Join us for our virtual learning series, ClimateCAP MBA Academy: Understanding the Business of Climate. Through this series we will talk with experts on topics across the climate x business continuum to prepare the business leaders of tomorrow—today’s MBA students— to anticipate and manage climate risks and opportunities in their careers.

Our final speaker of the academic year is Harmit Singh, Chief Financial and Growth Officer at Levi Strauss & Co, who will be in conversation with Brad Sparks, Executive Director of Accounting for Sustainability (A4S). Harmit & Brad will discuss the role of the CFO and finance function in driving sustainability across a business.

About Harmit Singh
Harmit Singh is the Chief Financial and Growth Officer at Levi Strauss & Co. He is responsible for managing the finance, strategy, information technology, strategic sourcing, real estate and global business services functions globally. Previously, Harmit was executive vice president and chief financial officer of Hyatt Hotels Corporation from August 2008 to December 2012. Prior to that, he spent 14 years at Yum! Brands, Inc. in a variety of global leadership roles, including senior vice president and chief financial officer of Yum Restaurants International. Before joining Yum!, Harmit worked in various financial capacities for American Express India & Area Countries.

In 2019, Harmit joined the Accounting for Sustainability (A4S) project, helping to establish the U.S. Chapter of the organization and mobilize other prominent financial leaders to promote the business case for sustainability. In 2021, he was named the U.S. Co-Chair of A4S. In 2023, Harmit joined the board of directors and the Compensation Committee of The AZEK® Company. Also in 2023, Harmit was awarded with the Larkin Street 2023 Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award, a coveted award given to CFOs whose contributions have significantly and uniquely impacted the San Francisco Bay Area business community.

Harmit served on the board of directors and the Audit Committee chair of Buffalo Wild Wings Inc. and is the former owner, operator and franchisor of Buffalo Wild Wings Restaurants. Harmit also served on the board of directors and the Audit Committee of OpenText Corporation.

About Brad Sparks
Brad Sparks is Executive Director of Accounting for Sustainability (A4S) Foundation (US). A4S was founded in 2004 by HM King Charles when he was The Prince of Wales. Brad leads the US Chapter of the A4S CFO Leadership Network, supporting Fortune 500 CFOs and their finance teams in embedding sustainability into business decision making. He also leads A4S activities across the US, including working with investors, business schools, and accounting organizations. Brad previously served as an Executive Director with KPMG focused on ESG issues. Brad is a lecturer at UCLA Anderson and Presidio Graduate School. He also serves as an Executive-in-Residence at Cornell University’s Center for Global Sustainable Enterprise. He lives in Los Angeles.

About ClimateCAP 
The ClimateCAP Initiative is working to prepare tomorrow's business leaders—today’s MBA students—to understand and respond to the climate challenge by mainstreaming the climate conversation in business school. As a global partnership of 40+ business schools, founded and led by the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, ClimateCAP works to bring together MBA students, educators, and corporate leaders to build community and talk about the business implications of climate change. ClimateCAP’s signature programs include an annual in-person MBA Summit drawing 400+ students each year, an online MBA Academy learning series for students who want to get up to speed quickly, a highly selective 12-month MBA Fellowship for aspiring climate changemakers, and a curated selection of teaching and learning resources for students and educators. Find out more at: https://climatecap.org/.