Institutional Leadership
Leading Strategic Change That Lasts
“In every institution I’ve led—from Congress to two university systems to national strategy initiatives—I’ve built teams that align around shared purpose and deliver results that endure. All institutions are in the talent business. The ones that thrive build trust, attract exceptional people, and create cultures that retain and empower them.”
Mark Kennedy is known for leading institutions—academic, civic, and strategic—through periods of transformation and uncertainty. Whether building inclusive university systems, founding a global economic policy institute, or shaping America’s geoeconomic strategy, he has consistently aligned talent, purpose, and performance. His leadership is grounded in a belief that transformation only succeeds when it is team-led, data-informed, and mission-driven.
🧭 Strategic Transformation Across Institutions
At both the University of North Dakota and the University of Colorado, Kennedy led inclusive strategic planning processes that produced consensus-driven roadmaps and catalyzed measurable progress—uniting leadership teams he both inherited and recruited. His impact continued after his departure, as the strategies he co-developed were embraced and expanded by successor leadership. UND earned the 2022 American Council on Education Award for Institutional Transformation, underscoring this sustained impact.
📈 Student Success & Social Mobility
As a first-generation college graduate, Kennedy made student success a moral and strategic priority. At CU, he froze net tuition for four consecutive years. Both CU and UND expanded online access, increased completion rates across all demographics, and strengthened support pipelines for underserved, rural, and first-generation students. He and his wife Debbie personally funded scholarships at each institution he served.
🧪 Research, Innovation & Economic Impact
- Under Kennedy’s leadership, CU reached a record $1.4 billion in sponsored research funding. His leadership helped advance interdisciplinary collaboration between medicine, engineering, and data science, including support for one of five NSF AI Institutes housed at CU. At UND, he repositioned the university to achieve R1 research status, supported seed grants, and advocated for over $100M in state investment in research across North Dakota's universities. He forged partnerships that extended research into economic development and workforce pipelines.
🩺 Healthcare & Academic Medicine
Kennedy has led and supported top-tier medical education and research at two flagship universities. As President of CU, he oversaw the nationally renowned Anschutz Medical Campus, guiding its growth in research funding, clinical excellence, and precision medicine. He served on the board of the University of Colorado Hospital—an NCI-designated cancer center and the flagship of UCHealth—and supported faculty recruitment and clinical partnerships. At UND, he championed the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, expanded rural and Indigenous healthcare pathways, and increased state investment in medical education and biosciences.
🤝 Inclusive Excellence: Advancing Opportunity, Belonging, and Results
- Kennedy prioritized measurable progress over symbolic gestures—focusing on outcomes that advance opportunity, respect, and belonging. He expanded access for underserved and first-generation students, strengthened leadership diversity across race, gender, and orientation, and supported initiatives like CU Denver’s Hispanic-Serving Institution designation. At UND, he guided a respectful and unifying embrace of a new identity following the retirement of the Sioux name. His approach emphasized clarity of values, institutional mission, and enduring cultural stewardship.
🏛️ Governance, Free Expression & Institutional Trust
At both CU and UND, Kennedy was a champion of shared governance, transparent communication, and free speech. He led both institutions to earn FIRE's "green light" rating for commitment to free expression—a distinction held by just over 60 universities nationally. He worked with faculty and board leadership to strengthen governance processes and safeguard academic freedom.
⚖️ Leading Through Polarization
- During one of the most politically divided periods in CU’s history, Kennedy modeled principled leadership—choosing institutional continuity over partisan escalation when the political makeup of the Board of Regents changed. Rather than engage in public counteroffensives, he ensured a mission-driven transition and left with the Regents’ unanimous approval of the strategic plan he led, which included strong inclusive excellence goals. As he outlines in Leading Through Polarization, this moment reflects his core belief: real leadership sometimes means knowing when not to fight—and acting before the storm in service of the institution.
🧠 Scholarly Impact & Intellectual Leadership
- Kennedy’s academic contributions span non-market strategy, global governance, and strategic competition. His book Shapeholders (Columbia University Press) has been taught at leading institutions and informed executive education around the world. As Director of the Wahba Institute for Strategic Competition, he advances U.S. leadership on technology, trade, energy, and development—convening global policy dialogues and influencing national strategy. His scholarship bridges theory and practice, with thought leadership presented at Harvard, the WTO, global policy forums and top business and policy schools in over 20 countries. Whether writing, teaching, or speaking, Kennedy is recognized for distilling complex dynamics into frameworks that shape public and institutional decision-making.
🌍 Global Engagement & Teaching
- Kennedy taught or lectured on five continents and led global immersion programs for students. At George Washington University, he directed the Graduate School of Political Management and developed residencies that took students to major world capitals. He brought global insights into the classroom and institutional strategy.
🧑🤝🧑 Leadership Development & Team Building
- Kennedy is known for building and empowering high-performing teams that endure. At both CU and UND, he brought together seasoned leaders and new talent, forging unified teams aligned around shared strategic priorities. He fostered a culture of clarity, accountability, and collaboration—elevating diverse voices in leadership while maintaining a steadfast commitment to excellence in every hire.
🌱 Sustainability & Stewardship
- Kennedy has consistently advanced sustainability as a form of institutional stewardship—prioritizing cost-effective infrastructure, student engagement, and long-term resilience. At CU, he launched the system’s first comprehensive sustainability plan and the President’s Sustainability Challenge to promote innovation across all campuses. At UND, he oversaw a public-private partnership to replace an aging coal plant with a high-efficiency natural gas facility and upgraded campus systems—helping the university become one of the most energy-efficient public research campuses in the nation. His bipartisan conservation leadership in Congress further reflects a lifelong commitment to responsible resource management.
🧱 Building Institutions That Shape the Future
Kennedy’s leadership extends beyond existing institutions. He has also founded durable, purpose-driven organizations that address strategic gaps:
- Created to help the U.S. respond to great-power competition by integrating tech, trade, alliances, and governance. WISC engages senior policymakers, global scholars, and think tanks to strengthen national strategy and talent pipelines.
- Launched to elevate civic dialogue on global economic policy and free trade. The Club hosts high-profile speakers and created the Bill Frenzel Champion of Free Trade Award, the nation’s only such recognition.
These initiatives show Kennedy’s capacity not only to reform but to build institutions that outlast his tenure and continue to attract top talent.
Thematic Impact
Institutional Leadership
Record of Scholarship
📊 Academic Leadership by the Numbers
- Led 2 public research universities led (CU and UND)
- $1.4B in annual research at CU
- $455 million annual fundraising at CU
- $5 billion budget at CU
- 4 years of flat net tuition at CU
- Launched path to R1 research status at UND
- 10-point increase in graduation rates at UND
- $500M+ campus revitalization at UND
- Left more diverse leadership than he inherited at CU and UND
- FIRE “green light” rating at CU and UND
- Directed GSPM at GWU with global programming
- 7 scholarships funded by Mark & Debbie Kennedy