# Only At Stern: Professor Alison Taylor, a leading Authority on Corporate Ethics, Power, and Accountability

School News

— October 27, 2026

- Alison Taylor is a Clinical Professor at NYU Stern, with over two decades of experience consulting for multinational corporations
- Professor Taylor researches the organizational dimensions of corporate responsibility and business ethics
- Professor Taylor’s recent book, Higher Ground, earned numerous top industry awards and recognition

[Alison Taylor](https://www.stern.nyu.edu/faculty/bio/alison-taylor) is a Clinical Professor at NYU Stern, and her research focuses on the organizational dimensions of corporate responsibility and business ethics.

## What is Professor Taylor’s background and expertise?

She has over two decades of hands-on experience consulting for multinational companies, focusing on:

- Human rights
- Culture and behavior
- Stakeholder engagement
- Political risk

This includes past executive roles at Control Risks and Business for Social Responsibility. Before she arrived at Stern, Professor Taylor was a corruption investigator, working on bribery, fraud, due diligence, and political risk cases across the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas.

Top-tier global publications regularly seek out Professor Taylor as a go-to expert on ethical leadership and corporate responsibility.

## What is Professor Taylor’s book, *Higher Ground*, about?

She is the author of [*Higher Ground*](https://www.stern.nyu.edu/experience-stern/faculty-research/higher-ground-how-business-can-do-right-thing-turbulent-world), which offers companies a guide on how to navigate ethical challenges and risks in a volatile global landscape.

*Higher Ground* earned top industry recognition:

- Named a [*Financial Times*](https://www.ft.com/content/f3e9dec3-28bb-49b6-80ec-11e5b10afa54?syn-25a6b1a6=1) and [*The Globe and Mail*](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/careers/management/article-the-best-business-and-management-books-of-2024/) Best Business Book of 2024
- Winner of the Porchlight Award for Best Leadership & Strategy Book
- Shortlisted for the 2025 Thinkers50 Leadership Award

## What is Professor Taylor’s impact?

Professor Taylor advises leading global organizations and investment firms, including:

- World Economic Forum Global Future Council on Good Governance
- Unilever and KKR Sustainability Advisory Boards
- BSR, VentureESG, and Pictet Group

At Stern, Professor Taylor brings these perspectives into the classroom with students from many programs. And she extends her insights to global audiences, through her commentary on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/followalisont/) and regular [Substack blog](https://findhigherground.substack.com/).

Together, her thought leadership, advisory work, and teaching help people and organizations improve their ethics, accountability, and sustainability strategy.

Learn more in this video and below:

[YouTube video player](https://www.youtube.com/embed/sG_xbnzo7SE?si=8cxb61dr8elFy2dP)

## Books by Professor Alison Taylor:

- 2/13/2024 | [“Higher Ground: How Business Can Do the Right Thing in a Turbulent World.”](https://www.stern.nyu.edu/experience-stern/faculty-research/higher-ground-how-business-can-do-right-thing-turbulent-world)

## Select recent media highlights featuring Professor Alison Taylor:

- *BBC* | [“Mark Zuckerberg has an Image Problem - so Why is Meta's Business Booming?”](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq8rzjv8g7ejo) | 10/8/2026
- *The Wall Street Journal* | [“Brands Are ‘Maxxing’ and ‘Mogging’ as They Co-Opt a Controversial Trend.”](https://www.wsj.com/cmo-today/brands-are-maxxing-and-mogging-as-they-co-opt-a-controversial-trend-bd06c2c7) | 8/3/2026
- *CNN* | [“What the Cracker Barrel Rage Spiral was Actually About.”](https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/02/business/cracker-barrel-ceo-culture-wars) | 6/17/2024
- *Fortune* | ["Americans Are Quietly Abandoning the Daily Habit that Billionaires Say Set Them Up forSuccess—and it Could Have Lasting Consequences.”](https://fortune.com/article/americans-reading-less-books-than-ever-habit-embraced-by-billionaires-ultra-wealthy-bill-gates-oprah-winfrey-gen-z-success-consequences/) | 7/21/2026
- *Trellis* | [“Starbucks’ Climate Dilemma: the World Loves Lattes.”](https://trellis.net/article/starbucks-climate-dilemma-the-world-loves-lattes/) | 5/21/2026
- *The Washington Post* | [“He’s King of the AI Boom. Why do Former Colleagues say he Can’t be Trusted?”](https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/05/16/elon-musk-trial-against-sam-altman-renews-questions-about-his-honesty/) | 5/16/2026
- *CNN* | [“How Anthropic May Benefit from Its Fight With Trump.”](https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/16/business/anthropic-trump-ai-race) | 5/16/2026
- *CNN* | [“Costco’s CEO is an Unlikely Risk Taker.”](https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/07/business/costco-ceo-dei-tariffs) | 2/7/2026
- *Trellis* op-ed | [“Why We’re All Part of Sustainability's Elitism Problem.”](https://trellis.net/article/why-were-all-part-of-sustainabilitys-elitism-problem/) | 1/26/2026
- *The New York Times* | [“Minnesota’s Biggest Companies Call for ‘De-escalation’ of Tensions.”](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/25/business/minnesota-target-general-mills-ceo-letter.html) | 1/26/2026
- *Trellis* op-ed | [“Beyond ‘Good’ and ‘Bad’: How to Measure Corporate Sustainability.”](https://trellis.net/article/the-trouble-with-sustainability-poster-children/) | 7/30/2025
- *Financial Times* | ["Meet the LinkedIn Superusers.”](https://www.ft.com/content/9c019fc6-5fbf-4f0b-a06b-14a92a3484bd?syn-25a6b1a6=1) | 5/30/2025
- *The Globe & Mail* | [“The Best Business and Management Books of 2024.”](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/careers/management/article-the-best-business-and-management-books-of-2024/) | 12/9/2024
- *Financial Times* | [“Best Books of 2024: Business.”](https://www.ft.com/content/f3e9dec3-28bb-49b6-80ec-11e5b10afa54?syn-25a6b1a6=1) | 11/18/2024