Pioneering business ethicist and author Mary Gentile, whose approach has been characterized as “self-defense for your soul,” will deliver a public lecture at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business from 4-5:30 p.m. on Oct. 9. "Giving Voice to Values: The 'How' of Values Driven Leadership,” which is free and open to the public, takes place in the Stayer Center Room 213.

The event is co-sponsored by the Notre Dame Institute for Ethics and the Common Good (ECG), where Gentile serves as the 2024-25 practitioner in residence, and the Notre Dame Deloitte Center for Ethical Leadership, where she is a member of the advisory board.

“Mary Gentile has been a pioneer in helping countless leaders learn how to implement virtue ethics in their organizations, and she has contributed more than any scholar in recent memory to helping others see the deep practical relevance of these enduring ideas,” said Meghan Sullivan, director of ECG and the Wilsey Family College Professor of Philosophy, commenting on Gentile as practitioner in residence. “We’re so excited to learn from her this year, and I am confident she’ll help our faculty reach new heights when it comes to helping their students untie all of the thorny ethical knots leadership roles can pose.”

Gentile is the creator and director of Giving Voice to Values, an innovative approach to ethical leadership development in business education and the workplace. She consults on management education and values-driven leadership for academic, business, government and non-governmental organizations. The Mendoza College of Business was the first business school to offer a dedicated Giving Voice to Values course to undergraduates, and has since incorporated elements of this award-winning approach to ethical leadership development in its undergraduate, graduate and executive programs.

"From her early work at Harvard teaching the first course on managing diversity and ethical decision making, to her consultation with companies, NGOs and governmental organizations around the world, Dr. Gentile has championed the development of ethical institutions and workplaces throughout her career," says Jessica McManus Warnell, Rex and Alice. A. Martin Faculty Director of the Notre Dame Deloitte Center for Ethical Leadership. "She has been described as a 'leader and legend' in the field and we are thrilled at the opportunity to share her expertise with our Notre Dame community through this appointment."

Rather than focusing on persuading people to be more ethical, Gentile’s premise is that most want to act on their values, but also want to feel they have a reasonable chance of doing so successfully. Giving Voice to Values is intended as a guide to implementing ethical behavior, even in the circumstance of corporate misconduct.

Gentile served as Richard M. Waitzer Bicentennial Professor of Ethics at University of Virginia-Darden School of Business (2016-2022) and as faculty at Babson College (2009-2015). During her 10 years at Harvard Business School (1985-1995), she developed and taught the school’s first course on managing diversity and helped design and teach its first required module on ethical decision-making. Her books include Giving Voice to Values: How to Speak Your Mind When You Know What’s Right (Yale University Press). She also edits a multi-book series with academic publisher Routledge related to the curriculum.

The Institute for Ethics and the Common Good (ECG) facilitates interdisciplinary research in foundational and applied ethics, coordinates projects that cross departments and units, and supports ethics-related education and public engagement efforts. ECG is a signature element of the Ethics Initiative, one of several University-wide strategic efforts that draw on expertise from multiple colleges, schools, centers and institutes in order to make the most meaningful contributions to questions of national and international concern.

The Notre Dame Deloitte Center for Ethical Leadership (NDDCEL) at the Mendoza College of Business was established in 2011 with the mission to inform, equip and inspire values-based business leaders who work toward just, resilient and flourishing communities. NDDCEL curates, creates and shares thought leadership from academic research and business best practices to equip business people with tools and resources for ethical leadership at work.

Originally posted on Mendoza News.