Expanding Board of Directors at The HOW Institute for Society Signals Growing Commitment to Answer Demand for Values-based Behavior Across Sectors
Among those joining the board in 2025 are Jon Huntsman, General (ret.) Dave Goldfein, Dr. Wayne A.I. Frederick, Devika Bulchandani, and Amy Rosen
NEW YORK, Nov. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The HOW Institute for Society welcomed five new board members this year as the work of the institute ramps up in new sectors to address the demand for values-based behavior and principled decision-making in the workplace. Four new board members were appointed in June, including Mastercard Vice Chair and President of Strategic Growth Jon Huntsman, General (ret.), Blackstone Senior Advisor Dave Goldfein, Howard University Interim President Dr. Wayne A.I. Frederick, and WPP COO Devika Bulchandani, who was recently elevated from the role of global CEO at Ogilvy to its parent company, WPP. Amy Rosen, a senior advisor at The HOW Institute, former president and CEO at NFTE, and a former chair at Amtrak was appointed to the board at the October meeting.
The HOW Institute board also includes founding board members Chip Bergh, former CEO of Levi Strauss & Co and current senior lecturer at Harvard Business School, Nancy Gibbs, Edward R. Murrow Professor of Practice and Lombard Director of the Shorenstein Center at Harvard Kennedy School, Dennis Nally, retired global chairman at PwC, and Paul Polman, business leader, investor, and philanthropist.
Dov Seidman, founder and chairman of The HOW Institute for Society, notes, "To have the support of these board members—all exemplary leaders in their domains—is humbling and couldn't happen at a more consequential moment. In these fraught times, when institutions and leaders are being challenged in unprecedented ways and decisions reverberate instantly across stakeholder groups, how leaders lead is more vital than ever. As we at HOW develop tools, surface insights, and multiply learning and community experiences that will encourage and equip leaders on their journey, the contributions of this board and the impact of this community on society can grow exponentially."
Values-based behavior, principled decision-making, and seeing the humanity in others are key indicators of moral leadership. In speaking to the growing demand for such leadership, Dov elaborates, "Trust has become increasingly difficult to earn, and much easier to shatter, these days. The norms that have long undergirded us as a society—and guided us as citizens and leaders—not only toward what we can and can't do but, importantly in today's reshaped world, towards what we should and shouldn't do, are being eroded. At times, even with impunity. Therefore, the imperative for leaders in positions of formal authority to be animated by moral authority is most urgent."
Through rigorous research and reporting, The HOW Institute confirms this urgency and seeks to inspire a movement in organizational and leadership metrics away from simply measuring "how much" and towards also measuring "the HOW"—how we conduct ourselves in accomplishing goals. The 2025 State of Moral Leadership in Business report confirms the growing demand for moral leadership: The percentage of employees who believe that the need for moral leadership is more urgent than ever has grown from 82% in 2020 to 95% in 2025. At the same time, supply remains low, with only 9% of CEOs and 11% of managers consistently demonstrating behaviors associated with moral leadership.
Compared to the business sector, the social sector fares somewhat better, with 18% of leaders scoring in the top tier, according to a recent report produced as a part of the partnership with Rockefeller Foundation, From Mission to Impact: Insights on Moral Leadership in the Social Sector. The data further reveal that organizations investing in developing moral leadership capabilities demonstrate, on average, 95% greater resilience across 15 common organizational challenges including resource allocation, fundraising, and strategic planning. This is particularly crucial in times of uncertainty.
To expand moral leadership capacities throughout society, The HOW Institute offers learning opportunities, insightful conversations with notable leaders, and gatherings across sectors in addition to its rigorous research. Notably, organizations partner with The HOW Institute to advance their metrics for leadership and bring leaders of high potential through the NXT-GEN Fellowship for Moral Leadership. The NXT-GEN Fellowship is designed to meet the single greatest leadership challenge of the 21st century: to nurture and develop leaders who lead with moral authority not just formal authority at every level and sector of society. Over 15 weeks, fellows engage with the tools, language, and coaching they need to inspire and scale values-based behavior in an increasingly complex world and workplace. HOW's NXT-GEN Fellow Community now numbers more than 800 fellows and spans 43 countries and more than 40 organizations. Among them are the US Navy, Mastercard, KKR, Cencora, Fortifi, Levi Strauss & Co., University of Mount St. Vincent, Union Square Hospitality Group, ADL, and 92NY. During the fellowship, fellows explore four core pillars of moral leadership: purpose, inspiration, values, and discernment, or what the fellowship calls "moral muscle." The impact of the NXT-GEN Fellowship is measurable; a forthcoming case study with longstanding partner Mastercard enumerates the individual and organizational outcomes of fellowship participation.
Growing community and growing impact are core pursuits at The HOW Institute. Prominent leaders throughout society share their experiences with NXT-GEN fellows, with leaders gathered for the bi-annual HOW Summit—most recently at the Ford Foundation, and through HOW Conversations available on YouTube and podcast.
- For the milestone 50th HOW Conversation, author, journalist, and commentator, Andrew Ross Sorkin (Too Big to Fail) will sit down with Dov Seidman to talk about courage, resilience, and lessons for today's leaders from his new book, 1929.
- This week, Dov Seidman shares his observations on the imperative of moral leadership for boards and board members in conversation with Alan Murray at the Wall Street Journal's inaugural WSJ Board of Directors Council Summit.
- Next month, a new HOW Live webcast series will launch featuring the CEO of The Atlantic, Nick Thompson, who will share insights from his new book, Running Ground, and what it means to lead—and stay grounded—in a world increasingly animated by generative AI and built for speed. HOW followers on LinkedIn and subscribers to the HOW Matters newsletter are invited to join in.
Dov concludes, "What is most needed right now is for leaders to embody one of the essential tenets of leadership: framing and engaging in sincere dialogue—and at times even in the spotlight—with courage in the humble pursuit of moral clarity over moral certainty. That clarity helps create a culture of shared insight and understanding which is vital for navigating risk and pursuing excellence. It can only happen in meaningful exchange with others, and it's precisely that kind of exchange that drives us at HOW."
About The HOW Institute for Society
The HOW Institute for Society seeks to build and nurture a culture of moral leadership, principled decision-making and values-based behavior that enables individuals and institutions to meet the profound social, economic, and technological changes of the 21st Century. Leading the strategy for The HOW Institute is Founder Dov Seidman, successful entrepreneur and CEO, best-selling author, and teacher, who has devoted his life and professional career to making philosophy and philosophical frameworks practical in the business arena and across all sectors of society. For more information, visit the HOW Institute for Society website, subscribe to the HOW Matters newsletter and HOW Conversations streams on video and podcast, and follow on LinkedIn.
Contact:
Jen Üner
Director of Communications & Insights
[email protected]
SOURCE The HOW Institute for Society
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