Christopher Barr
Cambridge
Summary
Dynamic leader with a proven track record at Takeda, driving impactful CSR and philanthropy strategies. Expert in grantmaking operations and stakeholder alignment, I increased employee engagement by 300% and optimized budgets, enhancing community resilience and health equity. Adept at analytics and fostering external partnerships to achieve strategic goals.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
Work History
Head, U.S. CSR & Philanthropy
Takeda
Cambridge
01.2020 - Current
- Lead Takeda’s U.S. CSR & Philanthropy portfolio—strategy, governance, budgeting, measurement, and partner ecosystem—supporting community resilience and health equity.
- Developed holistic community giving strategy and governance process; identified growth and innovation opportunities in CSR trends, managing $82M over 5 years.
- Chaired a VP-level philanthropic review committee allocating funds across U.S. nonprofits; prepared agendas, prioritized decisions, and tracked action items.
- Created a year-long volunteer model with ERGs and site champions, increasing participation 80%; scaled disaster relief and employee giving, increasing engagement 300% in six months.
- Established monthly and quarterly KPI and budget reporting for U.S. and Global leadership, enhancing forecast accuracy and decision transparency.
- Implemented guidelines, tools, and evaluation metrics to administer and monitor grants, sponsorships, volunteer donations, and disaster response partnerships.
- Modernized the employee engagement and grants management system to streamline workflows and improve flexibility for colleagues and partners.
- Partnered with Communications to deliver consistent narratives and proof points; launched the annual U.S. Impact Report consolidating community outcomes.
- Optimized sponsorship portfolio, reducing outlier spending by 50% while maintaining priority relationships and visibility.
Director, Community Investment
BAE Systems
01.2018 - 12.2020
- Designed and launched an integrated Community Investment strategy aligned to business priorities across giving and volunteering; managed a $2M annual budget.
- Created metrics to quantify investment impact and prioritize initiatives; directed a geographically dispersed team of five to achieve strategic objectives.
- Cultivated partnerships with nonprofits, governments, and civic leaders; represented company at key charitable and community events to enhance visibility and collaboration.
Director, CSR & Social Impact
Biogen
CAMBRIDGE
01.2014 - 12.2018
- Led corporate responsibility and social partnerships, managing Biogen Foundation ($7M annually), community lab programs, and driving employee engagement.
- Increased employee engagement 30% and reduced costs 26% by aligning sponsorships, philanthropy, and volunteering to priority outcomes.
- Reduced sponsorship outlier spend 50% through tighter criteria and portfolio discipline, while representing community interests to civic and nonprofit stakeholders.
- Coordinated corporate citizenship reporting activities, enhancing industry reputation with top ranking in Dow Jones Sustainability Index.
Senior Manager, Site Operations & Communications
Amgen
01.2006 - 12.2014
- Acted as Chief of Staff to the Site Head for a 300-researcher facility and aligned functions to execute strategic initiatives and site priorities.
- Managed internal/external communications, community relations, and philanthropy; implemented site-wide initiatives to enhance operational efficiency.
- Engaged with community organizations, industry groups, and local public officials to strengthen organizational relationships.
Education
MBA - Strategic Management
Purdue University
M.A. - Communication
Gonzaga University
B.S. - Accounting
Suffolk University
Skills
- CSR strategy
- Grant operations
- Program management
- Partnership development
- Budget ownership
- Forecasting & ROI
- KPI frameworks
- Analytics & impact measurement
- Cross-functional leadership
- Change leadership
- Executive storytelling
- Reputation management
Timeline
Head, U.S. CSR & Philanthropy
Takeda
01.2020 - Current
Director, Community Investment
BAE Systems
01.2018 - 12.2020
Director, CSR & Social Impact
Biogen
01.2014 - 12.2018
Senior Manager, Site Operations & Communications
Amgen
01.2006 - 12.2014
MBA - Strategic Management
Purdue University
M.A. - Communication
Gonzaga University
B.S. - Accounting
Suffolk University