• ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  • Sustainability
  • CSR
  • CSR reporting

In Good Company: Singh on CSR

~ Connecting the dots between Business, Society & the Environment

Tag Archives: Management

Campbell Becomes America’s First Public Company to Acquire a Public Benefit Corporation: In Conversation with Plum Organics’ Cofounder

09 Wednesday Jul 2014

Posted by Aman Singh in CSR, CSRwire

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

beechnut, benefit corporation, Brand Management, Business, Campbell Soup, CEO Network, clif bar, community development, corporate citizenship, CSR, CSRwire, delaware, Disclosure & Transparency, Environment, hunger, impact, Leadership, leadership, Management, organic food, philanthropy, plum organics, Sustainability, sustainability, Work culture


Redefining corporate law. Targeting the node of enterprise to shift capitalism.

Those were some of the thoughts running through Neil Grimmer’s mind as he joined eight other businesses to welcome Benefit Corporations in Delaware in July, 2013.

As cofounder and President of Plum Organics – along with a small group of parents – Grimmer’s philosophy has been pretty straightforward: Every kid deserves the best nutrition and no child deserves to go hungry.

The result: an organic food line that prioritizes nutrition, environmental conservation, reduced packaging [a supply chain assessment of the traditional glass jar vs. the Plum pouch was undertaken that showed energy consumption for the latter was much less, fossil fuel consumption for their transportation was a ninth, and they’re 14 times less likely to end up in landfills even with aggressive recycling of the glass jars] and an accompanied mission to target child hunger.

Sound like a lot to take on?

Grimmer’s conviction came from experience. As the former VP of strategy and innovation with Clif Bar, he knew a thing or two about product development that infuses innovation with sustainable practices. “At Clif, I looked at sustainability as a journey, not a method. We’ve adopted that here at Plum,” he says.

Plum Organics went from recording $800,000 in sales in its first year [2008] to $93 million in 2012.

Consider these statistics:

  • 60 percent of retailers in the U.S. carried Plum in the latest quarter
  • The No. 3 baby food brand in the U.S. after Gerber and Beechnut
  • The top growing brand in the baby food category by actual dollars and percent growth this year, with 135% growth vs. a year ago

While the numbers tell their own story, here’s the kicker.

A Public Benefit Corporation: The Implications

Plum Organics is a certified Benefit Corporation. And now with Delaware’s recognition of the legal status, parent company Campbell Soup Company – who announced plans to acquire Plum in May Plum_Organics2013 – becomes the only company in the U.S. with a fully owned subsidiary that is also a Public  Benefit Corporation.

“Our business success at Plum has been based on creating a great product in a way that respects the highest levels of corporate citizenship. It is actually good business to be a good corporate citizen – and our success speaks to that belief,” says Grimmer.

Grimmer is excited – about the notoriety as well as joining hands with an iconic American brand, well-known for its altruistic actions and social causes.

“We have a mission centric core: nutrition and solving hunger with our benefit corporation status our secret sauce and innovation driving the entire process. Campbell has a dual mandate: strengthen the core Campbell business while driving new consumers and innovation. It’s a perfect marriage,” he explains.

With global aspirations [“Hunger and health are global issues.”] and a lofty ambition [“Make sure our products get into every high chair and lunch box globally.”], Grimmer “wanted a partner who would drive both [our goals] with us and help us pave the way to address a more global need that kids have. We have innovation driving our core – we launched over 150 products in the last six years specifically addressing nutritional needs of young families.”

Aligning Ambition With Impact

After spending some time with Campbell Soup Company CEO Denise Morrison, Grimmer’s search Plum Organics Super Smoothiecame to an end.

“As our company grew, so did our ability to impact the world,” says Grimmer. And being a benefit corporation meant the added leverage of a model that places impact and profits in the same sentence. Like The Full Effect program, which was launched this year to target 16 million kids who go without daily meals every day.

“We now had the scale and capability built into the business to make an impact. So we designed a Super Smoothie jam-packed with nutrients,” he says.

So far, Plum has committed to producing and distributing half a million Super Smoothies in 2013. Sound familiar? In 2012, Campbell led a similar one-of-a-kind campaign to produce more than 40,000 jars of “Just Peachy” salsa exclusively for the Food Bank of South Jersey, using fresh, local New Jersey peaches that were not able to be sold because of blemishes but were fine to eat. The initial run from last year’s harvest generated $100,000 for the Food Bank of South Jersey through retail sales.

“Collaborating with Plum made sense for us on several levels. They’re a mission-based organization and their focus on eradicating childhood hunger is strongly aligned with our work nationally and in Camden, N.J. – where Campbell is headquartered. That helps build the collective impact we can have.”

“Plum and Campbell are both consumer-centric companies, and we share a focus on innovation, a critical component of success as we continue to marry our citizenship commitments with the Campbell business model,” responded Dave Stangis, Campbell’s Vice President, Public Affairs and Corporate Responsibility.

Side Effects of An Acquisition

Clearly, the stars align for the two companies but at the end of the day, Campbell is a public company with shareholders and the pressures of satisfying quarterly balance sheets. Will the acquisition bring along with it the familiar headaches of layoffs, change in management and perhaps even a shift in models?

“Plum is a standalone business and will remain so. I will continue to lead Plum Organics and our team is staying intact,” says Grimmer, who plans on remaining an active member of the recently established Plum board of directors. The company will also continue to headquarter in California.

