Jeffrey A. Sonnenfeld
How George Floyd’s Murder Galvanized Corporate America
A year after the killing sparked a wave of protest, Yale SOM leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld sees signs of a lasting change in corporate attitudes about racial justice.
![A mural of George Floyd at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis, where Floyd was murdered in June 2020. Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images.]()
Georgia’s Voter Suppression Law Will Be the First of Many, If CEOs Don’t Speak Up
Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and longtime UPS executive Teri Plummer McClure write that business leaders failed to live up to their pledge to defend democracy when they largely stood silent as Georgia enacted restrictions on voting.
![Demonstrators outside the Georgia Capitol on March 2, 2021. Photo: Megan Varner/Getty Images.]()
A Peaceful Transfer of Power at Amazon
We asked Yale SOM leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, author of a landmark study of CEO succession, how Amazon will be changed by the departure of its founder.
![Jeff Bezos at a press conference in 2012. Photo: J. Emilio Flores/Corbis via Getty Images.]()
Can Business Leaders Be a Force for Democracy?
In the wake of the presidential election, Yale SOM leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld hosted three urgent discussions with top CEOs, where they discussed their concern about attempts to overturn the results and made a much-reported pledge to freeze donations to legislators who voted to reject election results.
![An American flag surrounded by office towers]()
Business Leaders Are Deeply Concerned about Public Safety—and Democracy
At a virtual meeting convened by Yale SOM leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld in the wake of the attack on the Capitol, CEOs voiced worries and brainstormed ideas for how business can help strengthen democracy.
![Police and members of the National Guard behind a fence outside the U.S. Capitol on January 7, 2021.]()
Trump’s Reluctant Goodbye
In the final act of Donald Trump‘s presidency, Yale SOM's Jeffrey Sonnenfeld sees echoes of “monarchical” CEOs who purge truth-tellers and surround themselves with sycophants—and invariably make an involuntary exit from the C-suite.
![Marine One departing the South Lawn of the White House]()
CEOs Urge Respect for Election Integrity
In a hastily assembled call on November 6, corporate leaders agreed on the importance of smooth transition process and encouraged GOP leaders to endorse the integrity of the election.
![President-Elect Joe Biden speaks to the media on November 9, 2020, in Wilmington, Delaware. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images.]()
Business Leaders Mobilize for a Fair Vote
As the U.S. approaches a divisive election, writes Yale SOM leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, business leaders are calling for patience while ballots are counted and a peaceful transfer of power.
![Ballots in a sorting machine at the Santa Clara County registrar of voters office in October 2020. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.]()
Getting Corporate Diversity Programs Wrong
Yale SOM leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, who studied a previous wave of diversity initiatives, describes how such well-intentioned initiatives can go awry—and how to get them back on track.
![Protests sparked by the arrest of two Black men at a Starbucks location in Philadelphia in April 2018. Photo: Bastiaan Slabbers/NurPhoto via Getty Images.]()
On COVID-19 Vaccines, Big Pharma Knows to Just Say ‘No’
In the face of pressure from President Donald Trump, nine major pharmaceutical companies have signed a pledge to complete testing before submitting vaccines for approval. Yale's Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Dr. Albert Ko write that the drugmakers’ caution may help provide badly needed confidence in the eventual vaccine.
![Moncef Slaoui, lead scientist on Operation Warp Speed, with President Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar at a press conference on vaccine development in May 2020. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images.]()
