The Board of Directors of the Mind & Life Institute has announced the selection of Suzanne Bond as the organization’s new president. A forward-thinking senior executive, Suzanne has over two decades of global experience working across non-profit, corporate, and public sector organizations. She succeeds Susan Bauer-Wu, who served as President of Mind & Life from 2015 through November 2023.
“We are pleased to welcome Suzanne to lead the Mind & Life Institute in its next chapter,” said Board Chair Thupten Jinpa, the principal English translator to His Holiness the Dalai Lama since 1985. “Suzanne brings to Mind & Life a profound conviction in the importance of our mission, demonstrated leadership abilities, and deep experience in change management, organizational development, fundraising, and relationship building.”
“I share Mind & Life’s belief that change in the outer world begins with inner transformation,” said Suzanne, whose contemplative journey began three decades ago. “I believe that our future flourishing depends upon the kind of research and engagement that Mind & Life is known for and the world so desperately needs.”
With proven negotiation and relationship-building skills, Suzanne has served as an advisor to Congress, the State Department, non-profits, Fortune 100 companies, the UN, and governments and as a coach to CEOs, prime ministers, cabinets, and boards seeking to navigate complex change. For 19 years, she lived abroad, leading international development initiatives and advising governments in dozens of countries, including lengthy engagements in Bhutan, Kenya, Thailand, and South Sudan for the purposes of improving the lives of citizens in developing countries. Most recently, she held the position of Vice President of Programs for an international development firm, where she drove strategy and met revenue, new business, client satisfaction, and employee engagement goals. She previously served with world-class firms such as Deloitte and Accenture. In addition to her impressive career credentials, Suzanne is a certified mindfulness meditation teacher and devoted contemplative practitioner.
In informing key stakeholders of the Mind & Life Institute of the selection of Suzanne as the new president, Board Chair Thupten Jinpa wrote, “As someone who has been deeply engaged with Mind & Life since the very first Dialogue with His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 1987, I am confident that in Suzanne we have found a leader who will leverage our rich legacy as a catalyzer, convenor, and field builder in advancing mind-based and heart-centered solutions to the great challenges of our time.”
Suzanne Bond began her role as Mind & Life President on March 15, 2024.
About the Mind & Life Institute
At the Mind & Life Institute, we bring science and contemplative wisdom together to better understand the mind and create positive change in the world. We recognize that many of today’s challenges—from loneliness and anxiety to racial injustice and growing polarization—have roots in the human mind. Building on our 37-year legacy, we seek to better understand the role of the mind in creating these problems—and its potential to solve them. Ultimately, we seek to spark a global transformation towards a world where we embrace our shared humanity.
