Master's in Sustainable Business Faculty

David Drake is an associate professor in the Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Operations Management (SEO) Department at the Leeds School of Business and is an authority in sustainable operations management. Through his research, Professor Drake studies firms’ environmental and social performance. In his work related to environmental operations, he pays particular focus to industry’s role in combating climate change, exploring how emissions regulation influences the capacity portfolios that firms invest in; how such regulation, when unilaterally imposed, impacts technology choice, offshoring, and regional competitiveness; and how creative collaboration can improve the economic feasibility of clean technology development and adoption. Professor Drake’s work in socially responsible operations explores the design and implementation of innovative business models that improve quality of life in areas of extreme poverty through the products and services offered, the resources preserved, and the opportunities for economic gain created. Professor Drake has published his research in the field’s premier journals and authored pedagogical cases used to teach concepts at the intersection of sustainability, operations strategy, and supply chain management to students and executives worldwide.

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A consumer marketing specialist, Heather has over 20 years of experience in brand strategy, product development and management, and marketing communications.

As a Brand Manager at Kraft Foods, Heather worked on strategy development, advertising, financial management, consumer research and new product commercialization for iconic brands such as DiGiorno Pizza, Taco Bell Home Originals and Kraft Salad Dressing.

At Whole Foods Market, Heather served as the Senior Director of National Marketing where she established and an “internal creative agency” that designed and executed all national campaigns. She also developed the annual marketing plan, managed the integration of in-store and digital programs, formed key strategic partnerships with program like Top Chef and Farm Aid, collaborated with regional marketing teams, and developed the gift card program into a high growth, revenue generator. Her team formalized the Whole Foods Market brand standards and ensured they were clearly communicated and maintained.

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Ryan primarily researches the impact of financial intermediaries and institutions on asset prices. In particular, his work relates bankruptcy outcomes such as recovery rates, defaulted bond returns, and post emergence distributional efficiency to the influence of specialist distressed investors and the institutional foundations that govern US bankruptcy courts. He previously worked in the macroeconomics division at the NY Fed and remains an active member of the CFA.

Jeffrey G. York is the Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives, a Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, the Research Director for the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship, and a Fellow of the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute.

Prior to his current role Professor York served as the Chair of the Social Responsibility and Sustainability division, as the Chair of the Organizational Leadership and Information Analytics Division, and as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Business Venturing. Professor York has taught classes in business planning, entrepreneurial thinking and environmental ventures at the undergraduate, MBA and PhD levels and received his PhD from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.

Professor York’s teaching and research are focused on environmental entrepreneurship, the simultaneous creation of ecological and economic goods. He is interested in how and why entrepreneurs create new products, services, and industries that reduce environmental degradation.  

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