Paul Polman

Paul Polman, former CEO of Unilever, encourages a mindset shift in the business world towards creating value through clear values and serving all stakeholders. He co-wrote “Net Positive,” which focuses on building successful companies while repairing, restoring, and regenerating the world. Polman currently works on global challenges, particularly climate change and inequality, and emphasizes leadership and collaboration to solve humanity’s most significant challenges.

Education 

Paul Polman studied in America at the University of Cincinnati and earned dual master degrees in economics and business studies. There he met his wife, Kim, who is now the mother of their three sons.

Career Highlights

After his studies Paulman worked in three great companies: Procter & Gamble, Nestle, and Unilever. He learned the power of creating value through different business models driven by clear values. Moreover, he learned that serving all stakeholders – employees, customers, suppliers, local communities, the environment, and future generations – is the best way to serve shareholders and build a thriving company.

As CEO of Unilever from 2009 to 2019, Polman worked with a great team and demonstrated that responsible business models can lead to strong performance. Additionally, he showed that it is possible to raise top and bottom-line growth and increase shareholder returns while also consistently ranking as a global leader in sustainability and being one of the best places to work.

Encouraging a Mindset Shift in Business

Paul Polman currently works at the intersection of global business, government, and civil society. He strives to accelerate action on shared global challenges, particularly climate change and inequality. Furthermore, he had the esteemed privilege of sitting on the high-level United Nations panel that formulated the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. 

Paul Polman co-wrote a book titled “Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take” to encourage a mindset shift in the business world. Furthermore, he believes that it is necessary to reimagine what good looks like. It is essential to move beyond the traditional “Corporate Social Responsibility” approach of simply making companies “less bad.” Instead, business models should focus on repairing, restoring, and regenerating the world while building successful companies. Moreover, Polman emphasizes that business leaders must adopt an ambitious mindset and collaborate with peers, critics, governments, and civil society to fix broken systems and solve humanity’s most significant challenges. Additionally, highlights the importance of leadership, courage, and recognizing the human element in all of this. This is why he co-founded IMAGINE, which aims to drive transformative leadership and partnership. According to Polman, transforming systems starts with transforming ourselves.

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Topics

  • Becoming Net Positive
  • Purpose-driven Business
  • Leading Transformation
  • Business as a Force for Good