Chris Guenther is a Bay Area-based freelance consultant specializing in strategic insight and the development of high-impact strategies and programs to advance sustainability.

For nearly 15 years, he has led research, strategy, stakeholder dialogue, and reporting engagements with leading companies in the automotive, energy, ICT, food & beverage, and other industries, frequently maintaining client relationships for many years. He is an exceptional systems thinker and analyst, skilled at seeing the connections between micro- and macro-scale issues, understanding the perspectives of diverse stakeholders, evaluating strategic options, and crafting programs and approaches to unlock greater value for all concerned.

Chris was previously a senior consultant and Research Director at SustainAbility, where he helped to shape the field’s thinking on diverse topics including corporate leadership, transparency, business model innovation, multi-stakeholder collaboration, urbanization, and more. Over the years, he co-authored and/or played key roles in numerous SustainAbility publications and research series including The Social Intrapraneur, Rate the Raters, Citystates, Changing Tack, Model Behavior, The GlobeScan/SustainAbility Survey, and Orchestrating Change.

He was also previously the US Director for the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, educating and catalyzing circular economy leaders across sectors in the US, and enabling the Foundation to better leverage US stakeholders across its international programs. He also draws on previous experience as a grassroots campaign director and fundraiser. He holds masters degrees in business and natural resources from the University of Michigan and a bachelor in English from Vassar College.

Chris Guenther's Sessions