Champion of better capitalism
It is 12 years since the chairs and CEOs of 11 global companies from the UK, India, Continental Europe and the USA declared in their report Tomorrow’s Global Company that the purpose of a company is: ‘to provide ever better goods and services in a … Continue reading‘Shareholder vs Stakeholder’ is such a tired debate – let’s move on!
After such depressing reading about the Amazon in last weeks Economist it is good to read this week (10 Aug p 35) about the successful running of the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo. Under the governorship of Paulo Hartung, from 2003 to 2010 and 2015 … Continue readingIf only Brazil would cut more public sector perks and less rain forest…
A few days ago, Boris Johnson responded to the charge that he was anti business. His defence? ‘I was one of the very few people who spoke up for the bankers after the global financial crash’ Interesting. Of course strictly speaking banking is … Continue readingA role model banking could do without
The UK papers last weekend were full of the sale of Merlin, the entertainment company, to Kirkbi, who already had a 29% stake in the company. They were especially focused on this comment by Sir John Sunderland, ‘Any news flow, either from the company or because … Continue readingGetting the right purpose depends on having the right ownership
With the Stewardship Asia Round Table behind me, I caught up with Singapore friends before heading to the airport. I also had time to look at the papers. Here’s a selection of what readers of the Straits Times and Business Times have been reading on … Continue readingWhat’s in the papers in Singapore
‘We need a better form of capitalism, one which, while promoting competition, is there to serve and not dominate; to respect human beings and not exploit them; to nurture our surrounding environment, and not destroy it. The question is how. How to make our system … Continue readingWe need a better form of capitalism – and rediscovering stewardship is the key to change
How to get financial services companies to combine human purposes with commercial imperatives? I’ve spent the last twenty-five years arguing that a focus on purpose, values and relationships is the key to a company’s success, and opens the door to it making a valuable … Continue readingPurpose in financial services
In Monday’s Financial Times (13th May) there are two stories which, taken together, demonstrate the current failure of our capital markets and their potential to become a force for good. First the failure (Fingerpointing begins after Uber IPO Misstep). This is illustrated by the telling … Continue readingUber IPO trivia and serious lessons from Volkswagen
I am speaking today at a meeting in Parliament of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Corporate Responsibility. The subject is the duties of directors of companies under UK Company Law. It is an opportunity to put right those in business who mistakenly say that … Continue readingGovernment’s role in promoting better capitalism
In 1994, just as the Tomorrow’s Company Inquiry was getting into full swing, I undertook a fascinating study tour of Silicon Valley. I met some of the young companies, like Intuit, that were breaking through, and some of the venture capitalists, like Sequoia Capital that … Continue readingUnicorns or Monsters?