraduate commencement speaker and was also the recipient of the Leeds Distinguished Alumni and Service Award in recognition for her service to the school and exceptional achievements in business. She will serve as the 2023 Leeds Graduate commencement speaker. In 1982, she was the student recipient of the University of Colorado Thomas Jefferson award. Ellen and her family live in Denver and travel extensively on a worldwide basis.

Grace Ebner,Sr. Global Environmental Compliance Specialist, Otter Box

Grace Ebner holds two graduate degrees from the University of Colorado Boulder: an MBA (’23) and a Masters of the Environment degree specializing in Urban Resilience (’23). She also holds a BA in Sustainability Studies from the University of Florida.

Currently, Grace is a Sr. Global Environmental Compliance Specialist at OtterBox where she tracks and prepares for ever-evolving ESG regulation while managing disclosures, sustainability reporting, and third-party environmental certifications. Prior to this role, Grace spent over seven years working for an environmental consulting firm that specialized in greenhouse gas accounting, carbon offset/removal projects, and providing ESG support services. She successfully built partnerships to develop corporate Net Zero strategies and targets, led B Corporation certifications, created custom impact calculators, and managed the retirement of over 50,000 tons of carbon emissions. During her time at the University of Colorado Boulder, Grace served as the inaugural Vice President of Sustainability for her MBA class, the President of the Leeds Social Impact Consultancy, and the President of Judge Relations for the Net Impact Case Competition.

Grace aims to boost the work of value-driven companies by strengthening and communicating the business sense behind sustainability.

Jamie Gardner, Head of Strategic Programs, Global Affairs, Google

Jamie Gardner is a high impact executive with more than 20 years of experience in advising global businesses and social enterprises on innovation, technology and growth strategies with an emphasis on sustainability, equity and inclusion. She is focused on helping executives achieve results. She currently serves as the head of strategic programs within Global Affairs at Google.   As a strategic advisor, she works with the business to diagnose/assess opportunities for transformation and scope and launch innovative solutions to address those needs.

Jamie earned her undergraduate degree in business administration for finance and marketing from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a masters in public policy from Georgetown University.   She recently relocated her family, including her twin boys, and is thrilled to be back in the Boulder area, working with her alma mater.

Dr. Glyne A. Griffith II, Vice President of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Impact, Dallas Symphony Association

Dr. Glyne A. Griffith II holds a Doctor of Business Administration degree with a Specialization in Organizational Leadership. He currently serves as Vice President of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Impact for the Dallas Symphony Association. He works collaboratively across the organization to develop, monitor, and report on actionable EDI, culture goals, and social impact strategies and metrics in alignment with the organization’s mission and strategic plan.

Dr. Griffith was previously Senior Manager of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at SiriusXM, which includes Pandora and Stitcher. In that role, he was a key contributor to the conception and execution of a company-wide monthly event series hosted by the DE&I team that educated and empowered employees, covering a range of diversity, equity, and inclusion topics, terms, and concepts. He also oversaw SiriusXM’s employee resource groups which provide support, visibility, and empowerment to Women, People of Color, Veterans, the LGBTQIA+ community, people with disabilities, and allies at the company. He created company-wide communications to celebrate, educate, and increase cultural awareness surrounding special observances throughout the year.

Dr. Griffith has a professional background in diversity, entertainment, marketing, and technology, with corporations including Nissan, General Motors, and Broadcast Music Incorporated. Dr. Griffith is a Certified Diversity Professional (CDP) and holds certifications in Social Impact Partnerships, as well as Corporate Social Responsibility from the Center for Ethics on Social Responsibility (CESR) of the University of Colorado, Leeds School of Business. He is also a singer, composer, and performer. Dr. Griffith is a vocalist with the Dallas Symphony Chorus, and his artistic background also includes piano, acting, and songwriting, with original compositions featured on various projects including a film soundtrack and a top Billboard-charting album.

Dr. Griffith is passionate about the role that arts and entertainment can play as a catalyst for unity and social impact. Griffith is a devoted husband and father of two.

