I’m delighted to inform you that I have agreed to become the CEO for The B Team. Together with an amazing team and a group of leaders for whom I have deep respect, I hope to lend my head, heart and hands towards making a meaningful difference in this world.
The B Team was founded five years ago by Richard Branson (Virgin Group) and Jochen Zeitz (former CEO of Puma). They were joined by global leaders like Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, Marc Benioff, founder and CEO of Salesforce, the Nobel peace price winner professor Muhammed Yunus, the entrepreneur and sleep advocate Arianna Huffington, Dr. Mo Ibrahim, Founder of Celtel International, Bob Collymore, CEO of Safaricom Limited, the trade union leader Sharan Burrow and Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever, just to name a few.
Together these courageous leaders agree that business as usual is no longer an option and set out to lead the way when it comes to Plan B by focusing on the private sector’s important role in creating not only profit, but also prosperity for our people and the planet. Finding sustainable solutions to fight climate change is on the top of the B Team’s agenda, but so is diversity, trust and transparency as well as creating thriving workplaces and communities. In a nut-shell, Plan B is all about long term and sustainable leadership. I can’t imagine a quest better aligned with mine.
I am deeply honored to be trusted with leading this next phase for the B Team in such great company and believe our work has never been more important. I will start in my new role on August 1st and the family will relocate to New York, where B Team’s headquarters are located. The incoming Chair for the B Team will be Paul Polman and Sharan Burrow, will be Vice Chair.
I encourage all of you to join us in the B movement. If you are an entrepreneur, think #BornB and make sure your company is built to last by embracing a bigger definition of success, one that certainly aims for profit, but also for a positive contribution to people and the planet. If you are a leader in the private sector, in civil society or in government, please don’t think we have to continue doing things the way we always have. It’s time to transform ourselves and the system we work within. It’s time for #Bleadership. We all know we can and must do better.