Gail Whiteman

Gail Whiteman is a Professor of Sustainability at the University of Exeter Business School (UK). She is a social science expert how decision-makers make sense of systemic global risks from climate change and other environmental threats.

She is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Frontier Risk, keynote speaker at Davos in 2020, “What’s at Stake: The Arctic,” alongside Sanna Marin (Prime Minister, Finland) and Al Gore. In 2021, she organised and participated in a High Level Panel – “A Plan for the Planet – the Arctic and Beyond” -- with TIME Magazine as part of WEF's media programme for the online Davos Agenda, together with HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, Robert Downey Jr., Baroness Bryony Worthington, Rainn Wilson, and Eric Rondolat.

Professor Whiteman is also the Founder of Arctic Basecamp, a registered not-for-profit science outreach platform. Since 2012, she is the Professor-in-Residence at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and is actively involved in building science-based targets for collective business action.

She is regularly quoted in the media and has had numerous research grants from the EU and other sources.

Nationality: Dual - Canadian & British

Research interests

• Global risk
• Sensemaking and environmental threats
• Climate change

External positions

• Founder, Arctic Basecamp
• Member, World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Frontier Risk
• Professor-in-Residence, World Business Council for Sustainable Development