Bennett Freeman

Biography

over the last 18 years of a 36 year career, Bennett Freeman has worked at the intersection of governments, international institutions, multinational corporations, responsible investors and NGOs to promote human rights and sustainable development. An innovative leader in the fields of business and human rights, natural resource governance and responsible investment, he has played key roles in developing several multi-stakeholder initiatives and global standards that have strengthened corporate responsibility in industries from extractives to information and communications technology. Freeman consults for corporations, foundations and NGOs from Bennett Freeman Associates LLC; as a Senior Advisor for BSR; and as as a Strategic Partner of RESOVE. Freeman serves as Chair of the Advisory Board of Global Witness; Board Secretary of the Global Network Initiative; a member of the Governing Board of the Natural Resources Governance Institute; and Chair of the Advisory Board of the Responsible Sourcing Network. As SVP for Sustainability Research and Policy at Calvert Investments from 2006-15, he led the ESG research for over 40 funds, developed investment themes for new funds, and directed shareholder advocacy and public policy initiatives to promote corporate responsibility and sustainability. A presidential appointee at the U.S. Department of State in the Clinton Administration, Freeman served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor and directed the Department's bilateral human rights diplomacy around the world. In that capacity, he led the development of the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights, the global human rights standard for the oil and mining industries.