The Lonely Quest of Unilever's CEO Paul Polman

By (author) Jeroen Smit Translated by Jenny Watson

Publication date:

25 July 2023

Publisher

First Hill Books

Dimensions:

216x140mm
6x9"

ISBN-13: 9781839988929

When Paul Polman became the CEO of the multinational Unilever in 2009, he set out on a quest to convince his colleagues, his board, and the outside world that companies do not have the right to exist if their only purpose is making money. More importantly, he set out to prove that a company could in fact be both profitable and sustainable. The Great Battle or The Lonely Quest of Unilever's CEO Paul Polman investigates how Polman navigated between making money and doing the right thing. Smit convincingly argues that Polman was too far ahead of his time, but that his ideas about responsible capitalism are the very thing we need to turn the tide.

PART 1 Doing well and Doing Good, 1994–2007; 1.Mea Culpa, We're Completely in the wrong: 1994–1998; 2.Two Captains, One Helm: 1998–2001; 3.Mutinous Men; We Can’t Go On Like This: 2001–2005; 4.A French Bookkeeper Puts Share Price Centre Stage: 2005–2007; 5.Outsiders in Charge: 2007–2008; PART 2 Doing Good and Doing Well, 2008–2016; 6.Only Responsible Companies Go the Distance:September–December 2008; 7.Growing, Growing, Growing […] and Doing Good: December 2008–January 2010; 8.It’s Not a Job, It’s a Calling: February–November 2010; 9.Colours to the Mast: November 2010–October 2011; 10.But We Can’t Do This Alone: January 2012–March 2013; 11.Making Money Can Never Be the Goal: April–October 2013; 12.The World’s Biggest NGO: November 2013–February 2015; 13.More Priest Than CEO: March–December 2015; 14.Too Far Ahead of His Troops: January 2016–January 2017; PART 3 Doing Well and Doing Good, 2017–2019; 15.‘Rescued’ by Warren Buffett: 11 February–7 March 2017; 16.A Mayor in Wartime: March–April 2; 17.For Sale: Dutch DNA, Milked Dry: May–December 2017; 18.‘Rotterdoom’: Mission Impossible: January–September 2018; 19.The Pioneer Feels Misunderstood: October–December 2018; 20.Paul Polman’s Lonely High Road: January–July 2019; Acknowledgements; Notes; Bibliography; Glossary of Names

“This book is a great read about leadership as well as opportunities and new challenges to future-proof an organisation.” — Jan Zijderveld, Former Unilever President Europa / CEO of Avon, Supervisory Board-Member of (a.o) Ahold Delhaize