Heather Esper

Heather Esper is the Director of the Performance Measurement and Improvement team at the William Davidson Institute (WDI) at the University of Michigan.12 She has over 16 years of experience in her role, having started at WDI in May 2008.3

Professional Expertise

Heather specializes in leading partnerships and research focused on understanding, monitoring, and improving the socio-economic and environmental performance of organizations.12 Her work primarily involves:

• Designing and implementing context-specific measurement tools
• Creating learning processes for both for-profit businesses and non-profit organizations in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)
• Applying multidimensional assessment techniques
• Integrating business indicators to provide insights into effectiveness, sustainability, and scalability

Key Responsibilities

As the Director, Heather:

• Leads a team that harnesses proven research designs and data collection tools1
• Collaborates with and trains business and non-profit leaders in impact measurement, management, and continuous improvement1
• Contributes to advisory groups, such as the World Business Council for Sustainable Development's Social Capital Protocol Advisory Group5

Areas of Focus

Heather's work encompasses various aspects of performance measurement, including:

• Measuring complex impacts like household income, women's empowerment, and children's well-being1
• Exploring economic, social, and environmental performance outcomes of organizations in low- and middle-income countries4
• Developing measurement systems and capabilities rooted in the latest proven methodologies1

Heather Esper's extensive experience and leadership in performance measurement and improvement make her a valuable asset to the William Davidson Institute and the field of sustainable development.