Duke Welcomes Alison Taylor as Second Climate Leader in Residence

Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to connect with Taylor, who brings extensive public and private sector experience to Duke.

Alumna Alison Taylor, chief sustainability officer for ADM, has embarked on an 18-month stint as Duke University’s second Climate Leader in Residence (CLIR). The CLIR program brings top thought leaders to Duke to share insights and expertise, sparking discussion and action to advance climate solutions.

Taylor, A.B. ’83, who joined Duke in August, is one of the longest-tenured chief sustainability officers in the United States.

“Companies are increasingly seeking out ways to operate more sustainably, but they are facing challenges, including measuring the impacts of their efforts, identifying new technologies and complying with new financial disclosure guidelines,” Taylor said. “The CLIR program presents a rare opportunity for me to connect Duke’s world-renowned academic experts with my own network of chief sustainability officers to think through some of these challenges. I am also excited to learn from the Duke community and dig into the wealth and depth of questions that are being asked and answered at the university.”

During her residency, Taylor plans to work with Duke scholars on projects that address climate and sustainability issues through nature-based solutions—actions to protect, sustainably manage or restore natural or modified ecosystems to address societal challenges. She is particularly interested in efforts related to building more climate-resilient, climate-friendly and just food systems. She will also be engaging with Duke students across numerous degree programs in a variety of ways.

Taylor (center) exchanges ideas with William K. Reilly (left) and Ashley Ward (right) at a recent Duke networking event. Reilly, former administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is chair of the Nicholas Institute board of advisors. Ward directs the Heat Policy Innovation Hub.

“Alison Taylor has dedicated her career to embedding sustainability into major global enterprises—exactly the type of influential leader we want to learn from and work alongside as we advance the Duke Climate Commitment,” said Toddi Steelman, Duke University vice president and vice provost for climate and sustainability. “Through the Climate Leaders in Residence program, we’ll be able to tap into Alison’s expertise and networks to accelerate Duke’s work on climate solutions and equip our students as changemakers.”

In her job at ADM, Taylor works closely with the Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility Committee of the company’s Board of Directors. She also oversees many facets of the company's progress toward achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, including zero hunger and climate action. And she guides implementation of ADM’s Respect for Human Rights and No-Deforestation policies, and its Strive 35 environmental stewardship programand its philanthropic efforts through ADM Cares.

Before joining ADM in 2017, Taylor worked for more than a decade at the global technology company Siemens, where she occupied a similar role as vice president and chief sustainability officer of the Americas. She also has nearly a dozen years of public policy experience on Capitol Hill, serving as counsel for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce and chief counsel of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Taylor has remained involved with Duke since she earned her biology degree in 1983. She currently serves on the Board of Advisors for the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability, and she is a former member of the Board of Visitors at the Nicholas School of the Environment.

About Climate Leaders in Residence

Launched in 2024, the CLIR program leverages the leaders’ experience, expertise and networks as they collaborate with Duke faculty and staff on pragmatic climate research and initiatives that could lead to significant change in the near future. They also enrich Duke students’ learning through mentorship, teaching and other activities.

The inaugural Climate Leader in Residence is Francis Bouchard, managing director for climate at Marsh McLennan, a global professional services company specializing in risk management and insurance. Bouchard, who has more than three decades of experience in the insurance industry, is teaming up with Duke experts to develop research partnerships and networks to help the insurance sector accelerate climate change solutions.

The CLIR program advances the aims of the Duke Climate Commitment, which unites the university’s education, research, operations and public service missions to address the urgent challenges posed by climate change. The program is funded this year by the Presidential Climate Action and Innovation Fund, an endowment established by the Nicholas Family in support of the Duke Climate Commitment. The Nicholas Institute oversees the program.