Kate Ruff

You may not meet a more enthusiastic or passionate accountant than Dr. Kate Ruff. She is so passionate about accounting that she not only thinks “it’s the coolest invention of humanity,” but she believes it’s the way to save the planet—or at least, make it a better place. Dr. Ruff is conducting a very high-profile and leading-edge project at the Sprott School of Business. She is spearheading one of the largest projects ever done in Canada to create a social impact measurement standard. The Common Approach Project. Funded by Employment and Social Development Canada, Dr. Ruff is working alongside an all-star team of partners, including leading academics in Canada from various fields including, Information Technology, Impact Investing, along with charities, not-for-profits and social enterprises. The success of this project will ensure that socially- and environmentally-conscious consumers and investors have effective data that provides disclosure of, and one that will tell the true story of firms’ social and environmental impact that will help consumers make good and informed decisions on how to invest ethically and sustainably. This is Dr. Ruff’s life’s work, her passion, her mission. Emerging work within her research program also includes exploring the methodologies and teaching pedagogy around how impact investing is being taught to undergraduate university students and how students understand its importance and impact in business.

Dr. Ruff has been an Assistant Professor of Accounting at the Sprott School of Business since 2016. She has a Bachelor of Commerce, McGill University (Montreal, QC), a MSc Social Policy and Planning from the London School of Business (UK) and a PhD in Business Administration (Accounting) from the Schulich School of Business, York University (Toronto, ON).

Experience

• Lead
  Common Approach to Impact Measurement

• Assistant Professor of Accounting
  Sprott School of Business at Carleton University

• Carleton Centre for Community Innovation
  Co Director/Research Fellow

• Lead Researcher, Social Results Reporting
  Charity Intelligence Canada

• Consultant
  Social Enterprise London

• Social Enterprise Advisor, Program Manager
  CECI

Education

• York University - Schulich School of Business
  Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Accounting

• The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
  Master of Science (MSc), Social Policy and Planning