Mark R Kennedy
- Mark R. Kennedy is a first-generation college graduate whose leadership spans public service, higher education, global strategy, and civic renewal. He has served as President of both the University of Colorado and the University of North Dakota, and as a U.S. Congressman from Minnesota. He is the founder of the Economic Club of Minnesota and currently serves as the founding Director of the Wahba Institute for Strategic Competition, an independent institute advancing U.S. strategy in a contested global order.
- Throughout his career, Kennedy has aligned institutions with the evolving needs of society. His leadership reflects a 360° perspective—shaped by experience across government, business, academia, and the nonprofit sector, a record of results in times of transformation, and a belief that leadership is ultimately about empowering others and building trust. This multidimensional background enables him to identify synergies and opportunities across policy silos, institutional boundaries, and allied geographies—bridging gaps that single-sector strategies often overlook.
🧭 Strategic Leadership Across Sectors
- Led CU’s $5B system with an AAU flagship, top-ranked medical center, and Power Four athletics
- Delivered record $1.4 billion in research funding and $455 in fundraising, while advancing affordability and inclusive excellence
- Elevated UND through a bold strategic plan that led to increased graduation rates, and R1 research designation
- Built a bipartisan reputation across three terms in Congress
- Served as Treasurer during the record-setting merger and reorganization that created today’s Macy’s
Kennedy has a track record of effectively leading through disruption—from Macy’s reorganization and 9/11 in Congress, to an energy-driven budget crisis at UND and the COVID-19 pandemic at CU.
💻 Driving Innovation & National Competitiveness
A lifelong champion of technology as a strategic asset, Kennedy has led digital transformation and innovation across sectors:
- Sponsored a software startup later acquired by Oracle
- Championed broadband, STEM education, reserach funding, and digital modernization in Congress
- Launched digital boot camps at GW, autonomous systems and big data research at UND, and CU secured one of NSF’s first AI Research Institutes
- Now leads the Wahba Institute’s work on AI governance, semiconductor strategy, supply chain resilience, and industrial capacity to bolster America’s geoeconomic foundations
🌐 Global Engagement & Policy Leadership
- Engages global leaders at the highest levels—from meeting one-on-one with the President of Taiwan and the Foreign Minister of China while in Congress, to hosting the leaders of Canada, Finland, and Ireland in subsequent roles
- Convenes senior officials and thought leaders—through the Wahba Institute and the Wilson Center—to address the future of alliances, infrastructure finance, digital governance, and economic diplomacy
- Taught, lectured, or led programs in 20 countries across five continents, including Harvard, Penn, Johns Hopkins, NYU, Cambridge, Sciences Po, and the University of Tokyo
- Led global business expansion efforts—supporting the acquisition and international growth of Häagen-Dazs at Pillsbury and later serving in a global retail development role at Accenture
🎓 Championing Education & Inclusive Excellence
Across institutions, Kennedy has:
- Led with a commitment to access, affordability, and student success
- Expanded support for rural, Indigenous, and first-generation students
- Tied inclusive excellence to long-term institutional strategy
- Diversified leadership through merit-based hiring and promotion
- Fostered climates of free expression, student success, and innovation at scale
📡 Current Engagements
- Founding Director, Wahba Institute for Strategic Competition
- Senior Fellow, CNA – Center for Naval Analyses
- Civic Leader, U.S. Air & Space Forces
- Member, Council on Foreign Relations
- Board of Thinkers, Boston Global Forum
- His commentary has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, CNN, NPR, BBC, Bloomberg, and The Washington Post.
- He holds a B.S. from St. John’s University (MN) and an M.B.A. with distinction from the University of Michigan.