Tanuja M. Dehne, Esquire

Tanuja Dehne is a public company director, former President and CEO of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, and a former C-level executive of NRG Energy, Inc., a Fortune 250 power company.  Tanuja brings perspective and experience from her cross-discipline roles to the C-suite and board room. She is a purpose-driven leader, cultivator of talent, and proven strategist.  Tanuja is also an award-winning corporate attorney, human resources professional, and community volunteer who thrives on making a positive difference in the lives of others.   

Tanuja ‘s leadership as the President and CEO of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation was transformative.   She steered the organization through numerous national and statewide crises, from a global pandemic to natural disasters like Hurricane Ida, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to her vision of ‘Imagine a New Way’.  Tanuja strategically reallocated the Dodge Foundation’s resources towards leaders, movements, and organizations addressing the root cause and repair of structural racism and inequities in New Jersey. After five years at the helm, the Foundation successfully shifted the majority of its funding to support racial and social justice nonprofits, tackling some of the most challenging and pervasive root causes of inequities. Tanuja’s tenure at NRG Energy, Inc. spanned 12 years, during which she held various roles of increasing responsibility.  As Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, and Chief of Staff, she oversaw NRG’s Human Resources, Information Technology, Communications, Sustainability, and Corporate Marketing departments, the company’s charitable giving program, M&A integrations, as well as the construction of NRG’s sustainable, corporate headquarters in Princeton, N.J.  

Tanuja’s decades-long career has been a testament to her expertise in all aspects of governance. This includes her service on corporate and non-profit boards, her role as a subject matter expert on environmental, social, and governance matters, and her position as Corporate Secretary at NRG.  She has served on four public company boards and chairs Compensation and Corporate Governance Committees.  Tanuja has also served on several non-profit boards and currently serves on the Boards of Trustees of Lafayette College, New York Public Radio, Philanthropy New York, and AAPIP (Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy).     

Tanuja is the Chair of the Advisory Board of Drexel University’s Gupta Governance Institute.  She is on the Faculty of NACD’s Board Advisory Services, is an NACD Board Leadership Fellow, and was recognized as one of the “2018 NACD Directorship 100.”  In 2017, she was named a “Director to Watch” by Directors & Boards.  

Tanuja earned her undergraduate degree from Lafayette College, her Master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania, and her Juris Doctor degree with honors from Syracuse University College of Law.  Tanuja is a 200HR RYT certified yoga instructor who integrates mindfulness and movement in her personal and professional lives.