Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World
By BCG Henderson Institute
In this show, Dave Young, Fellow at the BCG Henderson Institute and Global Lead for the Total Societal Impact topic at BCG interviews senior business executives across the world to discuss their experiences and views on what it will take for companies to reunite the two "S-words" of business strategy: sustainability and sustainable competitive advantage.
Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable WorldNov 23, 2020
Business Impact on Nature with Tony Goldner
In this episode of the Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation — interviews Tony Goldner, Executive Director of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures.
Together, they discuss the urgent need to address businesses’ impact on nature and the opportunities and risks that businesses face. They discuss the role that business ecosystems, corporate transparency, and public-private partnerships can play in the solution. Goldner also explains the similarities and differences with the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures and the imperative for businesses to focus on climate and nature simultaneously, rather than simply one or the other.
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About the BCG Henderson Institute
The BCG Henderson Institute is the Boston Consulting Group’s think tank, dedicated to exploring and developing valuable new insights from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
The Challenges and Values of Achieving Organizational Sustainability with David Stanton
In the latest episode of the Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation — interviews David Stanton, CEO of UGSI Solutions, an infrastructure technology supplier to water, wastewater, and energy industries.
Together, they discuss the challenges and values of helping companies enhance their sustainability by effectively dealing with their waste streams to achieve operational efficiencies and business model advantages. Stanton explains the shift in perspective that organizations face when deciding how to best allocate their waste so that it can be reinvested into the economy instead of simply disposing and destroying them.
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About the BCG Henderson Institute
The BCG Henderson Institute is the Boston Consulting Group’s think tank, dedicated to exploring and developing valuable new insights from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Bringing Sustainability to the Fore in Fashion with Art and Annin Peck
In the newest episode of the Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation — interviews Art and Annin Peck.
Art is the former CEO of GAP Inc. and Executive Chair and Partner at fashion start-up The Great as well as a Boston Consulting Group alum. Annin leads sustainability at GAP Inc. as the Director of ESG Strategy and Business Integration.
They discuss the evolution of GAP Inc.’s sustainability strategy, how ambitious goals can drive business innovation, the force multiplier effects that data and technology can effect within sustainability efforts, and how consumer-facing companies can help consumers make more informed and sustainable choices.
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About the BCG Henderson Institute
The BCG Henderson Institute is the Boston Consulting Group’s think tank, dedicated to exploring and developing valuable new insights from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Corporate Governance and Sustainability with Peter Tollman and Ron Soonieus
In the newest episode of the Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation — is joined by BCG Senior Advisors Peter Tollman and Ron Soonieus.
They discuss how CEOs and Boards partner to create strategic advantage through sustainability, the evolution of corporations’ roles in society, and the criticality of the G in ESG.
Ron’s perspective is informed by his decades of experience on both sides of the corporate agency divide as an executive and board member. Peter leads BCG’s CEO Advisory program where his decades of experience within BCG advising clients enables him to work alongside CEOs to elevate the success of the companies and organizations they lead.
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About the BCG Henderson Institute
The BCG Henderson Institute is the Boston Consulting Group’s think tank, dedicated to exploring and developing valuable new insights from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Continuous Process Improvement and Sustainability with Tony Thene
In this episode of the Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation — interviews Tony Thene, President and CEO of Carpenter Technology, a global leader in high-performance specialty alloy materials.
They discuss how Carpenter Technology has applied their learnings from their CPI expertise in materials, manufacturing, and processes to develop their sustainability initiatives as well as diversity, inclusion, and safety among their labor force.
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About the BCG Henderson Institute
The BCG Henderson Institute is the Boston Consulting Group’s think tank, dedicated to exploring and developing valuable new insights from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Creating Advantage from Trustworthy Sustainability Data with Antoine Giros
In the new episode of the Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation — interviews Antoine Giros — Vice President of Certification Global Service Line for Bureau Veritas Group, a leader in testing, inspection and certification services.
They discuss how Bureau Veritas Group has shaped its strategy and innovation agenda to create a competitive advantage for itself and for its clients by creating transparency of high-quality, trustworthy sustainability data. Antoine shares how important it is to build the right digital systems to bring sustainability data to senior decision-makers to enable sustainability strategies and demonstrate credibility to external stakeholders on ESG commitments.
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About the BCG Henderson Institute
The BCG Henderson Institute is the Boston Consulting Group’s think tank, dedicated to exploring and developing valuable new insights from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Lessons on Sustainable Finance and Investing with Nili Gilbert
In the latest episode of the Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation — interviews Nili Gilbert — Vice-chairwoman of Carbon Direct, Chair of the Investment Committee for the David Rockefeller Fund, Chair of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero Advisory Panel, and Chair for U.S. Policy for the UN Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance.
Together, they discuss how asset owners and asset managers are taking collective action to reshape the financial ecosystem and use finance to shape the global economic system, while at the same time creating a unique competitive advantage for themselves. Nili also shares how companies need to go beyond their net-zero pledges by disclosing high-quality interim targets at 5 and 10-year horizons, consistently reporting progress against targets, and demonstrate action towards decarbonization.
