- Representative Member
Mr Rupert Younger
Biography
Rupert Younger is the founder and director of the Oxford University Centre for Corporate Reputation and a Senior Research Fellow at Worcester College Oxford. He is also Chair of the Enacting Purpose Initiative, a multi-institution partnership between the University of Oxford, the University of California, Berkeley, BCG BrightHouse, EOS at Federated Hermes, the British Academy, the Sustainable Value Creation Institute at the University of Melbourne Business School, and the Purpose Center of the Sustainability and Organizations (S&O) Institute at HEC Paris. He is also a leading commentator on reputation matters relating to corporations and institutions around the world.
He has published three books: The Reputation Game (an international bestseller now published in seven languages, co-authored with David Waller), The Activist Manifesto (published in two languages, co-authored with Frank Partnoy, and Forked Tongues - A Defence Manual Against the Dark Arts of the Character Assassin. He is also the academic director for Oxford's Corporate Affairs Academy.
Rupert is a member of the senior common room at St Antony’s College, Oxford. He chaired Oxford University’s Socially Responsible Investment Review Committee of Council (2012-17). He is an ambassador with international mine clearance and humanitarian charity The Halo Trust, and served as HM The Queen’s High Sheriff for Hampshire during the 2013-14 year. He is a member of the Royal Company of Archers, the King’s Body Guard in Scotland, and he has an MA (Hons) from the University of Aberdeen.
Research
Rupert’s work examines how social evaluations – perceptions of legitimacy, status, celebrity, stigma, reputation and trust – influence corporate performance. These perceptions create opportunities for organisations as well as constraints – be that in providing a licence to operate, access to resources, and financial market valuation among others.
His work has been published in books, book chapters, academic channels and practitioner outlets such as the Harvard Business Review, the California Management Review and the Financial Times.