CECP Insights Blog

On September 29th, CECP sent a Pulse Survey to our companies asking if they would be providing support around casting ballots for the general election in November. We are proud to report that 75% of companies have pledged support to employees for voting, such as providing time off. Yet the role of companies does not end there. […]

The Business Roundtable’s Statement on the Purpose of a Corporation in August 2019 elicited many “nice start, what’s next?” reactions. In their article, “3 Ways to Put Your Corporate Purpose into Action,” Professor Bob Eccles and his co-authors recommended companies publish their corporate purpose in a formal Statement of Purpose signed by the board of directors in an […]

Last week, I spoke on a NIRI Webinar, Leveraging the Power of Retail Investors: Your Company’s Invested Ambassadors. During the conversation, my fellow panelists and I delved into the challenges and opportunities faced by Investor Relations Officers (IROs) seeking to engage with this critical stakeholder group and explored the context and reasons why the retail […]

As companies settle in this world of “corporate purpose”, 2020 will focus on what those purpose statements mean—moving from words to action. Strength will be in solutions, not rhetoric. Stakeholders will be the golden thread of corporate purpose, requiring companies to understand what matters to them, meet their needs in line with the business, work […]

With the recent Business Roundtable statement and the Financial Times’ series on expanding corporate purpose beyond short-term shareholder value, there was plenty of momentum going into United Nations (UN) General Assembly and Climate Week. Several events and discussions addressed the private sector’s role in driving progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Throughout the week, […]

This article first appeared on The World Economic Forum.  Companies are being asked by both investors and customers to better articulate their plans for making a profit and doing so in a way that doesn’t damage the planet. These demands are taking on new urgency as the implications of climate change become more severe and disruptive technologies transform […]

  One of the most interesting sessions at CECP’s recent Summit was the session on Purpose and Performance delivered by Rebecca Henderson who teaches a class called “Reimagining Capitalism: Business & the Big Problems” at the Harvard Business School among her many other credentials. She talked about the concept of purpose: a widely shared goal […]

The text below are the remarks given by Xavier de Souza Briggs, Vice President, U.S. Programs, Ford Foundation at CECP’s Chairman’s Reception the night before the 14th Annual Board of Boards.    I want to begin by congratulating the members and leadership of CECP for 20 years of terrific accomplishment and growth. I’d also like […]

Leading companies are laser-focused on corporate purpose. They explore what their purpose is and how it translates to their people and community and bring that purpose to life through intentional practices and strategies. They use a human-centered lens for all business operations because it helps them see around corners and delivers a competitive edge. All […]

Photo: Stuart Parker, CEO of USAA, talks with a veteran at one of the homeless shelters that USAA supports The U.S. Department of Labor in October celebrated the continued improvement of the unemployment rate for veterans since with a 2.9 percent, down from 3.7 percent in 2017 (the non-veteran unemployment rate in comparison is 3.5 percent). This accomplishment […]

Arriving on the heels of Hurricane Florence, Hurricane Michael proved again that companies are making significant commitments to relief and recovery efforts in the wake of natural disasters. Our round-up of Hurricane Florence corporate response efforts covered some innovative ways that companies are reacting to disasters. Unfortunately, we’re already revisiting the topic with a snapshot […]

Each day Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and media venues are bombarded with the idea of social impact and yet many do not understand the true meaning behind the movement. The business dictionary defines social impact as the effect of an activity on the social fabric of a community and well-being of individuals and families in that […]

Taking a knee made Nike stand up. As brand activism becomes commonplace – even expected – it’s an optimal moment to unpack the factors that spur companies to stand up for something that matters. Enter Nike and Colin Kaepernick, with a contentious new campaign and profound tagline: “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing […]

Few of today’s CEOs earned their job because they were socially responsible and spoke out on hot topics. Yet key stakeholders increasingly want to know where companies and CEOs stand on critical social issues. It might be argued that speaking out is becoming a 21st-century requirement for the leaders of major companies. Data confirms a […]

Andy Kessler made some interesting points in his piece, “Stocks Weren’t Made for Social Climbing” (1/21/18). Chiefly, we at CECP: The CEO Force for Good, agree with his emphasis on the importance of profits. The issue is how you get there and how to create sustainable value, not just short-term gains. When he suggests that […]