Elliot Gerson is the fifth American since the founding of the Rhodes Scholarships over a century ago to serve as its executive in the United States, managing all aspects of the competition for these famous scholarships to Oxford University. He has also been for a decade executive vice president of the Aspen Institute, responsible for its policy work, its public programs, and its international partners. His earlier career was in business, law and government.
Established in 1949, the Aspen Institute’s roots were in examining the underlining ideas supporting democracy, economics and capitalism. The founder was the CEO of the Container Corporation of America, Walter Paepcke, with close support and influence from the intellectual leadership of the University of Chicago. A central feature of the Institute’s early work was the exploration of the roles and responsibilities of corporate leaders to their communities, nations and the world.
Through a non-partisan lens, the Aspen Institute today examines issues across a wide spectrum of domestic and foreign policy. One of its more than 30 policy programs honors its roots in corporate responsibility challenges modern business conventions and addresses topics such as corporate responsibility. In 1998, the Aspen Institute launched its “Business and Society Program.” It explores issues in corporate social responsibility, sustainability, and business ethics, and also examines fundamental questions about the purpose of the corporation, and whether the metrics that are used to measure business success are appropriate, for example challenging the supremacy of short-term profits and maximizing shareholder value.
Elliot Gerson 