Y-SIM welcomes Mars, Incorporated CFO Claus Aagaard to advisory board
A champion of integrating profit and purpose, Aagaard joins distinguished executives to help guide Yale’s stakeholder management program
The Yale Program on Stakeholder Innovation and Management (Y-SIM) has appointed veteran global executive Claus Aagaard to its Advisory Board. He brings deep operational and strategic expertise to the program at a pivotal moment for corporate leadership.
Aagaard is a seasoned C-suite leader recognized for bringing a clear link between business performance and long-term purpose. As CFO of Mars, he helps lead the global family-owned company behind many of the world’s beloved brands in snacking, food, and pet nutrition, in addition to operator of a network of veterinary health and diagnostic services. He has championed a more integrated approach to how the company measures success. Aagaard is widely known for advancing the use of both financial and nonfinancial indicators in enterprise strategy and for shaping renumeration principles that support the company’s ambition to deliver strong performance while advancing the sustainability goals laid out in its “Sustainable in a Generation Plan.” He also serves as chairman of the board of Grundfos and as a board member of Bread for the City.
His ability to bring clarity to complex stakeholder environments will help advance Y-SIM’s mission to equip leaders with tools that reflect the realities of today’s business landscape.
“Mars is possibly the world’s most admired consumer goods company. Family founded, it runs on enduring purpose and timeless core values,” says John Seifert, Y-SIM Board Chair. “Claus embodies those values and is a leader who operates beyond numbers. The Y-SIM program is fortunate to have the advisory support of Mars, and one of its most influential business leaders.”
In his new advisory role, Aagaard will contribute to the program’s strategic direction and provide insight into the challenges leaders face across industries.
“The Y-SIM program reflects a truth I deeply believe in, that sustainable success comes from leaders who think in generations and want to create long-term business value for the benefit of all stakeholders,” said Aagaard. “I’m proud to join an advisory board that is advancing this understanding and helping shape leaders who understand the power of strong stakeholder relationships.”
He will work with fellow Y-SIM Advisory Board members: Chair John Seifert, former chief executive officer of the Ogilvy Group; Jim Breyer, founder and CEO of Breyer Capital; Kenneth I. Chenault, former chair and CEO of American Express and chair and managing director of venture capital firm General Catalyst; Sam Palmisano, former chairman and chief executive officer of IBM and chairman of the Center for Global Enterprise; Dr. Lisa Su, chair and chief executive officer of Advanced Micro Devices; Jane Jie Sun, CEO of Trip.com Group, and Joseph B. Ucuzoglu, Global CEO of Deloitte.
Established in 2022 at the Yale School of Management, Y-SIM's mission is to prepare leaders to not only effectively manage stakeholder relationships, but to use stakeholder engagement as a catalyst for creating long-term firm value.
