Who Are We – Paul Polman

Paul Polman

Co-Founder and Chair Emeritus

Paul is Co-founder and Chair Emeritus of IMAGINE. A leading proponent that business should be a force for good, Paul has been described by the Financial Times as “a standout CEO of the past decade”. As CEO of Unilever (2009-2019), he demonstrated that a long-term, multi-stakeholder model goes hand-in-hand with excellent financial performance. Paul was a member of the UN Secretary General’s High-Level Panel which developed the Sustainable Development Goals and as an active SDG Advocate he continues to work with global organisations and across industry to push the 2030 development agenda. He is Chair of the B Team and Saïd Business School, Vice-Chair of the UN Global Compact and honourary Chair of the International Chamber of Commerce, which he led for two years. 

Paul’s book, Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take was released in October 2021.

"The purpose of life is to give purpose to lives so that society thrives while the world survives."

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