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Discover the video of the public conference and Paul Polman's inspiring keynote speech.

 

On the evening of 8 June 2022, on the occasion of the public conference held at the UNIGE premises, Paul Polman delivered a keynote speech, followed by a panel discussion with leaders and experts of the academic, economic, private, and philanthropic sectors.

In that context, the Fondation Lombard Odier awarded its Fondation Lombard Odier Prize(s) for Academic Excellence in Philanthropy. One prize rewarded a paper on the fundamentals regarding social enterprises, benefit corporations and B Corp certification, while the second one rewarded two papers (ex aequo) concerning the status of purpose-driven companies in a particular national context.

You will find below the detailed programme of the public conference.

Free entrance. Registration was mandatory.

 

 

 

Paul Polman

Business leader, campaigner, Co-Author of Net Positive: how courageous companies thrive by giving more than they take, recently published October 2021.

Paul Polman works to accelerate action by business to tackle climate change and inequality. A leading proponent that business should be a force for good, Paul has been described by the Financial Times as “a standout CEO of the past decade”.

As CEO of Unilever (2009-2019), he demonstrated that a long-term, multi-stakeholder model goes hand-in-hand with excellent financial performance. Paul was a member of the UN Secretary General’s High-Level Panel which developed the Sustainable Development Goals and which he continues to champion, working with global organizations and across industry to advance the 2030 development agenda.

Paul’s new book, “Net Positive”, is a call to arms to courageous business leaders, setting out how to build net positive companies which profit by fixing the world’s problems rather than creating them. He Chairs IMAGINE, a social venture dedicated to systems change, and Saïd Business School, and he is Vice-Chair of the UN Global Compact as well as a B Team Leader. Paul is Honorary Chair of the International Chamber of Commerce, which he led for two years.

 

 

Programme

 

6:00 pm

Opening doors (UNIGE)

 

6:30 pm

Welcome by Prof. Yves Flückiger, Rector of the University of Geneva

 

6:35 pm

Prize ceremony for the best paperFondation Lombard Odier Prize(s) for Academic Excellence in Philanthropy

Awarded by Patrick Odier, President of the Board of Fondation Lombard Odier, Chairman of the Jury, and Dr. Maximilian Martin, Secretary-General of Fondation Lombard Odier

 

6:45 pm 

Introduction by Hilde Schwab, Chairperson and Co-Founder of The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship

 

6:50 pm

Keynote speech by Paul Polman

Business leader, campaigner, Co-Author of “Net Positive”

 

7:10 pm

Panel discussion and Q&A

Prof. Alberto Alemanno, Jean Monnet Professor of European Union Law & Policy at HEC Paris, France 

Jeroo Billimoria, social entrepreneur and Founder of One Family Foundation and Co-Founder of Catalyst 2030, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Olivia Leland, Founder and CEO of Co-Impact 

Patrick Odier, Senior Managing Partner, Lombard Odier Group; President of the Board of Fondation Lombard Odier, Genève, Switzerland 

 

Moderator: Dr. François Bonnici, Director of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship and Head of Social Innovation, World Economic Forum 

 

7:55 pm

Closing by Prof. Henry PeterHead of the Geneva Centre for Philanthropy of the University of Geneva (GCP)