Stangis who has been leading the iconic company’s CSR efforts since 2008 was also quick to cut to the chase about the two organizations’ merged path going forward. “We’re in the process of structuring the Board for Plum. We’re proud to say one of our subsidiaries is a founding member of  the Public Benefit Corporation league.”

“We have already begun working with Neil and the Plum team. We are connecting on joint priorities and sharing Campbell’s CSR and sustainability resources,” he added.

“We’re looking forward to leveraging Campbell’s capabilities and skills to grow the Plum brand. As we dig into these opportunities, we will also be looking to focus on aligning our public benefit corporation with Campbell’s mission, model and culture. They have such a strong CSR program that the opportunities to target hunger are endless,” Grimmer explained.

And this is where Grimmer believes the conversation needs to shift.

“There is a new economy emerging of consumers who are looking to purchase from companies with a mission. They’re building a virtuous circle. When consumers support a business, you end up growing quickly with more exposure and higher impact,” he says.

Of course, being a public benefit corporation is but one element of Plum Organics’ success. It’s an exciting business story.

But the bigger story here is about being able to make an impact by combining a good product with sustainable attributes and an associated social and environmental cause. And that is where Grimmer wants to push his colleagues across corporate America further.

“The business community needs to look at how they are creating values alignment with their core consumers in a marketplace where loyalty is getting scarce. Let’s create many more of those virtuous circles.”

Originally written for and published on CSRwire’s Commentary section Talkback on May 1, 2013.

Advertisement

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

Bagels With the Tall Guy: In Conversation with Green Mountain Energy

07 Monday Jul 2014

Posted by Aman Singh in CSR, CSRwire

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

alternative energy, Brand Management, Business, carbon offsets, CEO Network, CSR, CSRwire, employee engagement, entrepreneurship, ghg emissions, green energy, green mountain energy, Leadership, Management, public policy, recycling, renewable energy, Sustainability, sustainability


Green Mountain Energy, founded in 1997, is the longest selling retailer of carbon offsets in the country with a lofty mission: To change our dependence on power generation from coal and nuclear energy to renewable sources.

With a clear environmental mission and a dedicated consumer base, why would a company like Green Mountain Energy [GME] bother publishing an annual sustainability report?

“The [sustainability] report gives us an opportunity to write about everything we are doing. When you build a company of people who are passionate about the environment, the report becomes a forum to talk about everything we are doing,” says former President Paul Thomas.

The day of our interview, Thomas was still President of the company he has led since 2000. Two days later, news of his stepping down was delivered to my inbox along with a quote:

“I am extraordinarily proud of what we have collectively accomplished at Green Mountain and know that the potential for driving meaningful change is nearly limitless if businesses, like ours, can put market forces to work to solve societal problems.”

Thomas is referring to the recent acquisition of GME by New Jersey-based NRG Energy.

Merging Two Cultures & Winning Over the Skeptics

Paul_Thoms_GMEHow did the company overcome hesitance from employees, customers and investors alike about the acquisition?

“Our society is transforming as a whole from being oil-driven to something very different driven by renewable sources and technology. The question is how do we get from here to there as a society? NRG is a good example [of a company addressing] this dilemma. They are the largest investors in solar production in the country. Now, Green Mountain is a part of their initiative to make NRG a cleaner company – their activities are genuine and we fit well,” he explains.

What about shifting work cultures?

Thomas says the company has undergone several shifts since the 1990s. “We started with a lot of environmental enthusiasts with a low level of business skills. It would have been a lot of hot air if we didn’t drive value to customers. Today we are also a good sales organization, a customer-service driven company,” he says, transitioning from being an environmental company to a good business.

Sustainability Performance

But back to the 2011 sustainability report, which follows several other companies’ lead in shutting off downloadable PDFs in favor of an interactive all-you-can-consume website. The company has come a long way from its formation in the 1990s. According to the report, GME contributed to avoiding 4.5 billion pounds of CO2 emissions, which is “equivalent to not driving a car for six billion miles or planting 6.5 million trees.”

“Remember that in 1997, this was just an idea,” reminds Thomas. “We’ve also increased recycling and all our material now is made from 100% post-consumer recycled content,” he added.

Green_Mountain_Energy_CO2

GME also expanded its innovative Sun Club, which asks customers to pay an additional $5 a month to help the company invest in solar projects. The money donated is then distributed to fund solar projects nationwide in coordination with nonprofits. 2011 marked the biggest year yet in contributions.

But what is sustainability without employee engagement?

Transparency in Action: “Bagels with the Tall Guy”

GME encourages its employees to bike, bus or take the subway in its New York office and participants in 2011 doubled past years’ numbers, according to the report. The report also makes public GME’s paper and publishing standards as well as its contributions and partnerships with organizations like EarthShare.

Green Mountain Energy’s answer to town halls is what the staff quirkily call “Bagels with the Tall Guy.” Thomas explains:

“I’m 6’6” tall. My predecessor was bald so it used to be called “Bagels with the Bald Guy.” It is just an informal communication forum for employees to ask me anything that is on their mind. Nothing is off the table and the conversation is purposely unstructured.”

While all is fair game, Thomas admitted that not everyone attends every month. But what it does is allow “us to be transparent. I believe that employees are effective when they have more context of their job and how they are contributing. Their role makes more sense and there is less doubt about how they fit in and how they can make a difference,” he added.

