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Sustainable future for retiring Unilever boss

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6 December 2018

Paul Polman has announced he will step down as CEO of Unilever after more than 10 years at the helm. But retirement? No way.

He will continue to be a leading figure pushing for greater sustainability, value and purpose from business. His argument is straightforward. The old model is increasingly out of date.

It alienates consumers and citizens, especially the Next Generation. As he proved by ditching quarterly reporting at Unilever, this is about battling against short-termism with a new sense of strategic responsibility.

Central to Paul Polman’s well established commitment to create new responsibility will be his roles as Chair of the Global Advisory Board of One Young World and also The B Team. The latter is a not-for-profit initiative funded by what is still a tragically small number of global business leaders to work for a “better way of doing business”.

Polman is a tireless advocate of putting social purpose at the heart of every company’s business strategy.

We have witnessed him irritate many fellow C-suite peers with his relentless pressure on the issue.

But gradually and at last, global events are forcing change and a corporate realisation that the way leaders have led in business cannot and must not endure.

The sinister realities of the new, existential normal are encouraging more to sign up to his arguments and be part of what could soon become a revolution in how corporate leaders lead.

Paul Polman is a big supporter of Thinking the Unthinkable’s core mission to help global leaders thrive on change in times of massive disruption.

He has talked to us about his vision of leadership. He described how critical it is for leaders to redefine purpose and values in their business in conversation with TtU founder and director Nik Gowing.

Arguably he is the most prominent executive voice on the scale of change needed in corporates, government and public service.

Here are some of the key things he has told Thinking the Unthinkable:

On the scale of the challenge

On conformity and lack of creativity

On the impact of geopolitics on corporates

On dealing with uncertainty

On Purpose (with a capital P) in business