Blog

Just back from the Responsible Leadership Summit at IMD, Lausanne, where I spoke yesterday.  Very impressed by three presentations at the event: Raji Paway of NIIT, who talked about their ‘Hole in the Wall‘ initiative in India; Kamal Qadir of CELLBAZAAR, with whom I had dinner last night; and Peter Bakker, CEO of TNT  – whose presentation was a quite remarkable example of what big companies can do when they really engage.  Somewhat challenging trip back, though.  Plane from Lausanne cancelled because of snow at Heathrow, so driven to Geneva and then took train to Lyon to catch another plane, which was also then cancelled.  So flew to Paris and thence to London.

Filming 1 Filming 2

Did a filming session at Volans today, with a team from the Melbourne-based Centre for Sustainable Leadership, in Australia.  At one point, it seemed, four cameras were in play, only two of them under the control of the film crew.

Filming 3

Exhibit 1: designed for small representatives of Homo volans

Sam and I trolled across to the V&A Museum of Childhood this evening for the launch of Mayo’s new book, Consumer Kids.  Basically the story of how big business is “grooming” children for profit.  Had a wonderful scuttle around the exhibits, which brought back a wealth of childhood memories.

Exhibit 2: all a bit of a blur Exhibit 3: both Sam and I are in there somewhere Exhibit 4: a different mirror – and ditto Exhibit 5: Been inside for 9 months Exhibit 6: head on a pole Exhibit 7: through a glass darkly

Spent two days in Zurich at first Sustainable Asset Management (SAM) summit, arriving late on 26th – but in time to have a wonderful dinner with Alex Bakarwi and his wife, and Steve Viederman.  Took a couple of walks along Lake Zurich, during one of which I stumbled across a huge statue called Heureka, which rang a bell – since I had been thinking of Eureka! moments.  The summit was SAM founder Reto Ringger’s swan-song – and saw the launch of the tenth annual survey of corporate sustainability.  For downloadable version, try here.  

Solar vessel Heureka 1 Rower Heureka 2 Figure Abduction Stepping stones Green Limousine 1 Green Limo with Steve Viederman Blue light en route to dinner Reto Ringger Legs Me on screen

Kondratiev and I

Went across to 76 Portland Place with Sam this evening to give the inaugural ESCP-EAP Environmental Lecture of Business, Sustainability & Technology, sponsored by Sony.  The series is organised by the European School of Management.  The photo above, taken by Sam, shows me looking 150 (still awaiting new glasses after cataract operations) and using a slide showing a version of the economic waves plotted by Nikolai Kondratiev, one of the biggest influences on my thinking in the late 1960s.