Public Policy & Sustainability

GME_ProductsWith the Rio+20 Summit coming up, I asked Thomas what the government and public policy makers can do to help support the growth of businesses like GME.

Pointing to a fundamental disconnect, he said, “The public is ahead of policy makers because there is a fundamental misunderstanding between individuals who are concerned about the environmental and their willingness to make purchasing decisions.”

“In the last 10 years, we have seen a sea change in the public’s attitude. But policy makers have not caught up with that,” he continues, adding:

“Green Mountain can focus on market changes by aligning ourselves with the social and environmental benefits of our product. That’s a powerful combination. We’ve proven that green business works, that there is a market for us, and that we can drive a lot of societal benefit while providing good jobs and careers for individuals, and meaningful returns for investors.”

Thomas also cautioned activists and skeptics to keep in mind the regulatory barriers in the market for green energy. “Every state has its own approach ranging from Texas that is competitive and has an open market for electricity to states where the old monopolistic system is still there. We are not allowed to compete in those states!” he emphasized before adding, “We cannot sell green electricity without having permission to enter the states and compete first and foremost.”

A significant barrier but one that hasn’t stopped Green Mountain Energy from scaling the heights and pursuing its mission. His advice for aspiring social and environmental entrepreneurs? “Keep at it, we’ve done it and shown that green businesses can thrive. It’s possible.”

Originally written for and published on CSRwire’s Commentary section Talkback on June 1, 2011.

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

Weaving Ethics & Accountability into Free Enterprise: Leadership in Crisis

03 Thursday Jul 2014

Posted by Aman Singh in Capitalism 2.0, CSRwire

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

b lab, bcccc, Brand Management, Business Ethics, Capitalism 2.0, caux roundtable, common cause, corporate governance, Corporate Governance, CSR, CSRwire, Events, fiduciary responsibility, georgetown university, hershey, james nevels, Leadership, leadership, lucy marcus, Management, Sustainability, sustainability


“An entrepreneur is the engine of change. The dilemma: The glue that connects entrepreneurs, capital and the legal system.”

The real problem with companies today?

“A lack of purpose, intent and transparency.”

That’s how Erik Trojian, director of policy for nonprofit B Lab, opened his presentation at the recent seminar held jointly by Georgetown University, the Caux Round Table and the Sustainable Business Network of Washington (SBNOW).

The theme of the two-day seminar was weighty: Ethics, Leadership and Sustainability – to explore how the capitalist spirit of free enterprise and social entrepreneurship can help transform economic systems and promote social justice, basic rights, and human freedom around the world.

Common among the presentations of the day was a repeated emphasis on corporate governance, beginning with Trojian.

Modern Capitalism & Benefit Corporations

Trojian and his team are on a mission: To get all 50 states of the United States of America to sign the benefit corporation legislation into law. So far, they have succeeded in seven states.

He explained their goal:

“Modern capitalism began at a particular point of time in a certain type of culture. Somewhere in the 1960s, values began to shift and outcomes began to change. We want corporations to have an alternative form of operation that predicates protecting a business’ social and environmental communities.”

After a powerful presentation on the what, how and why(s) of the benefit corporation – a subject that has been covered quite comprehensively by CSRwire in recent weeks – Roderick M. Hills, Sr., former chair of the SEC and cofounder and chair of the Hills Program on Governance at the Center for Strategic and International Studies took the podium.

“Fixing” Bad Corporate Governance

“The Securities Exchange Commission [SEC] was set up to have more finite control of corporations’ governance. Auditors were expected to act on all suspicions. We convinced the New York Stock Exchange to address disclosure and transparency,” he started.

The next antidote according to Hill: The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

“The Act’s real problem was its uncertainty. They don’t want to deal with figuring out what is a crime and what isn’t resulting in people doing whatever they want to do. Plus the Act was not valid outside the geographic boundaries of the U.S. The rest of the world has no incentive to use this,” he said.

Aligning Board Service with Governance: A Conversation with Lucy Marcus

What’s really wrong with most corporation’ boards set up and governance standards according to him? His concerns were multifold so I turned to Lucy Marcus, renowned corporate governance expert, CEO of Marcus Consulting Ventures and Reuters columnist for some answers:

1. Too Much Agreement in the Boardroom

“There are too many directors today who would rather quit than disagree.”

Lucy: Asking the hard questions in the board room is essential, and also being willing to be persistent in the pursuit of the best outcome for the company and stakeholders is essential. Those are the kind of independent directors we want in the boardroom.

Anyone who is not willing to operate in this new reality doesn’t belong in the boardroom, and as we develop & educate new directors they need to know that this is what shall be expected of them.

2. The Fiduciary Responsibility of Directors

“There is a paradox in the country. Independent director doesn’t equal independence today. Every director has a preset job description regardless of who he represents/brings to the board.”

As directors it is vital that we understand going into the post what our job is inside and outside of the boardroom, what skills and knowledge we bring to the table, and also that we also operate beyond those strict skills we bring to also be able to synthesize data quickly and to make decisions in a well-informed and responsible manner.

3. Mandatory Retirement

“The mandatory rotational retirement is a terrible idea. There is no auditory protocol built-in and it gives directors too short a time to compel change, set standards, make a difference.”

I believe strongly in term limits. Best practice, as set out in the U.K., is several terms that add up to 9 years, and I think this is correct.

