Walking the Talk in Business

On 25 - 28 January, Initiatives of Change for Business, a programme affiliated with Initiatives of Change India, organised its 9th Biennial International Conference on "Sustaining Business through Integrity and Trust" at Asia Plateau, the Indian IofC centre located 1,300 meters above sea level in the hills of Panchgani.

Our Executive Director and President, Ignacio Packer and Jacqueline Coté, were part of the experience:

A sustainable future requires us to explore ways of creating real and ethical values in our businesses - values for our customers, employees, suppliers, shareholders and all other stakeholders.

Unfortunately, existing business growth models have contributed to the deterioration of our planet, eco-systems, relationships and, possibly most importantly, our core values. Many of us are recognising the urgency to address these issues, including placing energy transition high up on the agenda.

To help find some of the answers, Initiatives of Change for Business, in cooperation with  Initiatives of Change India, dedicated its focus to this issue during an international converence on "Sustaining Business through Integrity and Trust" which took place in Asia Plateau, the Indian IofC centre located in Panchgani.

On 25 - 28 January, some 60 CEOs and other senior staff came together under Chatham House Rules to share personal experiences on how to balance a sustainable business with integrity and trust.  

From Japan, India, Malaysia, Germany, Switzerland, France, UK, Spain, Tunisia, Sri Lanka, Canada and Kenya, we learned about successful businesses that make a positive impact on society by deciding to prioritize fairness, integrity, social responsibility and thus contribute to building a more just, peaceful and sustainable world.

In his keynote address, T V Narendran, CEO and MD of Tata Steel Ltd, spoke about the the importance of building trust between management and employees, challenges along the process and the solutions his company has implemented to create a culture of trust. But the decarbonisation of operations within a company can also be a major challenge, impacting the supply chain for the construction and manufacturing sectors where  thousands of jobs are at stake.

 

 

 

 

In the inspiring environment at Asia Plateau, we heard testimonies, experiences and best practices for an ethical leadership, mainly from the manufacturing sector, sparking honest conversations on how to achieve a delicate balance. Together, we explored the main reasons why business ethics are important for companies, how to "walk the talk" and live ethical values in order to create trust with employees, consumers, suppliers and the communities. For budding business professionals it was an inspiring and catalytic moment.

 

Already in full preparations for the hosting of this summer's Caux Democracy Forum (15-19 July 2024) which will take place at the Caux Palace, and its workstream on Human Rights Economy, I return with inspiring stories about the “high integrity and honesty” of CEOs who know and have experienced that it is more important than ever for companies to carry out work the right way.

I am grateful for what I have learned from these men and women, demonstrating and sharing a high level of ethical conduct, honesty, and principled behaviour in their leadership roles. 

Thank you, Vivek, David, Rashida, Ashish, Rahul, Shas, Deepika, Mike, Norma, Zacharia, Kenichiro, Nobuaki, Rishi Sher, Yukoko, Yuko, Hiroshi, Luis, Neha, Damko, Gordon, Mounir, Margaret, Ahmet, Yano, Jacqueline, Kanika, T V, Folker and many more.

By Ignacio Packer

READ THE FULL CONFERENCE REPORT

The conversation around sustainable business through integrity and trust will be brought to the four-day residential Caux Democracy Forum (15-19 July 2024) as a specific workstream on Human Rights Economy, exploring “The Role of Europe in Promoting Democracy".

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Photos: IofC India & Ignacio Packer