Grow the Pie: How Great Companies Deliver Both Purpose and Profit

Purpose is the corporate buzzword of today, with politicians, the public and even shareholders calling on businesses to serve wider society. But purpose is also controversial, because companies have a responsibility to deliver returns to investors. Is there a trade-off between purpose and profit, or is it possible for companies to achieve both? This talk will critically examine the case for purposeful business, using rigorous evidence and real-life examples to show what works – and, importantly, what doesn’t. It will explore issues such as: What does it mean for a business to be purposeful? How can purpose guide a company’s day-to-day decisions? How can it ensure that the pursuit of purpose is consistent with long-run shareholder returns?. Professor Alex Edmans will draw on his book, “Grow the Pie: How Great Companies Deliver Both Purpose and Profit”, a Financial Times Book of the Year that was recently translated into Japanese.