CU Boulder chancellor announces new Center for Leadership director

Stefanie Johnson, new director of the Center for Leadership

Stefanie Johnson, an associate professor of organizational leadership and information analytics at CU Boulder’s Leeds School of Business, has been named the new director of CU Boulder’s Center for Leadership. 

Established in 2020 by Chancellor Philip DiStefano, the center’s efforts support, connect and elevate leadership programs, resources and research across the university to prepare tomorrow’s leaders to address society’s most pressing challenges.

Johnson, who is returning to CU Boulder this summer after a year of leading the Doerr Institute for New Leaders at Rice University, is a prominent scholar with nearly $4 million in external grant funding. She also is the author of "Inclusify: The Power of Uniqueness and Belonging to Build Innovative Teams," which was a Wall Street Journal national bestseller. In addition, Johnson advises corporations and organizations, including the National Football League, on issues that include diversity and inclusion efforts in the executive ranks. 

“I am thrilled to be returning to CU Boulder at such an exciting time for the university and the Center for Leadership,” Johnson said. “Building leadership capacity means tackling many challenges facing our student community, and our goal this year will be to increase our student reach and, especially, support the leadership journeys of students from underrepresented backgrounds.”

In addition to supporting campus leadership programs, the center organizes the popular Leo Hill Leadership Speaker Series, which in the past year featured CU alumna and entrepreneur Molly Bloom and former Patagonia CEO Rose Marcario. In the past year, the center also awarded $40,000 to affiliate programs on campus to develop and continue leadership programs and seed leadership research.

“I am incredibly proud of the success we have had in the first three years of the center’s existence, thanks to the dedication of the students, faculty, staff and board of advisors, who have embraced the center’s mission and vision,” said DiStefano. “I am thrilled that Stefanie has agreed to assume the role of director, and I know she will bring her expertise and experience in this crucial field to help the center achieve even greater success.”

Johnson will assume her new role on Aug. 21.