Hear from ACCP's Andrea Bell, Director of CSR Learning Programs
Navigating a career in corporate social impact requires more than passion—it demands adaptability, strategic thinking, and a commitment to continuous learning. In this Q&A, hear from ACCP's Andrea Bell, a seasoned CSR leader with experience across multiple industries who shares insights on building critical skills, aligning social impact with business priorities, and charting a path for long-term growth in an evolving field. Whether you're just starting or looking to take your career to the next level, these reflections offer valuable guidance for every stage of the journey.
As a former CSR leader at Qualcomm, Pathward, and Motorola Solutions Foundation, you’ve held CSR roles in multiple industries and organizations. What skills or experiences helped you successfully navigate those transitions?
Throughout my career in CSR—across industries from tech to financial services—I’ve found that while the industries may differ, the role's core responsibilities remain remarkably consistent. Whether managing volunteer programs or corporate grantmaking at Motorola Solutions, Pathward, or Qualcomm, the foundational skills that have helped me navigate each transition successfully are strong communication, collaboration, and project management.
What shifts with each new organization isn’t the what of the work—it’s the how. Understanding a company’s culture, structure, and strategic priorities is essential. That’s why I’ve always made it a priority to invest in my development early on: meeting with business units, engaging internal stakeholders, and connecting with community partners to understand the unique ecosystem that our CSR work needs to support and align with.
CSR professionals must be adaptable, but more importantly, they must be curious and committed to learning.
What advice would you give someone looking to grow from an entry-level CSR role into a role with more responsibility?
Take advantage of continuing education and professional development opportunities within the sector, but also consider leadership development that will prepare you for new responsibilities at the next level, like budget management, supervision, and strategic planning.
Establish and take advantage of the network of CSR professionals, to learn from those who have navigated to roles that may be of interest for you in the future.
Consider opportunities internally (like ERG leadership or stretch assignments) and externally (like board service and probono volunteerism) to upskill in areas you’re interested in learning more about and gaining more experience in.
From your perspective of leading global programs, what competencies are essential for someone managing employee engagement or disaster relief initiatives?
There is no one size fits all when we think about programs in a global context. Leaders who manage global programs should have a strategic mindset in order to set a vision and framework aligned with business priorities, that allows for flexibility and customization at the local level.
It is also essential to establish strong relationships across the regions you serve with both internal and external stakeholders. Global teams are still often challenged with small headcount, so I’ve benefited greatly in my work by building employee ambassador committees and project teams that include representatives from each region to advise on things like local giving and volunteerism and response strategies following disasters.
Many job seekers struggle with understanding the “business lens” of CSR. How did you learn to align social impact goals with business strategy, and how would you recommend others build that skill?
Growing your business acumen and building internal trust are key to designing programs that not only reflect community needs but also drive business value. Be intentional about learning the business of your organization. This can be done my attending internal meetings, conducting one-on-one informational interviews, inviting a different business unit to your staff meeting, or doing your own research.
You should pay particular attention to what you hear in terms of current priorities, challenges, key stakeholders, and community needs. You should then ask how the work you are managing can support, supplement, and/or strengthen their priorities. These should be on-going conversations.
What is the best career advice you received—or would now give—to someone looking to break into or advance in corporate social impact?
There are many different areas of corporate social impact, and the field continues to grow and evolve. Meet with those who may be doing work that you have interest in, stay up to date on current trends and emerging topics, contribute your thought leadership to the field, and bring your authentic self to the work.