Event context

We get that purpose is important. The economic advantages are clear (a two-year study by the Business and Sustainable Development Commission found that meeting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals could unlock trillions in value and create hundreds of millions of jobs this decade) and societal pressure on businesses is increasing through the impact of Climate Change, Black Lives Matter, #metoo, attacks on democracy, and the Covid pandemic (1).

In Paul Polman and Andrew Winston’s new book, Net Positive, the term is defined as ‘a net positive company being one that “improves well-being for everyone it impacts and at all scales—every product, every operation, every region and country, and for every stakeholder, including employees, suppliers, communities, customers, and even future generations and the planet itself.”

Net positive is an ambitious goal and as yet no company has achieved it (1). We have seen genuine impact delivered against purpose (2) and lots of start ups come to the world with laudable ambitions and noble intent. But it’s one thing having a clear purpose, and another connecting it to company strategy, making a financial return and ensuring all your stakeholders, including your people, feel a positive impact whilst growing rapidly. We’ve been talking about the importance of purpose driven business for years now but few brands and companies appear to be delivering genuine impact in the long term. Which begs the question: Why is delivering against your purpose so hard to do and what can leaders do about it?

Event host and speaker

Ben Foulkes, Business psychologist helping leaders create organisations where people love to work and a Director at T–.

Stephen Rapoport, Serial Entrepreneur, Advisor & NED. Previously VP Disruption at Unilever, Founder at Pact Coffee & Crash Padder. Currently CCO at Riverford Organic Farmers.

Where and when

07/10/22 | 8.30am-10am | Zoom