There is no way that someone can maintain their independence for much longer than that, and if the board room is to remain a place for dynamic discussion, it is incumbent upon boards to continually refresh themselves so that the people around the table bring a balance of continuity and change and the company is able to keep its finger on the pulse of changing agenda items, be it corporate social responsibility, technology, or anything else that is relevant to continued strength, growth and wellbeing of the organization.

If Capitalism Isn’t Bad, Are Capitalists?

Despite the somber notes, Bob Edgar, president and CEO of Common Cause, perhaps encapsulated the day – and our present crises – most succinctly with one question:

“Is it appropriate for [a form of] capitalism to exist that leads to unemployment, slavery and excess profits above all else?”

Readers: It’s your turn to participate in this dialogue and become the change makers you seek from our leaders. How are you solving ethical dilemmas between personal values and professional responsibilities?

As Chairman of the Hershey Company James Nevels put it recently at the BCCCC conference, “CSR above all begins and ends with personal responsibility.”

How do you define personal responsibility – and extend that to corporate responsibility?

Originally written for and published on CSRwire’s Commentary sectionTalkback on April 4, 2012.

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

Ceres Investor Summit 2012: 5 Trends Not to Bet Against

03 Thursday Jul 2014

Posted by Aman Singh in CSR, CSRwire

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

bank of america, bill gates, Brand Management, Business, carbon, carol sanford, CEO Network, ceres, chad holliday, climate change, CSR, CSRwire, dupont, energy, ESG, Events, investor relations, Leadership, Management, Social Responsibility, stem, Sustainability, sustainability


Last week, Ceres and the United Nations came together to host the 2012 Investor Summit on Climate Risk & Energy Solutions in New York City. With several announcements marking the day—a record $260 billion was invested in clean energy in 2011—it was Bank of America Chairman Chad Holliday’s pre-lunch presentation that stood out for its aspirational message.

I had the opportunity to host Holliday last year for a keynote on responsible business practices. The occasion: The release of Carol Sanford‘s book The Responsible Business, for which Holliday provided an articulate Foreword.

This time around too, Holliday chose to focus on lessons learned from his years leading DuPont, which saw record growth, transition from a chemical company to a science-based products company, as well as the country’s first chief sustainability officer appointment.

“As you listen, make sure you’re not inadvertently betting against something,” he cautioned adding, “Whether you want to own it or not is merely situational. But listen.”

Here then are Holliday’s five things to not bet against:

1. Don’t Bet Against Breakthroughs

“Don’t bet against a major breakthrough or a series of breakthroughs that create clean, cheap energy.” Holliday followed this warning by a reminder that “the price of natural gas in the Middle East” used to be our prime concern.

“No one was talking about shale energy, tidal [energy] 10 years ago. Somehow we missed that,” he added. Holliday also alluded to the American Energy Innovation Council he set up when at DuPont that counts Bill Gates, Xerox CEO Ursula Burns, GE’s Jeff Immelt and others as members: “We
really felt that such a breakthrough was probable so don’t discount the power of innovation.”

2. Don’t Bet Against America

“Particularly American engineers and research universities,” he continued. “Thirty five of the 50 top research institutions worldwide are located in the U.S. Seventeen of the top 20 are in the U.S.,” he said

Bank of America Chairman Chad Holliday Admission rates in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) have been declining for years in the U.S., and several sectors are ramping up their community development and research dollars to invest in STEM initiatives and academic institutions. While it is true that graduates from Asian countries have increasingly filled STEM jobs—and have an incredible presence in Silicon Valley—in recent years, Holliday was quite right to point out that “it will require other countries to grow awfully fast to catch up with us.”

“What we see in the press is that China is overtaking us in engineering. In fact, there is no question that China is indeed leading us in the number of graduating engineers. But when it comes to quality and diversity—biotechnology, nanotechnology, quality control, systems engineering—we are hands down champions,” Holliday said.

3. Don’t Bet Against Sustainable Energy For All

“One of the three commitments of the United Nations General Secretary was to provide electricity to the 1.3 billion people globally who still don’t have access to electricity,” said Holliday. “Now let’s discuss the 1.3 billion-strong population of China: How productive would they be without access to electricity?”

His message: That’s opportunity to deliver value for business, investors and entrepreneurs.

4. Don’t Bet Against Dramatic Events Driving Dramatic Government Action

“One nuclear fallout after the tsunami that struck Japan was enough to compel Germany to take the decision to go completely nuclear-free for their energy supply,” he said.

Emphasizing that one must increasingly view business and investment in the context of their social and environmental setting, Holliday offered a glimpse into his role on Shell’s CR committee: “I regularly meet with NGO groups and investors to understand what they are thinking. I then coordinate with Shell’s corporate responsibility committee to visit sites to really check and see if they are doing what they commit to. Then it makes a difference,” he said, adding, “We cannot measure growth and success from afar because that’s just PR.”

5. Don’t Bet Against People in This Room

Putting the onus on the over 500 investors in attendance, Holliday said: “You’re here today because you think private money can make a difference in this sector. You’ve made a good decision.”

Indicating to his recent appointment as Bank of America’s chairman, he continued:

“I joined Bank of America in the time of a recession. I didn’t have much time to do any due diligence so I decided to find out what they were doing on sustainability. And I’m proud to say that I was impressed. They have already made an 18 percent deduction in greenhouse gases (GHG), made a $20 million commitment to loans for sustainable projects and nurture a working culture that prioritizes sustainability.”

