Paul Polman KBE, the former Chief
Executive of global consumer goods company Unilever, has given a public lecture
at Northumbria University, Newcastle, challenging corporate heads to step-up
and take an ethical lead. During his visit to Northumbria, Mr Polman also
conducted a Masterclass for the University’s MBA students.
The lecture, Capitalism's
Reinvention, explored how the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals can drive a new
market, where purpose delivers profit and business plays a key role in tackling
runaway climate change and global poverty. Delivered on behalf of Northumbria
and the North East Initiative of Business Ethics (NIBE), the lecture attracted
leading business figures, academics, students and members of the public.
Mr Polman, who has strong links
with Northumbria, retired as Chief Executive of Unilever after a decade of
challenging business norms. He then co-founded `Imagine’ as a foundation for what he has described as “heroic chief executives
willing to move outside the comfort zone and take personal risks.” In a
powerful call-to-action, Mr Polman used the public lecture to argue that we
cannot wait for governments to face the connected challenges of climate crisis
and extreme poverty. Instead he said the
rest of us have to step-up, especially the heads of big business who wield
significant private power.
Ron Beadle, Professor in
Organisation and Business Ethics at Northumbria, said: “Together with NIBE we
run an annual series of free business ethics events, and having this public
lecture by Paul Polman here at the University was a stand-out highlight of the
year. His Masterclass session for our MBA students was equally insightful and
an valuable learning experience.”
Unilever is a genuine global
company, with 2.5 billion customers worldwide. Its brands range from Persil, Lynx,
Comfort and Domestos, to Toni&Guy, Ben & Jerry’s and many others. Under
Mr Polman’s leadership, Unilever doubled its share price at the same time as
shifting its agenda towards sustainability and global development.
Northumbria has worked closely with
Unilever through collaborative research on areas such as sustainable packaging,
and through student internships and placements. Responsible
Business is a key research theme at Northumbria’s Newcastle Business
School.
For more
information on Northumbria and future public lectures please visit: www.northumbria.ac.uk/events
