Paul Polman
Paul Polman is an internationally recognized leader in sustainable business and a co-architect of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. As CEO of Unilever (2008-2019), he proved that purpose-driven strategies deliver exceptional results. Through board roles, impact investments, and his bestselling book Net Positive, Paul continues to inspire responsible leadership and drive global progress towards a sustainable future.
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Paul at Nordic Business Forum 2026
The Courage to Collaborate
Paul expands the definition of teamwork to meet the scale of today’s global challenges. He urges leaders to think beyond company walls—partnering with customers, communities, and even competitors to drive meaningful change. With hard-earned insight, Paul shows how radical trust, transparency, and purpose-led decisions can transform both business results and societal impact. It takes courage to collaborate, but that’s where the future is built.
Learning points:
- How to build the right partnerships across your ecosystem — from suppliers and peers to competitors and communities — to unlock the kind of collective impact no company can achieve alone, and which sits at the heart of becoming truly Net Positive.
- How to build the radical trust and transparency required to lead transformative change across your entire value chain.
- How to turn humanity’s greatest challenges into your company’s biggest opportunities and most profitable ventures.
- How to find the personal courage to lead with purpose, making the tough, values-driven calls that build unbreakable trust with your team.
More from Paul Polman
Read
This is no utopian fantasy. Courageous leaders are already making it real—and the stakes couldn’t be higher. With bold vision and compelling stories, Net Positive sets out the principles and practices that will deliver the scale of change and transformation the world so desperately needs.
Watch
In New York for the 2024 Climate Week, Paul sat down with Thinkers50 co-founder, Des Dearlove, and Steve Goldbach, head of Deloitte’s Sustainability Practice in the US, to discuss how business can be a force for good, what it means to be ‘net positive,’ and how to develop the next generation of leaders.
Listen
In a conversation with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Paul and Andrew Winston share insights from the book Net Positive, discuss key takeaways of the recent COP26 meeting, and explore how CEOs can drive collective action addressing massive challenges and profound shifts that threaten humanity and biodiversity, building thriving businesses as a result.
Join Europe's Largest Business & Leadership Event
16-17 September 2026 | Messukeskus, Helsinki