Amy Halvorson, Enterprise Sustainability Lead, Starbucks Coffee Company

Amy Halvorson (she/her) is an impact-driven sustainability professional with extensive experience in strategy development, program management and stakeholder engagement. She has an unwavering commitment to advancing sustainable operations and supply chains and enabling business growth through execution of environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives.

Currently, Amy is a Sustainability Lead at Starbucks Coffee Company where she manages initiatives that drive progress toward Starbucks 2030 environmental sustainability goals and supports strategic relationships with NGOs, industry groups, and other stakeholders. Since joining in 2023, her subject matter expertise and cross-functional collaboration have proven essential to navigating sustainability issues in a highly complex retail environment.

Prior to this role, Amy spent over seven years with Cargill, a global food and agriculture company and leader in building a resilient and sustainable food system. She served as Sustainability Manager, Strategic Initiatives; Sustainability and Partnerships Manager; and Project Manager, Global Issues Management. During her tenure at Cargill, she successfully designed programs to operationalize strategies in the areas of climate, water, land use, regenerative agriculture, and farmer livelihoods.

Amy began her career in state government as staff to the Colorado Workforce Development Council, a Governor-appointed, public-private partnership that oversees talent development efforts throughout the state. Her responsibilities included board governance and development and stakeholder engagement with the private sector, state agencies, state legislators, economic developers, education bodies and community-based organizations.

Amy holds an MS in International Business from the University of Colorado Denver, a BA in Spanish from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and a BS in Business Administration from the Leeds School of Business at CU-Boulder. As an undergraduate, she took the Leadership Challenges course through theCenter for Ethics and Social Responsibility (CESR) and considers it a transformative experience. Amy lives in the Denver area with her husband, Daniel, their two children and dog. She enjoys traveling, being outdoors, and taking in local sports (Go Buffs!) and concerts.

Tonie Hansen, Sr Director, ESG, NVIDIA

Tonie’s passion is to build forward-thinking, resilient, and purpose-led technology companies.

At NVIDIA, she oversees corporate responsibility and ESG, a function she helped to build since starting in 2006. As a strategist and communicator, she drives initiatives that strengthen NVIDIA’s ESG and brand reputation. Tonie publishes the company’s ESG report and engages with shareholders, NGOs, and customers to understand their expectations and present NVIDIA’s positioning around ESG issues. She also helps NVIDIA keep its position as an ESG leader by delivering to execs insights on societal issues and their impact on the company, as well as robust benchmarking.

Prior to joining NVIDIA, Tonie spent 15 years in a variety of marketing roles. She earned her MBA in 2000 from Babson College, has been recognized by CRO Magazine as a CR Superstar, the Silicon Valley Business Journal as a Women of Influence, and received a YWCA Tribute to Women award. She previously served on the board of directors and as board president of the YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley, and is currently helping the city of Sedona, AZ in the development of its strategic community plan.

Demesha Hill, President and Head of Diversity & Community Relations, Janus Henderson Foundation

As President of the Janus Henderson Foundation and Head of Diversity & Community Relations, Demesha provides leadership and strategic support for the corporate diversity and community outreach initiatives. In her role, she actively develops global corporate wide community employee engagement opportunities and fosters the 12 employee resource groups. She serves on the Board of Directors for Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Studio and Colorado Succeeds. She earned a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Associate of Applied Science Degree in Paralegal and holds a Certificate in Corporate Citizenship Practice.

Ross Iverson, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Manna Tree

As Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Manna Tree, Ross drives the firm’s overall growth strategy and strategic partnerships, and he is a member of the firm's investment committee and capital formation team.

Ross has built his career around balancing investment decisions, market expansion, and leadership within organizations to reach optimal scale. This mindset landed Ross on the Worthy 100 list in 2021 as one of the top 100 entrepreneurs in the country building firms that are making a difference.

