Christopher Marquis believes that purposeful company stewardship is required more than ever. He is the Sinyi Professor at the University of Cambridge Judge School of Business. He writes a regular column for Forbes and his work has appeared in the Boston Globe, Washington Post, Fortune, TIME, Foreign Policy, and Harvard Business Review. His previous books, Better Business: How the B Corp is Remaking Capitalism and Mao and Markets, a Financial Times “Best Book of 2022,” were published by Yale University Press.

Episode Insight: It’s time for leaders to rethink our current economic system and envision a more equitable and sustainable future, leading with purposeful company stewardship.

Background: In this week’s episode of Reflect Forward, I interview Christopher Marquis, a business professor at the University of Cambridge and author of 'The Profiteers.' Chris shares his journey and focus on corporate social responsibility and purposeful company stewardship, discussing the challenges of aligning profit motives with social goals. We highlight the importance of purpose-driven leadership, sustainability, and addressing systemic environmental issues. Chris offers insights into teaching ESG concepts, the role of strategic governance, and innovative companies like Grove Collaborative. We also cover corporate gaslighting in industries like fossil fuels and plastic and the need for upstream thinking to tackle the root causes of systemic problems.

How to find Chris:

Website: https://chrismarquis.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-marquis/

Books: https://www.amazon.com/Better-Business-Movement-Remaking-Capitalism/dp/030024715X

https://www.amazon.com/Profiteers-Business-Privatizes-Profits-Socializes/dp/1541703529

Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/christophermarquis/#6fdf8e2e67dc

Timestamp for Episode

00:00 Welcome and Introduction

00:00 Meet Christopher Marquis

01:11 Journey into Academia

02:51 Teaching Impactful Business

05:02 Challenges in Sustainable Business

06:31 Innovative Business Practices

09:02 Leadership and Purpose

11:30 Elon Musk: A Case Study

13:46 Corporate Gaslighting: Shifting Blame to Consumers

14:48 Fossil Fuels and Carbon Emissions: The Hidden Truth

16:03 Plastic Recycling Myths: The Reality Behind the Ads

17:21 Upstream Thinking: Addressing Root Causes

19:11 Corporate Social Responsibility: A Deeper Dive

25:08 Reflect Forward: Influencing Future Leaders

26:20 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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