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About the BCG Henderson Institute
The BCG Henderson Institute is the Boston Consulting Group’s think tank, dedicated to exploring and developing valuable new insights from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
The Long View and Sustainability with Mark Preston
In this episode of the Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation — interviews Mark Preston, Executive Trustee and Chief Executive at Grosvenor.
Grosvenor is a global privately held trustee-owned organization whose operations span urban property, food and AgTech, rural estate management, and support for philanthropic initiatives. The firm’s history dates back over 340 years and currently manages over £11 billion in assets under management across its portfolios. Beneficial ownership of the firm remains with the Grosvenor family, the Duke of Westminster being the primary beneficiary.
Mark’s three-decade-long career at Grosvenor has spanned continents, taking him from the UK to Hong Kong and San Francisco, before returning to the UK in 2006 to head up Grosvenor’s property business as Chief Executive.
David and Mark discuss how Grosvenor’s unique legacy and governance structure has facilitated managerial decision-making from a long-term perspective on not only financial returns but sustainability and stakeholders as well. In the latter half, they discuss how Grosvenor made the pivot to new lines of business beyond real estate, and where the frontier of sustainable business model innovation is today.
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About the BCG Henderson Institute
The BCG Henderson Institute is the Boston Consulting Group’s think tank, dedicated to exploring and developing valuable new insights from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Lessons From Purpose-Driven Media with Gary Knell
In the first episode of season 2 of Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation — interviews Gary Knell — former Chairman of National Geographic Partners, former CEO of Sesame Street, and former CEO of National Public Radio.
Together, they discuss how National Geographic, Sesame Street, and NPR staked out their competitive advantage by anchoring themselves in purpose-driven media and how purpose can serve companies to navigate this period of disinformation and distrust. Gary shares his perspective on the role of media in shaping the context for sustainability and how companies can tap into the power of story-telling to engender trust and empower their brands by seeking out new non-traditional partners in the social sector.
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About the BCG Henderson Institute
The BCG Henderson Institute is the Boston Consulting Group’s think tank, dedicated to exploring and developing valuable new insights from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Lessons from Schneider Electric (Part II)
In the newest episode of our Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young—a BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation—continues his interview with Schneider Electric’s Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer, Olivier Blum.
Together, they discuss the importance of innovation to reframe and unlock sustainability as a source of advantage. In these efforts, it is critical to engage customers and empower employees to drive sustainable innovations. Olivier explains how Schneider created a culture around sustainability that belongs to all their associates, allowing them to deliver on their bold ambitions across both environmental and social objectives.
Looking to the future of sustainability, Olivier discusses the limitations of seeing sustainability as only an issue of compliance. For him and for Schneider, there is no finish line for innovating to make sustainability a source of business advantage.
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About the BCG Henderson Institute
The BCG Henderson Institute is the Boston Consulting Group’s think tank, dedicated to exploring and developing valuable new insights from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Lessons from Schneider Electric (Part I)
In this episode of our Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — a BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation — interviews Schneider Electric’s Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer, Olivier Blum.
Schneider Electric was recently named the world’s most sustainable company by Corporate Knights, a leading global sustainable business publication. David and Olivier discuss how the company achieved this, by transitioning from having Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives that were separate from the business to making sustainability a core source of business advantage.
Olivier has a unique perspective on this transformation, having held a range of positions at Schneider over the course of almost three decades. Olivier has led various global business units and served as Chief Human Resources Officer in this time. He says companies looking to make sustainability core to their business strategy should embed sustainability into corporate purpose, make bold bets, translate those bets into clear long-term direction, define measurable short-term targets and milestones, and wire sustainability performance into compensation and promotion.
Throughout all of this, Olivier speaks to the critical importance of senior leaders’ commitment to making Schneider a progressive company that constantly raises the bar on sustainability — from the environment to gender equity and broader societal issues.
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About the BCG Henderson Institute
The BCG Henderson Institute is the Boston Consulting Group’s think tank, dedicated to exploring and developing valuable new insights from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Harnessing Purpose for Sustainability
In our next episode of the Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young, our BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation, interviews BrightHouse CEO Ashley Grice.
Ashley discusses how Purpose helps companies articulate how they differentially and authentically solve a need in the world, bringing the ideas of environmental and societal sustainability and sustainable business together.
Following the proliferation of the concept for corporate Purpose in the last few years, Ashley anticipates Purpose will become even more relevant as societies work to recover from the series of crises that occurred in 2020. Boards, employees, customers, and even regulators will all demand more Purposeful businesses.
While digging deep into Purpose will be uncomfortable initially, companies that harness it will find a powerful lever to help transform their culture, align people, stimulate innovation, accelerate growth, and infuse true meaning into their business for the long-term.
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About the BCG Henderson Institute
The BCG Henderson Institute is the Boston Consulting Group’s think tank, dedicated to exploring and developing valuable new insights from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Cross-sector partnerships for Sustainability
In the new episode of the Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation — interviews Vicki Escarra, Former Global CEO, Opportunity International; Former President & CEO, Feeding America; and Former CMO, Delta Airlines.