Many other firms in the room could probably tell similar stories, he added, warning: “But don’t bet against each other.”

Emphasizing the need for public private partnerships, he concluded: “Working with the public sector and other stakeholders is going to be key in our goal of sustainable energy for all.” There too, he had the same warning: “Don’t bet against each other.”

Originally written for and published on CSRwire’s Commentary section Talkback on January 18, 2012.

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

2011: The Year Business Learned to Say Mea Culpa

02 Wednesday Jul 2014

Posted by Aman Singh in CSR, CSRwire

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Accountability, Best Buy, Brand Management, Carol Cone, climate corps, corporate governance, CSR, CSRwire, edf, Ethics, jobs, Leadership, Management, McDonald's, Ofra Strauss, Social Media, social media, Stakeholder Engagement, Sustainability, sustainability, timberland, transparency, UPS


Image

These were just some of the things that kept us busy in 2011. While some represent the changing marketplace, others are age-old struggles between activists, consumers, employees and corporations. Yet, they all represented the emergence of new forces at play in our corporate corridors.

Yes, 2011 represented despair for many – the jobseekers, the underemployed, the single parent, the shopper, the CEO, the trader – but with despair, as CSRwire’s CEO Joe Sibilia noted, comes hope, adaptability and often, solutions.

And it is at that stage that most of us converged in 2011.

Transparency: Is Business Ready?

Take, for example, the recent BSR conference held in San Francisco. My panel addressed a topic that is bound to get most of us shifting in our chairs: Sustainability in a Hyper-Transparent World. Ouch, right? Joined by executives from Oxfam, Intel and SourceMap, the conversation included several uncomfortable moments (I offered up Zappos as an example to the audience, citing that the company livestreams its all hands meeting in order to live its mission of “building open and honest communications.”) and featured several probabilities, suggestions, and potential solutions by a group that included lawyers, sustainability executives, CSR officers, reporters, strategists, entrepreneurs as well as nonprofit leaders.

“When you are increasingly naked, fitness if not optional.” – Macrowikinomics

That the panel attracted a full room of senior executives willing to discuss difficult issues like privacy, corporate governance and stakeholder responsibility is a start.

The C-Suite Headlines Sustainability

Till last year, while much was being written about CSR and sustainability, executives were largely absent from the dialogue. In 2011, this changed ever so subtly. Earlier in the year, Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn took the stage at one of the year’s most prolific conferences, the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship’s annual conference. He discussed the importance of employee wellbeing, organizational design, transparency (Kathleen Edmond was the first Chief Ethics Officer to start a blog on ethical issues in the workplace) and the importance of stakeholder engagement.

“The more you peel the onion, the more you realize there is to be done. You just need to be constantly excited about peeling the onion.” – Brian Dunn, CEO, Best Buy

At Net Impact, Nike’s Hannah Jones took the stage as did REI CEO Sally Jewell. BSR kept the momentum going by featuring Ofra Strauss, CEO of the Strauss Group, Autodesk CEO Carl Bass and Anheuser-Busch CEO Carlos Brito.

These chiefs weren’t exactly looking to gain brownie points. They were after all speaking to the choir in some respects and to an audience that for the most part, gets business and social responsibility. But what made each of them stand out was their honesty about the difficult problems facing us today – a first? – agreement on the role of business in adding to today’s social and environmental mess.

“In the last few years, business has lost tremendous trust in the marketplace. That we are GOOD now rests on us.” – Ofra Strauss, Chairperson and former CEO, The Strauss Group

Mea culpa, they all said. Followed by: Here’s how we are trying to change ways, rethink growth, repurpose missions and reengage stakeholders.

That’s a start.

Social Media Engagement: 140 Characters Rule

Despite all the naysayers of social media, there is no denying that for any organization that sells a product or service today, having a dedicated presence on Facebook and Twitter is a prerequisite. With engagement reaching never-seen-before proportions, even Chief Sustainability Officers are learning to communicate in 140 characters or less.

“We must see social problems as business opportunities.” – Carol Cone, EVP, Edelman

But several companies dipped their toes in active engagement by trying out new formulae: Best Buy released their annual CSR report by hosting a live webinar (that I moderated) with their Sustainability team and a parallel conversation on Twitter. As I quizzed them about the report, questions poured in from Twitter: What was Best Buy doing in the area of conflict minerals? What about human rights? Recycling? How about consumer education? And why the low diversity ratio of employees?

Squirm they did, admitting that the issues were complex they did, but answer they also did.

They weren’t the only ones though.

Timberland (that was acquired by VF earlier in the year) launched their new Communications portal, McDonald’s hosted a live chat on Twitter with VP of CSR Bob Langert, UPS held several chats during the holiday season from sustainable gifting to green packaging choices.

Communicating your sustainability story is an important cog in the wheel called trust and the choice to engage is no longer a valid option. How you choose to do so, however, will continue to differentiate you from your competitor.

Making Business Sense out of Sustainability

Several large organizations came forward in 2011 asking jobseekers and students applying for jobs in sustainability and CSR to understand how to relate their core competencies and knowledge to the issues facing us today, i.e., water depletion, carbon emissions, climate change, etc.

How can depleting levels of water relate to a professional services firm, for example, or a bank? Why must a software company invest in engaging and educating its supply chain?

Climate Corps: Creating Jobs & Savings

The Environmental Defense Fund’s Climate Corps program is one of very few initiatives that have managed to tie sustainability with business strategy and growth while creating jobs out of the process.

