CSR - An Interview with Paul Polman (Unilever)

A fantastic interview here in the latest (March 2011) edition of Management Today with Paul Polman - the CEO of Unilever. We featured Polman during our AQA BUSS4 CPD days recently and I was a little surprised that no-one in the audience recognised him! Perhaps the reason is that he keeps a relatively low media profile. But the impact he is having on the business strategy at Unilever is significant - and the firm should be a required research source for all BUSS4 students.

We mentioned during the CPD course that Unilever had made a major announcement about CSR back in November 2010. Unilever’s sustainable living plan is extensively covered here.

Lots in the MT article to help students. There’s a good line of argument that Polman makes against the concept of short-term shareholder value. He no longer makes presentations to hedge funds who, he suggests, are at the heart of the short-termism that influences too much decision-making in the City. He’s even stopped making earnings forecasts!