In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, the challenges of unsustainable outcomes, from climate change to growing inequality, mean stakeholders are expecting organisations to demonstrate that they “create profitable solutions for the problems of people and planet, while not profiting from creating problems for either”[i] . Governance is the decision-making means organisations use to navigate this changing landscape. Poor governance practices, such as lack of transparency, inadequate stakeholder engagement, or an exclusive focus on short-termism can inhibit an organisation’s ability to spot opportunities for positive impact and new value propositions and create significant liabilities and negative impacts.
Effective corporate governance is critical to ensure the long-term success of an organisation and the wellbeing of the stakeholders it relies on and who rely on it. Corporate governance should be seen not just as a set of compliance measures but as a comprehensive system accountable for delivering an organisation’s purpose. This involves not only integrating sustainability into strategy, but also integrating sustainability principles, mindsets and practices into all business decision-making functions. This ensures that strategies for risk management, stakeholder engagement and reporting are not pursued in isolation but are part of a holistic approach to long-term business success. But what does good look like?
Frameworks like the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL)’s Business Transformation Framework and the Leadership Framework are instrumental in this regard. These frameworks help businesses not only to define their purpose but also to identify the key levers for change that can unleash their journey towards the organisation’s long term sustainable success.
Purpose of the webinar
Join us for an insightful webinar addressing the key challenges businesses encounter when embedding sustainability into strategy, the role corporate governance can play in achieving this, and practical solutions to overcome these challenges. We will explore how CISL’s Business Transformation Framework and Leadership Framework serve as effective tools to support and enable the development of good governance that promotes sustainability-aligned decision-making throughout your organisation.
Ben Kellard, Director of Business Strategy at CISL, will moderate an engaging discussion featuring Gillian Secrett, Director of Leadership and Culture, and Beatriz Araujo, Head Tutor of CISL’s course on ‘Governance for a Sustainable Future’. Take this opportunity to gain valuable insights and practical strategies for adjusting your business’ corporate governance framework to ensure your company’s strategy integrates relevant sustainability considerations to ensure business success.
Speakers’ biographies
Ben Kellard, Director of Business Strategy, CISL
Ben leads CISL’s business strategy advisory work. He has a passion for shaping organisational purpose and strategies that unlock people’s desire to improve their own and others wellbeing, while sustaining the environmental systems the organisation relies upon. Doing so prepares organisations for the future.
He does this by helping organisations such as O2 and Unilever to develop and implement holistic leading strategies. Ben draws on over twenty years of experience as an organisational consultant, to involve a range of stakeholders to develop shared responses to complex and ambiguous sustainability challenges.
He also acts as a critical friend by drawing on evidence and examples of leadership to challenge companies such as the Co-Operative Group, Unilever and Ecover to develop bold ambitions. He recently convened a round table of purpose and sustainability experts to explore how the concepts can work together, resulting in a joint statement.
Gillian Secrett, Director of Leadership & Culture, CISL
Gillian plays a major role in the development of CISL’s thinking and curriculum in relation to high impact leadership; helping leaders to develop personal and organisational resilience and agility to embrace sustainability, both opportunities and risks, and to lead through uncertainty and constant change.
Gillian’s purpose is to help leaders to be at their best, leading with alignment of vision, purpose and strategy to inspire and engage the hearts and minds of individuals to do their best work, whilst contributing to a sustainable future. She has a passion for values based, human centred leadership that enables trust engagement and high performance of teams.
Previously, as Chief Executive of the Møller Institute, Churchill College, from 1998 to 2020, Gillian led the strategy, growth and creation of the Institute from its early years to its current standing. There she established a purpose lead, values-based culture and leadership approach, which put clients at the heart of the Institute's work and success.
Gillian’s work brings together her own experience as a leader, her research and study of leadership and sustainability, and her work with global organisations in the design and delivery of practical, high impact leadership development. She is a qualified business coach and a Chartered Director and Fellow of the Institute of Directors. Her experience covers working at individual, team, and organisational level and she believes in collaboration and partnership to maximise impact.
Beatriz Araujo, Head Tutor, Governance for a Sustainable Future
Beatriz spent her 38 year career at Baker McKenzie, a leading global law firm. She joined as a trainee (1985) and retired in June 2023 when she reached the agreed partner retirement age. The experience gathered over this period is very diverse – in a nutshell:
- M&A/transactional (1987 – 2009)
- Created and led Corporate Governance practice (Band 1 rated by Legal 500) (2013-2023)
- Since serving on a full-time basis on the Firm's Global Executive Committee (2009-2013), Beatriz spearheaded Baker McKenzie's Corporate Governance Group. Beatriz' practice focused on advising boards and multinational groups on company law, particularly director duties, corporate governance frameworks and best practice approaches to include the voice of stakeholders in business decision-making and embed culture and values across organisations with a view to companies building trust with all stakeholders and third parties, including regulators.
She currently serves as co-Chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on the Future of Responsible Investing and is a member of the Forum’s Climate Governance Community of Experts. She is a member of the Supervisory Board of the Portuguese Institute of Corporate Governance.