Vicki shares her inspiring journey across the private and social sectors. She reflects on the importance of cross-sector collaboration to drive meaningful, societal impact at scale while generating benefits for all organizations involved, including corporations. She shares her lessons learned on what it takes to build effective strategic partnerships for collective impact. Organizations involved need to: Set a common agenda, clarify the mutual benefits, match skilled resources to execute on both sides, measure and share progress frequently, and communicate.
Trust, shared purpose, focus on impact, clarity of objectives, and accountability are the critical enablers for success. Applying these principles, organizations across sectors have a massive opportunity to create social impact, business benefits, and lay the foundation for a great legacy.
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About the BCG Henderson Institute
The BCG Henderson Institute is the Boston Consulting Group’s think tank, dedicated to exploring and developing valuable new insights from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Lessons from Eneva
In the new episode of the Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation and Heitor Carrera — BCG Senior Partner in Sao Paolo, Brazil — interview Pedro Zinner, CEO of Eneva, a major Brazilian energy company.
Together, they discuss the evolving context in Brazil, underscoring the increasing investor demands for companies to embed sustainability into corporate strategy and operations. Pedro describes how Eneva initiated its sustainability journey and shares lessons learned. To get started, companies need to align on and measure ESG KPIs to establish their baseline, set challenging targets for these KPIs, and develop an inspiring narrative that articulates the business benefits to key stakeholders. While transformation for sustainability will be a journey, companies that commit to it will ensure they have a successful business for the long-term.
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About the BCG Henderson Institute
The BCG Henderson Institute is the Boston Consulting Group’s think tank, dedicated to exploring and developing valuable new insights from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Lessons from Veolia and Renault
In the new episode of the Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation — interviews Christine Rodwell — former Vice President, Social & Sustainable Impact at Renault and Former Vice President, Business Development Cities at Veolia.
Together, they discuss how the role of sustainability in corporate strategy has changed over time. Looking ahead, companies need to clearly define the impact they want to create for society; develop a focused sustainability strategy aligned with that vision; and fully embed sustainability into the core of the business and in every employees’ incentives to deliver on that strategy. Companies that succeed stand to gain tremendous value: attracting and retaining the best talent, reinforcing and expanding the license to operate, boosting innovation, and unlocking access to new markets. Christine shares concrete examples of how she helped make that happen at Veolia and Renault, “walking the talk” on sustainability.
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About the BCG Henderson Institute
The BCG Henderson Institute is the Boston Consulting Group’s think tank, dedicated to exploring and developing valuable new insights from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
The Investor Perspective on Sustainability
In the new episode of the Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation — interviews Mark Wiseman — Former Global Head of Active Equities and Chair Global Investment Committee, BlackRock; Former President & CEO, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB)
Mark shares his perspectives on the evolution and the role of purpose and sustainability in the ability of companies to create value for the long-term, and how that translates in investors’ capital allocation decisions. To win in the years ahead, executives and companies — across sectors and industries — need to build on the skills they have applied for years to traditional business decisions and financial metrics, and expand these to sustainability decisions and ESG metrics. They need to define clear objectives and strategies for sustainability as a driver of business performance and advantage, measure progress and hold people accountable against these objectives, and communicate these strategies and outcomes in clear way to investors.
Lessons from Unilever (Part II)
In the new episode of the Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation — continues his discussion with Amanda Sourry — former President of Unilever North America.
Reflecting on Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan, Amanda shares her thoughts on how companies can and should undertake a purpose-driven sustainability transformation journey to drive business value, shareholder return, and corporate longevity in the decade ahead. This will require purposeful leaders, who seek to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals in ways that create new sources of value and advantage for the business.
Lessons from Unilever (Part I)
In the new episode of the Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation — interviews Amanda Sourry — former President of Unilever North America.
Together, they discuss her experience of Unilever’s journey to create and implement its “Sustainable Living Plan” and reflect on practical insights on what it took to get there. Companies embarking on their sustainability transformation should define big goals, map and baseline the footprints of their products and services across the value chain to identify where they can have the most impact, form new partnerships, and surround themselves with a set of “critical friends” to help them on the journey.
Lessons from a Sustainability Catalyst, Danone
In this episode, Isabelle Grosmaitre, Catalyst at Danone, and Co-Chair Collaboration for Healthier Lives at Consumer Goods Forum, discusses how the company defined its “One Planet. One Health” vision, what it took to embed sustainability into the core of the business and innovation, and how companies should rethink how they engage stakeholders to create real, systemic impact and realize business advantage.
Trailer - Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World
Dave Young, Fellow at the BCG Henderson Institute and Global Lead for the Total Societal Impact topic at BCG, introduces his new podcast series, Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World. In this series, Dave will interview senior business executives across the world to discuss their experiences and views on what it will take for companies to reunite the two "S-words" of business strategy: sustainability and sustainable competitive advantage.
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About the BCG Henderson Institute
The BCG Henderson Institute is the Boston Consulting Group’s think tank, dedicated to exploring and developing valuable new insights from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.