Paul Drechsler CBE on why doing good is good business...

“I think the vast majority of companies set out to do the right thing and I've spent my whole life focused on business as a force for good. And recognising that the reputation we have matters to the public and the nation at the end of the day, doing the right thing is what should guide businesses.

I'm absolutely clear that the 21st-century way to do the right thing is we talk to our employees about the challenges, we discuss the business and we exchange ideas on how can we improve the business, save the business, whatever it's with employees, business is not apart from society.

The reality is the primary consequences is customers will take their business elsewhere the public wont do business with you, consumers won't do business with you.

So I think two things at the end of the day, business needs customers. If you've got no customers, you've got no business. So if you've got problems before you deal with your employees and you treat them badly people will take their business elsewhere. Thats the ultimate arbiter. At the end of the day if you break the law you have to take the consequences. But business should be better than the law in most cases.

Society has to judge and appreciate us on our contribution. Take Astra Zeneca (they) developed a vaccine solution and delivered it at cost, so there's lots and lots of examples of business doing great things and my heart is broken every time I hear a story about a business that's gone wayward.

If any CEO said in the houses of Parliament that they broke the law. To my mind it beggars belief. You cannot run your business by breaking the law. I cannot imagine a CEO saying that.”

Paul Drechsler CBE Chair International Chambers of Commerce speaking on the Today program BBC Radio 4 25-03-22

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