Ross has trained 5,000+ leaders and advised family offices and c-suites on implementing strategies linked to cash flow, debt structures, sales strategies, and marketing plans to unlock growth. Clients have included: the PGA Tour, Vail Resorts, DOW, and the University of Colorado.

Ross earned his finance degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder, is an Executive Leadership Scholar at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management and earned a Financial Management Certificate from Cornell University. He has volunteered at the University of Colorado Leeds School of Business by supporting experiential leadership retreats in Vail, Entrepreneurial Certificate Courses, the Natural and Organic MBA program, and direct 1-1 mentoring of students to develop a values-based approach in business.

Outside the office, Ross spends most of his time with his family, raising three boys, hiking with his yellow lab, and pursuing optimal health. He is an avid skier, biker, golfer, fly-fisherman, wake surfer, and has recently added yoga to the mix to keep the joints from aging!

Jeannie Renné-Malone, Vice President, Global Sustainability, VF Corporation

Jeannie leads global sustainability at VF Corporation, overseeing all aspects of VF’s sustainability strategy across its brands, operations, supply chain, materials, and products. Ms. Renné-Malone has extensive experience in the development and implementation of sustainability goals and strategies, stakeholder engagement, and tracking and reporting of sustainability/ESG results. At VF, she has led various strategic initiatives, including the development of VF’s Science-Based Targets roadmap and its Green Bond Framework, which resulted in the first green bond issuance in the apparel and footwear industry. Under her leadership, VF has integrated circular design, sustainable materials and innovation across its portfolio of brands from farm to cradle, reducing energy, waste, carbon emissions and water usage, encouraging regenerative farming practices and embedding renewable energy and sustainability priorities across its operations and supply chain.

Renné-Malone has an MA in International Finance and Development from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver, a BA in Spanish from the University of Washington, and holds several sustainability credentials and certifications. She sits on several committees for environmental and apparel industry organizations. She is a Board Member of the Mile High Chapter of the American Red Cross, and a Board Member of the University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies Social Science Foundation. She is fluent in Spanish.

Jeremy Rosall, Senior Vice President, Finance at Iron Mountain

Jeremy joined Iron Mountain as Senior Vice President, Finance, in 2022. He is responsible for oversight of all Iron Mountain financial planning and analysis (FP&A), including business unit and enterprise performance, and plays an important role in driving finance transformation efforts.

Prior to joining Iron Mountain, Jeremy was in senior leadership roles at PepsiCo for 19 years, most recently as CFO and Vice President for PepsiCo’s Global Business Services. Jeremy also worked for seven years in Europe, including as CFO of a multibillion division of food brands. Earlier in his career, Jeremy was a Senior Consultant at PwC Management Consulting, and began his professional career as an Auditor at Arthur Anderson.

Throughout Jeremy’s career, he has been committed to supporting a broad range of corporate sustainability and diversity and inclusion initiatives. He is passionate about helping to educate corporations on the ability to generate positive return on investments for initiatives that also generate positive impacts on society.

Jeremy graduated from the University of Colorado, School of Business in 1994 with a degree in Accounting, and holds an MBA from Duke’s Fuqua School of Business.

Jeremy resides New York City where he and his wife are raising their two daughters.

Renner Skidmore,Senior, Leeds School of Business

Renner Skidmore is a senior at the Leeds School of Business. In school he is emphasizing social responsibility, information management and analytics. Growing up in Bozeman, Montana, he spent much of his formative years in the outdoors and learning about the importance of the natural world. Renner stays involved on campus as a member of the Leeds Scholars Program and an executive of the CESR Fellows club. During his time at Boulder, Renner has organized ski movie premiers, pursued his professional skiing career, and become a meaningful part of the Boulder undergraduate community all while making the Dean’s list both semesters of freshman year. In addition to sustainability and skiing, Renner is passionate about being a global citizen and promoting businesses that give back in local communities and around the world. This past summer Renner had the opportunity to spend 3 months immersed in Spanish in Argentina and Bolivia. He is curious, adventurous, and excited to contribute as the undergraduate representative on this board.