INSEAD Champions Business as a Force for Good
The Force for Good Conference and Campaign for INSEAD Launch bring together leaders and academics to promote a better world
INSEAD, the Business School for the World, recently underscored its mission to develop responsible leaders who transform business and society by hosting The Force for Good Conference on the Europe Campus in Fontainebleau, France and launching the Campaign for INSEAD at the Château de Fontainebleau.
The Force for Good Conference
The inaugural INSEAD The Force for Good Conference was held in the afternoon of 5 October and brought together more than 620 attendees. The conference convened a diverse set of business leaders and prominent academics to share their views, experiences and strategies on how business can prosper and produce positive outcomes for society.
The conference kicked off with a rousing keynote address by Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever, which connected the future of business with globally agreed sustainable development goals. Dean of INSEAD Ilian Mihov followed with a speech outlining his vision of business as a force for good. Ensuing sessions included presentations and panel discussions on how businesses can deliver value to societies through new tools and innovative frameworks, strategies and business models.
At the conference conclusion, INSEAD officially inaugurated the Hoffmann Global Institute for Business and Society. The Institute was established through a €40 million gift by INSEAD alumnus André Hoffmann MBA’90D and his wife Rosalie Hoffmann. The Institute aims to deliver new perspectives and innovative solutions to the most intractable global issues – transforming leaders and changing the world.
André Hoffmann, speaker at the conference and distinguished guest at the Campaign launch, says that, “Transformational change will not take place without a new generation of leaders who are willing and able to change the current management paradigm. Business schools must develop business leaders who lead with a deep understanding of the relationship between business and society – and practical knowledge of how to produce positive outcomes for both.”
André Hoffmann is Vice Chairman of Roche Holdings, the world’s largest biotech company, and has longstanding ties to INSEAD, supporting many of the school’s key initiatives. This year, Roche has been recognized as the world’s most sustainable healthcare company for the tenth year in a row. Mr. Hoffmann is also a champion of conservation and sustainability. In early October, he was awarded the WWF’s annual Duke of Edinburgh Conservation Award, which honours and recognises valuable contributions made toward global conservation.
Campaign for INSEAD: “A Force for Good”
The same evening at the historic Château de Fontainebleau, where the first INSEAD classes were held 59 years ago, the Campaign for INSEAD was officially launched. Grounded in the school’s distinct vision, values and ventures, the €250-million capital campaign will fortify the school’s academic excellence, drive innovation and transform business and society on a global scale. The Campaign for INSEAD is ambitious and will strengthen the school’s ability to realize its vision.
Ilian Mihov, Dean of INSEAD, says that, “The challenges of today cannot be solved with yesterday’s thinking. Meeting our common challenges requires ingenuity of bold leaders who can champion business as a force for good. INSEAD is committed to developing these leaders. We launch the Campaign to align the goals of business with the goals of society.”
The conversation on the role of business in positive societal progress will continue at the INSEAD Alumni Forum Asia and Campaign Launch in Asia on 10 November in Singapore.
INSEAD calls for the support and generosity of its alumni, students, partners and friends to build the school’s capabilities to attract and develop the best faculty, produce the best research and draw the best academic talent. All contributions will support the mission to bring together people, cultures and ideas to develop responsible leaders who transform business and society.
To learn more about the Campaign, please visit the website. Follow INSEAD’s Campaign through official and social media channels via the hashtag #INSEADforGood. To find out more about upcoming Campaign for INSEAD events in Asia, the Middle East and the US, visit please visit the Campaign events webpage.
