Paul Washington

Paul Washington joined The Conference Board in June 2019 as Executive Director of the ESG Center, a non-profit think tank that focuses on corporate governance, sustainability, and corporate citizenship and philanthropy. 

His career has spanned the private, governmental, academic, and non-profit sectors.  Before joining the ESG Center, Paul spent nearly 20 years at Time Warner Inc., serving for most of that time as Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary. He also served as Chief of Staff for the company’s Chairman and CEO. In addition to his tenure at Time Warner, Washington practiced law at the firm of Sidley & Austin and served as Vice President and Corporate Secretary of The Dime Savings Bank of New York.

In terms of public service, Paul’s served as a law clerk for former Supreme Court Associate Justices William Brennan and David Souter, and for Circuit Court Judge David Tatel.  He worked on Capitol Hill for former U.S. Representative Stanley Lundine and, later, as his principal speechwriter when Lundine served as New York’s Lieutenant Governor, as well as for U.S. Senators Walter D. Huddleston and Jacob Javits.  He has also served in local government in both paid and volunteer capacities. 

Paul taught corporate governance as an Adjunct Professor at Fordham Law School for over a decade and has served on the boards of over 25 non-profit organizations.  He was also a long-time active member of The Conference Board, including chairing its Advisory Board on Corporate/Investor Engagement.
Paul graduated magna cum laude from each of Yale College and Fordham University School of Law.