Paul Polman

Paul Polman stands as one of the most influential business leaders of our time, renowned for transforming corporate sustainability during his tenure as CEO of Unilever from 2009 to 2019. Under his leadership, Unilever achieved remarkable success, with shareholders seeing returns increase by 290% while the company consistently ranked first globally for sustainability. His revolutionary approach demonstrated that business could profit through purpose, implementing a long-term, multi-stakeholder model that married financial performance with environmental and social responsibility. As co-founder and Chair of IMAGINE, he now works to accelerate business action on climate change and inequality, mobilizing industry coalitions in sectors like fashion and food. Polman's commitment to global development includes serving as Chair of the International Chamber of Commerce, The B Team, and Oxford's Saïd Business School, while also acting as Vice-Chair of the UN Global Compact. His humanitarian work extends to co-founding the Kilimanjaro Blind Trust with his wife Kim, improving the lives of visually impaired children in East Africa. Through his book "Net Positive" and various leadership roles, Polman continues to champion the belief that businesses must contribute more to society than they take, working tirelessly to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals and combat climate change