Marian Miner Cook
Athenaeum

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Across Frontlines, War Zones, and Boardrooms: The Real Demands of Responsible Leadership

Mon, February 17, 2025
Dinner Program
Stephanie T. Kleine-Ahlbrandt P'25

What does it mean to lead responsibly in today’s complex and uncertain world? Drawing from over 25 years of experience in conflict prevention, human rights, and leadership development, Stephanie Kleine-Ahlbrandt P’25 explores the essence of responsible leadership. From conflict zones in Rwanda, Bosnia, Myanmar, and the West Bank to high-stakes negotiations involving Iran and North Korea, her career has bridged the gap between frontline realities and boardroom decision-making. In this thought-provoking presentation, Kleine-Ahlbrandt examines the key qualities responsible leadership demands: resilience, humility, adaptability, and value-driven decision-making. She shares insights gained from navigating crises, fostering psychological safety, and guiding purpose-driven leaders to align their actions with their values. This session provides actionable lessons for leaders seeking to make meaningful impact, whether on the ground or in the boardroom, in a rapidly changing global landscape. 

 

Stephanie T. Kleine-Ahlbrandt P'25 is a Nonresident Fellow at the Henry L. Stimson Center. She brings over 25 years of experience in the United Nations, think tanks, international organizations, and government, specializing in national security, policy analysis, conflict prevention and resolution, human rights protection, crisis management, and peacebuilding, with a regional focus on Asia.

From 2014 to 2019, Kleine-Ahlbrandt served as the Finance and Economics Expert on the DPRK (North Korea) Panel of Experts for the United Nations Security Council. Prior to that, she was the Asia-Pacific Director at the U.S. Institute of Peace, where she designed and implemented initiatives to prevent and manage deadly conflicts through engagement with governments, institutions, academics, and civil society representatives.

Between 2008 and 2013, Kleine-Ahlbrandt established and led the Northeast Asia office of the International Crisis Group in Beijing, China, conducting research, analysis, and policy recommendations. She also served as an International Affairs Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. Earlier in her career, she worked with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights for a decade, serving as Officer-in-Charge for the Asia-Pacific region. She was seconded by the U.S. Department of State to the OSCE Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1996), investigated genocide and human rights violations for the United Nations in Rwanda (1994–1995), and worked with the Legal Affairs Directorate of the Council of Europe.

Kleine-Ahlbrandt holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from the Institut de Hautes Études Internationales (HEI) in Geneva, Switzerland, and has earned Certificates from the Institut d’études Politiques (IEP) in France and Tsinghua University in China. She also holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and French from Indiana University. Her writings have appeared in Foreign Affairs, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, Le Monde, Die Zeit, and The International Herald Tribune, as well as in various edited volumes and a monograph. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and is fluent in French and Mandarin.

 

Ms. Kleine-Ahlbrandt, the featured speaker for Family Weekend 2025, will deliver the Spring 2025 Lecture in Diplomacy and International Security in Honor of George F. Kennan.

 

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Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum

Claremont McKenna College
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Claremont, CA 91711

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