From placing seven MBA candidates as summer fellows in 2008, the program has quickly grown in popularity, placing 96 students at 78 companies in 2011. The fellows spend an entire summer working with their host companies on identifying energy efficiency solutions, implementing carbon management processes and helping diverse businesses embed environmental sustainability into their strategies.

The results: Millions in savings. While few get direct job offers from the Fellowship, most have had success finding jobs where their unique mix of experience, passion, and the ability to tie business strategy with sustainability, is appreciated and utilized in changing processes, setting standards and adapting organizations to a fast-changing reality of limited resources.

This is a start.

Organizational Design & Sustainability

Where does sustainability fit in your organization?

Everywhere, really, is the only correct answer, irrespective of where the chief sustainability officer sits. This, finally is getting addressed by what I consider a crucial component at any company: The HR and recruitment teams. In collaboration with IE Business School, I moderated seminars with recruiters, HR directors and organization design consultants on the value of CSR in candidate recruitment and retention.

We discussed the relationship between productivity, values, respect and growth. We heard from students who want to work for socially responsible companies and executives who are redirecting their organizations to instill a culture of ethics, responsibility, accountability and pride.

Mea culpa, most of them said. That’s a start.

Originally written for and published on CSRwire’s Commentary section Talkback on December 30, 2011.

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

The Makings of a CSR Program: In Conversation with Avon, LinkedIn & Jones Lang LaSalle

02 Wednesday Jul 2014

Posted by Aman Singh in CSR, CSR reporting

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

avon, business, career advice, careers, corporate responsibility, CSR, CSR reporting, employees, HR, Jobs in CSR, Jones Lang LaSalle, Leadership, LinkedIn, Management, Net Impact, social impact, Sustainability, sustainability, Work culture


That was the focus of one of the panels at Net Impact 2011 featuring Avon’s VP of Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility, Tod Arbogast; LinkedIn’s Head of Employment, Branding and Community, Meg Garlinghouse; and Jones Lang LaSalle’s SVP of Sustainability Strategy, Michael Jordan.

Representing companies that are often called out for their out of the box thinking on social responsibility and sustainability, the speakers discussed a range of topics including the always debatable definition of corporate social responsiblity, measuring employee engagement as well as the skill sets that go into the makings of a CSR director.

Main highlights:

CSR: Burden or Boon?

“CSR should die as a term. CSR departments tend to take away from possible impact. Just like ‘global’ is part of everything we do at LinkedIn, so is CSR,” Garlinghouse emphasized, noting, “Employee engagement is key for CSR, not separate departments.”

Jordan picked up where Garlinghouse left off adding that businesses must leverage engaged employees and identify champions early on for successful CSR programs.

“CSR has a direct tie-in with our business. After you’ve built the business case and identified regional champions, work together on identifying and building in efficiencies,” he advised.

“Build friendships, be seen as pragmatic and capture early wins. Then leverage those to go further and faster,” Arbogast said.

Measuring Employee Engagement

But how do you measure the efficacy of employee engagement?

A survey I conducted a few months ago with Smartbrief on Sustainability asked whether companies were measuring employee engagement on CSR. With over 70 percent of respondents saying they did not measure employee engagement, how were these panelists identifying wins and scale?

Once again, there was a healthy difference of opinion across the panel. While Garlinghouse emphasized company mission, the other two focused on operational procedures and policies.

“We recruit on the notion of social impact. These conversations happen during the interview process,” Garlinghouse alluded, noting LinkedIn’s entire modus operandi is based on “creating economic opportunities.” LinkedIn also offers employees the opportunity to do whatever they feel passionate about one Friday a month. “They have to come to work but they can pursue whatever they are interested in,” she said.

“For us, measuring the progress of your platform from awareness to implementation to operational strategy has always been key,” added Jordan.

Defining CSR With Strong Stakeholders

Responding to an audience question about resourcing for CSR initiatives, Jordan emphasized that most of Jones Lang LaSalle’s sustainability activities have been client-driven. “There is a clear business case because our clients are demanding sustainability strategies,” he said.

For Garlinghouse, employees have been the most forthcoming about corporate social responsibility initiatives. “Our CEO is very involved. Also, our employees are really committed to our company mission,” she said.

Skill Sets for a CSR Officer

Arbogast, who joined Avon in late 2009 after successfully leading Dell’s Giving program for a number of years, is a well-sought after speaker at the Net Impact conference each year. This year too, he was asked what aspiring professionals could do to become effective CSR officers. He laid out three crucial skills sets:

  1. People’s Person: Know how to communicate with people from all kinds of backgrounds and perspectives.
  2. Conflict Resolution: You must be a skilled mediator. Know that business cases will vary from group to group and you must be willing and diplomatic enough to finesse the tension lines and bring about resolution.
  3. Business Pragmatism: You must be a realist and know the business inside out. For CSR and sustainability programs to be effective, you need to understand what drives decisions and action.

Originally written for and published on CSRwire’s Commentary section Talkback on November 9, 2011.

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

Link

Translating Business Responsibility: An interview with Warner Bros. CEO & Chairman Barry Meyer: Now LIVE on CSRwire!

