The Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS) at Georgia Tech is pleased to announce that Bruce Weinelt has been appointed as the inaugural managing director (at the rank of Principal Extension Professional). In his new role, he will develop and lead BBISS’s external partnership and fundraising strategy, grounded in the Institute's academic research priorities, while ensuring cohesive execution across the BBISS and the Center for Sustainable Communities Research and Education (SCoRE) portfolios. "The world's sustainability challenges demand collaboration across disciplines, sectors, and institutions. I'm excited to help build the partnerships that enable Georgia Tech's research to create impact at scale," Weinelt said.

Bruce brings more than two decades of senior executive experience at the intersection of global partnerships, institutional growth, and cross-sector collaboration spanning academia, philanthropy, government, and industry. Most recently, he served as senior expert and strategic advisor to the C-Suite at Conservation International, where he advised the CEO on operating-model evolution, partnership strategy, and AI-enabled sustainability innovation. 

Before Conservation International, Bruce served as vice president of Global Growth at Schmidt Futures, the science, technology, and education venture philanthropy of Eric and Wendy Schmidt. There, he founded the Global Growth function, led international expansion, and initiated a $70 million science and innovation fund with a sovereign government partner. As chair of the Quad Fellowship, he led a partnership ecosystem of national ministries, corporations, and NGOs that raised $14 million in first-year funding and delivered a White House reception series and the inaugural Quad Fellow Summit in Australia. He went on to transition the program to the Institute of International Education as its long-term home.

Earlier, Weinelt spent a decade at the World Economic Forum, most recently as co-head of Partner Development for North America and Europe and a member of the North America Executive Team. There he grew partner count by more than 40 percent and expanded membership pipelines by launching a new partnership model targeted at mid-market industry champions. He also led the Forum's multiyear Digital Transformation initiative — the largest global study of its kind — advising six national governments on digital readiness. 

In addition, he served as head of the Global Future Council on Space, shaping global space governance through frameworks such as the Space Sustainability Rating. Bruce is a regular speaker and contributor to global media and convenings, including CNBC, The Economist, the UN General Assembly, and the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, and has contributed to publications including Klaus Schwab's The Fourth Industrial Revolution.

“Bruce is a rare hire for an academic institution,” said Beril Toktay, executive director of BBISS, Regents’ Professor, and Brady Family Chair in the Scheller College of Business. "He has built and scaled global partnerships at the highest levels of philanthropy, multilateral diplomacy, and the private sector. His combination of strategic experience, fundraising track record, and convening power across sectors is exactly what BBISS needs as we move into our next chapter. We are extraordinarily fortunate to welcome him to Georgia Tech."

Weinelt holds MBAs from the Mason School of Business at the College of William & Mary and IESE Universidad de Navarra, and a joint-honors M.A. with distinction in French and management from the University of St. Andrews and the École Supérieure des Affaires. He completed a three-year Executive Education in Global Leadership program offered by Columbia University, Wharton, INSEAD, and the China Europe International Business School, tailored to World Economic Forum Leadership. Most recently, he completed the Oxford Artificial Intelligence Programme and is a participant in the ASU Certificate on Conservation Technology Innovations.