Simon Zadek
Encyclopedia
Simon Zadek works on sustainability issues worldwide and is an independent advisor and author. He is Senior Visiting Fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation
(CIGI) and Senior Fellow at the Global Green Growth Institute. From 2006-2011 he was non-resident Senior Fellow at the Centre for Government and Business of Harvard University
’s Kennedy School
. Simon founded and was until December 2009 Chief Executive of AccountAbility
, where he established the organisation’s global leadership in sustainability standards and certification
, collaborative governance and responsible competitiveness, extending its impact from bases in Beijing, São Paulo, London and Washington, and through activities in South Africa and across the Middle East.
, and the Boards of the International Centre for Sustainable Development and the Employers' Forum on Disability. Prior to this, he was a director at the New Economics Foundation. In 2003 he was named a World Economic Forum ‘Global Leader for Tomorrow’.
Simon’s work with businesses, governments and international organisations over the last decade has contributed to establishing responsible business on the global map as a core business strategy and public policy issue and practice. His work has included:
Centre for International Governance Innovation
The Centre for International Governance Innovation is an independent, non-partisan think tank on global governance. Led by experienced practitioners and academics, CIGI supports research, forms networks, advances policy debate and generates ideas for multilateral governance improvements...
(CIGI) and Senior Fellow at the Global Green Growth Institute. From 2006-2011 he was non-resident Senior Fellow at the Centre for Government and Business of Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
’s Kennedy School
Kennedy School
The Kennedy School is a former elementary school that has been converted to a hotel, movie theater and dining establishment in northeast Portland, Oregon. The facility is operated by the McMenamins chain.-External links:*...
. Simon founded and was until December 2009 Chief Executive of AccountAbility
Accountability
Accountability is a concept in ethics and governance with several meanings. It is often used synonymously with such concepts as responsibility, answerability, blameworthiness, liability, and other terms associated with the expectation of account-giving...
, where he established the organisation’s global leadership in sustainability standards and certification
Sustainability standards and certification
- Summary :The term “sustainability standards” refers to a voluntary, usually third party-assessed, norms and standards relating to environmental, social, ethical and food safety issues, adopted by companies to demonstrate the performance of their organizations or products in specific areas...
, collaborative governance and responsible competitiveness, extending its impact from bases in Beijing, São Paulo, London and Washington, and through activities in South Africa and across the Middle East.
Career
Simon sits on the International Advisory Board of the Brazilian business network, Instituto Ethos, the Advisory Board of the sustainability fund manager, Generation Investment ManagementGeneration Investment Management
Generation Investment Management LLP is a London-based investment management firm with an investment style that blends traditional equity research with a focus on sustainability factors, including social and environmental responsibility and corporate governance.Generation Investment Management LLP...
, and the Boards of the International Centre for Sustainable Development and the Employers' Forum on Disability. Prior to this, he was a director at the New Economics Foundation. In 2003 he was named a World Economic Forum ‘Global Leader for Tomorrow’.
Simon’s work with businesses, governments and international organisations over the last decade has contributed to establishing responsible business on the global map as a core business strategy and public policy issue and practice. His work has included:
- Redesigning business: supporting leading companies such as AlcoaAlcoaAlcoa Inc. is the world's third largest producer of aluminum, behind Rio Tinto Alcan and Rusal. From its operational headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Alcoa conducts operations in 31 countries...
, AngloGold AshantiAngloGold AshantiAngloGold Ashanti Limited is a global gold mining company. It was formed in 2004 by the merger of AngloGold and the Ashanti Goldfields Corporation.AngloGold Ashanti Limited is now a global gold producer with 21 operations on four continents...
, Banco ItaúBanco ItaúItaú Unibanco is a publicly quoted bank with headquarters in São Paulo, Brazil. The bank is the result of the merger of Banco Itaú and Unibanco, which occurred on November 4, 2008 to form Itaú Unibanco Holding S.A, the largest financial conglomerate in the Southern Hemisphere and is the 10th...
, Dow, IntelChina, Maersk, NestléNestléNestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...
, ShellRoyal Dutch ShellRoyal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
, and Nike, Inc.Nike, Inc.Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
in the alignment of sustainability practices and business strategies, supported through top-team mentoring, performance-based stakeholder engagementStakeholder engagementStakeholder engagement is the process by which an organisation involves people who may be affected by the decisions it makes or can influence the implementation of its decisions...
and co-design, and research and analysis.