24 Tuesday Jan 2012

Posted by Aman Singh in CSR, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

aman singh, Barry Meyer, Brand Management, Business, cause marketing, CEO Network, corporate social responsibility, CSR, CSRwire, Ethics, Events, Justice League, Leadership, Management, Nonprofits, Social Enterprise, Social Impact, Social Media, Social Responsibility, Uncategorized, We Can Be Heroes


Translating Business Responsibility: An interview with Warner Bros. CEO & Chairman Barry Meyer: Now LIVE on CSRwire!

When the Justice League comes together to fight evil, evil stands little chance. In a world of economic uncertainty and social unrest, superheroes provide children with mentors, entrepreneurs with lessons in responsibility, and the rest of us with inspiration. Now, DC Entertainment has joined hands with Time Warner and Warner Bros. to launch We Can Be Heroes.

Their target: The hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa.

Their spokescharacters: The Justice League

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

CSRwire In Conversation with BCLC: The 2012 CSR Outlook

10 Tuesday Jan 2012

Posted by Aman Singh in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

aman singh, aman singh das, BCLC, Business, Career advice, careers, CSR, CSR communications, CSRwire, editorial director csrwire, Ethics, Events, Leadership, Management, Social Media, Social Responsibility, Stakeholder Engagement, stephen jordan, Sustainability, sustainability, Uncategorized


Join CSRwire’s Editorial Director Aman Singh in conversation with Stephen Jordan, Executive Director of the U.S. Chamber Business Civic Leadership Center and a group of MBA graduates virtually for an intimate conversation about what happened in corporate social responsibility (CSR) in 2011 and what the field has in store for 2012.

When: Friday, January 13, 2012; 9:00am EST

Where: Livestream & Twitter

Register for the FREE live stream and join the tweetchat at #BCLConCSR!

The 2012 CSR Outlook is the first in a FREE six-part forum series being conducted by the Center. The U.S. Chamber BCLC’s Conversations with Stephen series is produced and moderated by founder and executive director Stephen Jordan. Guests engage in thoughtful, solution-oriented discussions and debates about the CSR field. The six-part 2012 series is offered at no charge as part of BCLC’s commitment to share knowledge and best practices with current and upcoming CSR practitioners.

We look forward to hearing from all of you @AmanSinghCSR, @CSRwire and #CSRwire or #BCLConCSR!

Related:
2011: The Year Business Learned to Say Mea Culpa

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

Social Media Tactics: McDonald’s Hosts Twitter Chat. And Issues a Policy.

09 Friday Dec 2011

Posted by Aman Singh in CSR

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

aman singh, aman singh das, Bob Langert, Brand Management, consumer education, corporate social responsibility, CSR, CSR communications, CSR report, Management, McDonald's, McDonald's CSR report, PR, risk management, social media, Stakeholder Engagement, stakeholder engagement, Sustainability, sustainability, transparency, Twitter, Twitter chat


Certainly not the blog post I planned on writing after spending two weeks in New Delhi, India but I am compelled.

Today, McDonald’s hosted a Twitter chat with VP of CSR Bob Langert. The motivations are many for a company that is besieged for its product line and constantly under fire.

In fact, last year at a diversity benchmarking event at Hamburger University, I had the opportunity to hear the McDonald’s executive team discuss a whole host of business practices and strategies, including diversity (led by Global Chief Diversity Officer Pat Harris), employee learning and corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Here’s a snapshot of what I wrote then:

There is an argument that some companies–such as those that deal in weapons and tobacco–just can’t do corporate responsibility in a meaningful way. As a result, they are often excluded from CSR rankings and benchmarking exercises.

But what about a company like McDonald’s constantly under fire for its products? How does the world’s largest fast-food chain practice corporate social responsibility that is both contextual and real?

Led by Senior Manager for Corporate Social Responsibility Kathleen Bannan, who began her presentation by saying “CSR is everybody’s business,” the day-long event proved both thought-provoking (how does a company who doesn’t enjoy corporate America’s most favorable retention rates or the public’s uniform love tackle responsibility and that ever-amorphous doing the right thing?) and insightful (McDonald’s is among very few companies to institute an employee resource group for its white male workforce).

What happened today, however, was an effort at cautious transparency and an attempt at crowd sourcing corporate social responsibility.

The questions were introspective:

And the answers, alternatively useful, creative and critical.

But then I saw this:

Now McDonald’s is not the first company to host a Twitter chat by any means. I have personally attended several as well as hosted a few — including one coming up next week with UPS’ Chief Sustainability Officer Scott Wicker — with varying levels of participation from a usually diverse set of activists, journalists, executives and consumers.

Never before, however, have I been handed a “Twitter Chat Policy.”

An indication of things to come or…?

Continue reading →

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

The Unruliness of Corporate Responsibility & Hyper Transparency: Quotable Quotes from Net Impact & BSR 2011

09 Wednesday Nov 2011

Posted by Aman Singh in CSR, CSR reporting

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

aman singh, aman singh das, Autodesk, Bea Perez, brand management, Brian Dunn, BSR, BSR 2011, Business for Social Responsibility, Carol Cone, cause marketing, Chris Jochnick, corporate citizenship, corporate social responsibility, CSR, CSR reporting, Deloitte, Edelman, Events, Gregory Unruh, hyper trasnparency, integrated reporting, Jessica Fries, Kate Heiny, Leadership, LinkedIn, Lynelle Cameron, Management, Meg Garlinghouse, Net Impact, Occupy Wall Street, Ofra Strauss, Social Responsibility, Stakeholder Engagement, Sustainability, sustainability reporting


I spent the last two weeks attending and speaking at the Net Impact and BSR conferences. As is typical at both conferences there is always too much to choose from and a lot to absorb. Since I cannot offer you a summary of each and every panel I attended/spoke at, here are some of the top line quotes heard at the conferences:

CSR: Always a Difference in Opinions

“CSR used to be about doing the right thing. Now it’s all about how it makes business sense.” – Campbell Soup’s VP for CSR Dave Stangis

“I hate the term CSR. It has slowed the movement and in many ways ensured that it is not built into systems, accounting, etc. I prefer [the term] sustainability although that’s not a big favorite either.” – Lynelle Cameron, Director of Sustainability, Autodesk

“We think CSR is good business.” – Suzanne Keel-Eckmann, National Director for Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability, Deloitte

A bag of sweet potato fries at Burgerville in Portland, Oregon: Social messaging done right?

