The ethics of corporate advocacy
As pressure grows for businesses to speak out and speak up for sustainable development and social justice, how do they do it ethically? How can businesses avoid being seen as over-reaching or interfering if they speak up on contentious issues such as the climate crisis, and avoid being labelled woke, tokenist or hypocritical?
In this panel discussion, we discuss how to navigate controversy around corporate advocacy, how to be aware of (and avoid) the pitfalls and ensure internal alignment across a corporation.
For more information, please see Professor David Grayson’s blog.
Catch up here...
About the panel
Natura &Co
Zoe Carton joined Natura &Co in 2021 and is part of the Advocacy team. In her role, she analyses opportunities for influence, constructs narratives for the company to engage externally, and builds relationships with key global and regional partners. Zoe is also focused on engaging people within the organization in sustainability related topics. Prior to joining Natura &Co, she studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) at the University of Oxford, where she was awarded an Academic Exhibition, and spent some time working in the US Congress. Zoe is extremely curious and has always had a passion for asking questions. Outside of work, Zoe enjoys spending time practicing yoga and exploring the subject of personal growth through books, podcasts and conversations.
Chair of the Trustees Board,Institute of Business Ethics
David is Emeritus Professor of Corporate Responsibility at Cranfield School of Management. From 2007-2017, he was director of the Doughty Centre for Corporate Responsibility and Professor of Corporate Responsibility.
David became Chair of the Trustees Board on 01 April 2019.
He joined Cranfield in April 2007, after a thirty year career as a social entrepreneur and campaigner for responsible business, diversity, and small business development. This included founding Project North East which has now worked in nearly 60 countries around the world; being the founding CEO of the Prince's Youth Business Trust and serving as a managing-director of Business in the Community.
David has an Honorary Doctorate of Law from London South Bank University and was a visiting Senior Fellow at the CSR Initiative of the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard (2005-10).
He has served on various charity and public sector boards over the past 30 years. These have included the boards of the National Co-operative Development Agency, The Prince of Wales' Innovation Trust and the Strategic Rail Authority. He chaired the National Disability Council and the Business Link Accreditation Board; in each case appointed by the Major Government and re-appointed by the Blair administration.
He is currently chairman of the national charity Carers UK championing the role of 6.5million Britons caring for a loved one. He is a former chairman of one of the UK's larger social enterprises and largest eldercare providers, Housing & Care 21 during which the organisation made corporate history by becoming the first-ever not-for-profit successfully to acquire a publicly quoted group of companies. David received an OBE for services to industry in 1994 and a CBE for services to disability in 1999.
David has written a number of books on responsible business and corporate sustainability including most recently: ‘All in - The Future of Business Leadership’ with Chris Coulter and Mark Lee. He is part of the faculty of the Forward Institute and of the Circle of Advisers for Business Fights Poverty
The Guardian has named David as one of ten top global tweeters on sustainable leadership alongside Al Gore, Tim Cook - CEO of Apple, and Facebook's COO Sheryl Sandberg.
Global Director of Advocacy,Natura &Co
Char is inspired by people in business who use their power as a force for good and firmly believes that accountants will save the world. Char recently joined Natura &Co, the world’s biggest B Corp, as the Global Director of Advocacy where she is focused on supporting the business take a stand on key issues, and deepening relationships with partners who share a commitment to engaging in system level change. She also continues to teach and learn with students at Said Business School, University of Oxford where she designed the popular MBA course The Regenerative and Circular Economy: How to Do Business in a Climate Emergency, and the executive course The Oxford Climate Emergency Programme. Char is a serial entrepreneur having been the co-founder of Volans, Heliotropy and B Lab UK where she held the role of Chair and Activist in Residence. Char’s personal purpose in life is to create space for others, to share her energy and to seek experiences where she can feel the magic that materialises when people come together to activate for positive change.
Trustee,Institute of Business Ethics
Louise joined the IBE Trustee Board in October 2019.
Louise Terry is a corporate communications specialist who has spent her career managing the reputations of some of the world’s leading businesses. She started her career in agencies before moving in-house to become Head of Communications for Coca-Cola and then Group Communications Director of L’Oréal UK.
As well as protecting and enhancing those corporate brands, an important part of her role was to instil a strong and positive corporate culture where ethical business practices were embedded throughout the organisation. While at L’Oréal, she was part of the international team that managed the integration of The Body Shop into the L’Oréal family in 2006 and she went on to be Global Head of Communications for The Body Shop in 2012.
Louise has also served as Deputy Chair of Save the Children, a leading charity which helps to change the lives of some of the world’s most vulnerable children and as Deputy Chair of the Royal Institution.
She now works as a consultant to businesses, currently Tetra Pak on sustainability and recently Unilever, where she created a new ethical marketing code for skin lightening products in Asia. Louise holds an MA in Modern Languages from the University of Cambridge.