Alan AtKisson

Alan AtKisson has been working at the forefront of sustainability initiatives since 1988. As an author, consultant, speaker, and musician, Alan continually find new ways to communicate the complex challenges of sustainable development with the thoughtfulness of an academic, the fun and creativity of an artist, and the human touch of a father. He brings depth of experience and a diverse set of skills to bear on the complex problems of sustainability. As CEO and President of the global sustainability consulting firm, The AtKisson Group, Alan works with his colleagues and partners on a mission to “mainstream sustainability” by empowering people everywhere to act make immediate and lasting change in their corner of the world. 

Alan is the author of two books on sustainability theory and practice.  Believing Cassandra: An Optimist Looks at a Pessimist’s World (1999) explains the origins of the modern sustainability movement through the lens of the mythological character, “Cassandra,” who was given the special gift to see the future, but with a curse that no one would believe her prophecies. An internet bestseller at the time, reviewers called Believing Cassandra “a pivotal book” and “a very important work,” while organizational leaders purchased it by the box to spread its “message of hope” to their colleagues.

Alan’s new book is The ISIS Agreement: How Sustainability Can Improve Organizational Performance and Transform the World (Earthscan, Sept 2008). Using the same personal, engaging writing style that made Believing Cassandra so popular, The ISIS Agreement is an empowering and inspirational guide to sustainability in practice today. Mixing global trends, practical guidance, systems-based analysis, case studies, and profiles of successful “Change Agents,” The ISIS Agreement reads like a mystery novel, while taking the mystery out of sustainable development – and leading the reader to a powerful and hopeful conclusion.

As a consultant, Alan works with large companies, business associations, governmental initiatives, cities, foundations, and global NGOs, helping them to find new and accelerated strategic pathways forward. He draws on over twenty years of experience in sustainable development, including leadership roles in organizations such as Sustainable Seattle (which he co-founded) and the International Network of Resource Information Centers (also known as the Balaton Group, over which he currently presides); and two periods where he served as a transitional chief executive, helping to lead institutions through major change processes (the economic policy group Redefining Progress in 1996-97; and the global Earth Charter Initiative in 2006-2007). With a background that combines business management, journalism, science and the arts, he is dedicated to helping clients meet the practical challenges of sustainability with innovation and a strategic vision.

As a speaker, Alan makes frequent inspirational keynotes and leads motivational workshops for international audiences. As a communicator, he writes for popular websites, develops media, and also writes songs. As a former band leader in New York, Alan continues to make music and is known for occasionally surprising audiences with a song designed to make the topic more memorable.

A citizen of both the United States and Sweden, Alan lives in Stockholm with his wife, Kristina AtKisson, and their two children.

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