“CSR should be led by charity and employee engagement, not CSR departments.” – Meg Garlinghouse, Head of Employment Branding and Community, LinkedIn

“Our CEO still believes that he is the company’s chief sustainability officer. But he realized that we need to be more organized and structured in our efforts because there is a lot to be done.” – Bea Perez, Chief Sustainability Officer, Coca-Cola in response to Reverse Cause Marketing: Coca Cola’s Pursuits in the Middle East

The Role of Business in Social Enterprise

“We must see social problems as business opportunities.” – Carol Cone, EVP, Edelman

“I worked on Wall Street, driven by greed. Regardless of what anyone says, greed is not good. You get so immersed in the system you forget what all you can do with your life.” – Charles Kane, Former CEO and Board Member, One Laptop Per Child

“A lot of charities are beginning to worry that a lot of the problems they have been trying to solve are not going away. Business still tends to be more sustainable.” – Steve Andrews, CEO, SolarAid

“In the last few years, business has lost tremendous trust in the marketplace. That we are GOOD now rests on us.” – Ofra Strauss, Chairperson and former CEO, The Strauss Group 

Personal Responsibility

“When you know what you’re doing is helping thousands, the payback is so much more fulfilling than any number of stock options and bonuses.” – Charles Kane, Former CEO and Board Member, One Laptop Per Child

“We need to change without giving up who we are. There are no riots against business that are profitable. We need to talk with them, not talk to them.” – Ofra Strauss, Chairperson and former CEO, The Strauss Group

“The more you peel the onion, the more you realize there is to be done. You just need to be constantly excited about peeling the onion.” – Brian Dunn, CEO, Best Buy

The Role of an MBA

“No profession exists to make the practitioners rich. There is always a higher purpose.” – Gregory Unruh, Director, Lincoln Center for Ethics, Thunderbird School of Global Management

“I don’t know if its [The MBA Oath] is going to work. But it is in the right direction and symbolizes a complete shift in mentality.” – Max Anderson, President and Cofounder, The MBA Oath

“I’m waiting to see the day when a new employee tells me they attended a class in college called Change Agent 101.” – Anonymous 

Transparency

“We’re from the Midwest. We don’t advertise our initiatives. But lately there has been a shift in this thinking and our communication style. Transparency is a journey and we are in the early stages of that.” – Kate Heiny, Group Manager of Sustainability, Target

“The priority should always be why not disclose instead of why disclose.” – Chris Jochnick, Director, Oxfam America

“When you are increasingly naked, fitness is not optional.” – Quoted by yours truly during a BSR panel on hyper-transparency. Citation: Macrowikinomics

Integrated Reporting

“For us, integrated reporting starts with the thinking within the company on how they will sustain their value in the future. Integrated reporting starts with integrated thinking.” – Jessica Fries, Director, International Integrated Reporting Committee

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...
← Older posts

Let's Talk!

Virtual
732-322-7797
amansinghdas@gmail.com

Connect with me on Twitter

My Tweets

Blogs I Follow

  • Nonprofit Chronicles
  • Learned On by Andrea Learned
  • Angry African on the Loose™
  • csr-reporting
  • The CSR Blog
  • In Good Company: Singh on CSR

My Cloud

Capitalism 2.0 CSR CSR reporting CSRwire ESG Guest Author HR Stakeholder Engagement Sustainability Uncategorized

Recently written…

  • Rationality is Ruining Us: Mayors, presidents and governors join major businesses in charting way forward on climate change
  • 2015: the year businesses recognize that climate change is real – and 4 other themes
  • Hardcore lessons of sustainability – ’10 Words or Less’
  • Brewing a Better Future [#BaBF] with Heineken: Examining the Many Flavors of Local Sourcing
  • From Conflict to Collaboration: Kimberly-Clark and Greenpeace Participate in LIVE Twitter Chat

What others are reading

aman singh aman singh das Brand Management Business corporate social responsibility CSR CSR reporting CSRwire ESG Leadership Stakeholder Engagement supply chain Sustainability sustainability Work culture

Categories

Most Read

  • None

Blog at WordPress.com.

Nonprofit Chronicles

Journalism about foundations, nonprofits and their impact

Learned On by Andrea Learned

Angry African on the Loose™

I have opinions. I am from Africa. I live here now. I blog.

csr-reporting

Connecting the dots between Business, Society & the Environment

The CSR Blog

Connecting the dots between Business, Society & the Environment

In Good Company: Singh on CSR

Connecting the dots between Business, Society & the Environment

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • In Good Company: Singh on CSR
    • Join 119 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • In Good Company: Singh on CSR
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: