From C-Chord to C-Suite: Trailblazing Advocate Chely Wright Takes on Corporate Social Responsibility Role at Global, $11B Company ISS

NEW YORK, NY | March 25, 2025 -- Changemaker, country music artist, and corporate executive Chely Wright’s career has taken many forms over the years, but has always been driven by advocacy, entrepreneurship and helping others. Today, she’s announcing her next chapter: Senior Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and New Market Growth, North America at the multinational, multi-billion-dollar workplace experience and facility management company ISS. 

In this role, Chely will channel her passions and influence to help drive impact on her largest "stage" yet, by facilitating client and community partnerships and empowering ISS’ 320,000+ employees and their families worldwide.

As head of CSR and New Market Growth, Chely leads initiatives that strengthen and grow the company’s external client relationships and celebrate its internal culture, including a focus on new partnerships and ventures that bring together like-minded corporate entities and community organizations to drive impact — locally and globally. Read more HEREabout the programs she's leading to increase the engagement of independent, local businesses that make up ISS' suppliers, empower some of the food suppliers in Altadena, CA who were hardest hit by the wildfires, bring more veteran and women-owned businesses into the fold, offer English for business classes to ISS employees, and more.

In 2010, Chely became the first artist in the country music genre to come out as gay. The support she got, as well as the backlash, changed her life forever and amplified her passion for advocacy in the LGBTQ+ community and well beyond. But long before she ever got to Nashville, Chely was a little girl growing up in Kansas, with a father who worked an hourly job in construction. As a first grader, she discovered her love of entrepreneurship (and thrived) as the Lawrence Journal World's youngest, and only girl with a paper route. She moved to Music City to become a singer at 18, and in 1999, had a number-one hit with the song “Single White Female” and a gold album of the same name. 

Through it all, the business parts of the “music business” were her favorite. She was always enterprising, and always thinking, too, of how she could use her platform for positive change. Chely’s website was one of the first artist websites in country music, for example, and reimagined what a fan club could be. Over time, her fan club events evolved into an economic and awareness engine in support of the non-profit, Reading, Writing and Rhythm Foundation, which she founded to support music education in public schools after the Columbine shooting in 1999. Her "Chely and Friends" annual event became the de facto kick-off of CMA Music Fest, selling out every year and featuring some of the biggest names in the industry.

After she came out of the closet, Chely's work started to take on more of those corporate (and non-profit) elements: she began working closely with organizations such as GLSEN, GLAAD, and the Human Rights Campaign, and working on social impact and culture work with companies such as Procter & Gamble and Morgan Stanley.

In 2020, during the pandemic, she saw her unique opportunity to take that "impact" work full-time, and play a part in the zeitgeist that was happening around the future of work. She became Chief Diversity Equity and Inclusion Officer at Unispace, a global workplace strategy, design, and construction firm, where she spearheaded global, award-winning inclusivity initiatives within Unispace and empowered clients such as Kenvue, Kraft Heinz, Zoom and Orrick to foster inclusive workplaces through curated partnerships that brought together renowned artists, community organizations and nonprofits.

At ISS, Chely is advancing this mission by expanding initiatives that impact people, communities and the planet. ISS' workforce includes “Placemakers” who do the kind of work Chely's construction-worker dad did for decades, alongside the workplace hospitality and culinary staff at major corporations, janitorial teams, and essential building managers who ensure everything runs smoothly, dedicating their expertise to creating exceptional experiences. During the pandemic, while Chely was forging her new path, ISS workers were frontline heroes in full PPE — and continue today to innovate new ways of working. She draws connections between these behind-the-scenes roles, understanding that we all have an essential part to play in creating the ultimate, best-in-class experience. While ISS’ placemakers may not play music, they are a resonating, driving force that makes space for people to thrive.

“My years of experience across several industries have taught me invaluable lessons about the power of community, the value of intention and the importance of aligning top-down strategy with grassroots champions, internally and with clients too. Great things happen when there’s unity at every level,” she says.

About ISS ISS is a leading, global provider of curated facility management, workplace and food service offerings that make everyday experiences extraordinary. In partnership with our clients, our team members — ISS placemakers — make everyday spaces feel extraordinary through unique, chef-crafted meals, elevated cleaning services, front and back-office services and more. We minimize the impact on the environment and maximize care for our broader community through adherence to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and commitment to reducing food waste and easing food insecurity. ISS brings all of this to life through a unique combination of data, insight and service excellence in offices, factories, airports, laboratories and other settings across the globe. ISS employs more than 320,000 placemakers around the world and in 2024 reported Group revenue of $11.6 billion USD globally. For more information on ISS North America, visit our website.