Lise Kingo is the CEO and Executive Director of the United Nations Global Compact. UN Global Compact is the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative, with more than 13,500 signatories from 170 countries that have committed to aligning strategies and operations with universal principles on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption, and taking actions that advance societal goals.
Prior to joining the UN Global Compact in 2015, Ms Kingo was Chief of Staff, Executive Vice President and member of the Executive Management team at Novo Nordisk A/S from 2002. She was in charge of several business areas and pioneered the first Novo Nordisk strategy on sustainability, spearheading the integration of sustainability into the heart of the business. Before 2002, Ms Kingo held various positions at NovoZymes A/S and Novo A/S, including Director of Environmental Affairs and Senior Vice President of Business Support. She was the founder and primary force behind the first sustainability strategy at NovoZymes.
Until Ms Kingo started her work with UN Global Compact, she was chair of the board at Steno Diabetes Center, and has held a number of other board positions in foundations as well as in companies such as Grieg Star Shipping in Norway and GN Great Nordic. She was also a Professor at the Medical Faculty, Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam, and the Chair of the Danish Council for Corporate Social Responsibility.
Ms Kingo has received several awards, including the Edinburgh Medal and the Copenhagen Business School 2018 Honorary Alumni Award. She is also a UN Gender Champion. She holds a Master of Science degree in Responsibility and Business Practice from the University of Bath, UK, a Bachelors of Arts in the Science of Religions and Ancient Greek Culture from the Universities of Aarhus and Odense, Denmark, and a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing Economics from the Copenhagen Business School. She is also certified by INSEAD’s International Directors Program in Corporate Governance.
