Paula Luff Named New Director of Sustainability & Impact at the Inherent Group
Philanthropy New York board member Paula Luff joined Inherent Group as Director of Sustainability & Impact in March 2017. Inherent Group believes in the power of for-profit business models to address societal challenges—which drives their investments and their philanthropy. As investors, they aim to achieve attractive financial returns by building a long-term portfolio of public and private businesses addressing significant environmental and social challenges. In their giving, they aim to show the effectiveness of earned-revenue models in philanthropic and social service enterprises.
Previously, Luff founded and served as CEO of Viso Strategies Corporation, a sustainability advisory firm based in New York, and from 2007 through 2015, was vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility for Hess Corporation where she established and led the global Social Responsibility and Philanthropy functions for the company. Prior to joining Hess, she was senior director of Global Philanthropy for Pfizer Inc where she set strategy and led the teams that developed flagship programs in global health for the company and its foundation. She also represented Pfizer on philanthropy and global health issues with the media, public officials, bi-lateral and multi-lateral organizations and other external stakeholders. Luff was previously with CARE, the humanitarian organization fighting global poverty.
Luff holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin and master’s degrees from New York University and the New School University. Luff is a Senior Associate with the Project on Prosperity and Development at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. She serves on the boards of the Access to Nutrition Foundation and Philanthropy New York where she is co-chair of the Committee on Members. She has served on the boards of the UN Global Compact US Network, IPIECA, Grantmakers in Health and Accordia (formerly the Academic Alliance Foundation for AIDS Care and Prevention in Africa). Luff is also a member of Cornerstone Capital’s Global Advisory Committee