“A lot of business leaders are really used to the idea that activism is coming at them. It’s attacking them, it’s unreasonable, it’s unfriendly, and you’ve got to defend yourself from it. But if you step back a moment and go, what is activism really? I think we’re saying that activism is a way you approach a problem.”
Lucy Parker, Strategic Advisor at the Brunswick Group, and co-author of “The Activist Leader: A New Mindset for Doing Business” joins the Going Long podcast to discuss how today’s leaders are stepping in to clean up broken systems, build sustainable businesses, and find their role in a new era of activist leadership.
When sustainability and innovation are prioritized together, something transformational happens. Delivering social and environmental value creates new opportunities for generating long-term financial value. Parker and host Sarah WIlliamson discuss examples and anecdotes from “The Activist Leader,” exploring how integrating ESG goals into the core strategy of a business shifts the focus from a trade-off mentality to an investment mentality.
About Lucy Parker
With more than twenty years of experience with global corporates across a range of sectors from pharmaceuticals to engineering, Lucy leads Brunswick’s efforts in helping companies get to grips with their role in society.
Lucy began her working life making documentaries for the BBC, before moving into the business arena helping companies communicate with the investment community and employees, and with civil society and government. In government, from 2008-2010 she led the Prime Minister’s Taskforce on Talent and Enterprise, focused on the importance of skills to competitiveness in the global economy.
About Brunswick Group
Brunswick is one of the world’s leading advisory firms, supporting companies as they navigate critical issues from M&A and IPOs to geopolitics and engaging with stakeholders.