- Mediating sustainability: facilitating, mediating and convening to drive collaboration between business, civil society and governments, including being the founding Chair of the Ethical Trading Initiative, the founding Convenor of the apparel focused MFA Forum, and company-specific engagements such as with The Coca Cola Company and General ElectricGeneral ElectricGeneral Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
.
- Progressive policy: working with governments from China to Saudi Arabia to South Africa to deepened their knowledge and attention to responsible competitiveness in policies catalyzing national competitiveness, including work with China’s Development Research Council of the State Council on Chinese investments in Africa.
- International initiatives: supporting international institutions and initiatives through advice and expert panel contributions to the UN Global CompactUN Global CompactThe United Nations Global Compact, also known as Compact or UNGC, is a United Nations initiative to encourage businesses worldwide to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies, and to report on their implementation...
, the State of the World’s Commission for Globalisation, the ILO’s World Commission on the Social Dimensions of Globalisation, and the UN Commission for Social Development.
- Collaborative climate management: contributing to the on-going global climate negotiations with policy research focused on business and adaptation, institutional design and low carbon growth planning, including international climate policy platform, Project Catalyst, involving McKinsey and the ClimateWorks Foundation.
- Shaping narrative: contributing in shaping thinking and practice of responsible business, including Harvard Business Review article, Paths to Corporate Responsibility, Responsible Competitiveness, and The Civil Corporation, acknowledged as a classic in the field with a prestigious Award from the Academy of Management.
- Academic contributions: through his academic writings and his current roles at Harvard UniversityHarvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
and the University of South Africa and previous roles as Visiting Professor at the Copenhagen Business SchoolCopenhagen Business SchoolCopenhagen Business School, also known as CBS, is situated in Copenhagen, Denmark. With more than 17,000 students and 1,300 staff members, CBS is also one of the largest business schools in Europe. CBS offers a wide range of business-oriented university programmes and a research environment...
and as Visiting Fellow at the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) at the University of Sussex, as well as contributing to student initiatives and events including through Net ImpactNet ImpactNet Impact is a nonprofit membership organization for students and professionals interested in using business skills in support of various social and environmental causes. It serves both a professional organization and one of the largest student organizations among MBAs in the world...
and AISEC. His Phd, entitled “The Economics of Utopia: the Democratisation of Scarcity”, was published in 1992.
- Media communications: including the Financial Times and other leading international journals; on climate change with Brazilian media giant Globo; China’s leading English-speaking television station CCTV9 on Chinese investments in Africa; and The Guardian on sustainability and fiancial markets
Publications
- Corporate Responsibility in African Development: Insights from an Emerging Dialogue (2010)
- Emerging Nations and Sustainability: Chimera or Leadership? (2010)
- ICT and Low Carbon Growth in China (2010)
- Unlocking South Africa’s Green Growth Potential: the South African Renewables Initiative (2010)
- From Climate Finance to Financing Green Growth (2010)
- Responsible Business in Africa: Chinese Business Leaders’ Perspectives on Performance and Enhancement Opportunities (2009)
- Radical Simplicity in Designing National Climate Institutions: Lessons from the Amazon Fund (2009)
- The Business of Adaptation: Briefing Paper (2009)
- Advancing Sustainable Competitiveness of China’s Transnational Corporations (2009)
- Responsible Competitiveness in the Arab World (2009)
- Governing Collaboration: Making Partnership Accountable for Delivering Development (2008)
- The State of Responsible Competitiveness: Making Sustainable Development Count in Global Markets (2007)
- Collaborative Governance: The New Multilateralism for the 21st Century (2007)
- The Logic of Collaborative Governance: Corporate Responsibility, Accountability and the Social Contract (2006)
- Reinventing Accountability for the 21st Century (2006)
- Governing Collaborative Governance: Enhancing Development Outcomes by Improving Partnership Governance and Accountability (2006)
- The Materiality Report: Aligning Strategy, Performance and Reporting (2006)
- Impact of Reporting: The Role of Social and Sustainability Reporting in Organisational Transformation (2002)
- Mainstreaming Responsible Investment (2005)