The New Nature of Business: The Path to Prosperity and Sustainability, Revised Edition - Paperback

by Andre Hoffmann (Author), Peter Vanham (Author)

Learn how pioneering business leaders are resetting their companies' relationship to nature, society, and our common future

In The New Nature of Business: The Path to Prosperity and Sustainability, businessman Andre Hoffmann and journalist Peter Vanham describe how companies should change their ways to have continued success, and why the current modus operandi is not working. They present a template for creating "sustainable prosperity", and case-studies of companies that survived and thrived by opting for change. In doing so, they provide a way out of long-standing dilemmas, such as how to balance business needs with impact on nature, shareholders with stakeholders, and short-term vs. long-term profits.

You'll find:

• A first-hand account of global healthcare company Roche's sustainability practice, as told by André (Roche's vice-chairman), chairman Severin Schwan, and several other senior management members
• Case-studies and lessons of organizations with visionary leaders, such as INSEAD, IKEA, Harley Davidson, and Holcim, all of whom have taken a holistic view of their role in the world, and succeeded in doing well while doing good
• Strategies for addressing the negative externalities and trade-offs that arise from doing business; identifying the right metrics and targets to deliver on your purpose; and accounting for human, social, and natural capital, alongside financial capital
• A must-read book for business leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers at companies around the world, The New Nature of Business, is also insightful and timely for those who advise or oversee companies and their leadership teams.

Back Jacket

Praise for THE NEW NATURE OF BUSINESS

"Hoffmann and Vanham demonstrate vividly that today's business-as-usual is not sustainable. They provide a compelling blueprint for how companies can reinvent their business models to align with the interests of nature and society--instead of working against them."
--CHRISTINE LAGARDE, President, European Central Bank

"In The New Nature of Business, Hoffmann and Vanham offer a richly illustrated blueprint for purposeful, sustainable business leadership in the 21st century. It's a compelling case for a holistic, integrated approach to doing business and a must-read for any entrepreneur."
--RICHARD BRANSON, Founder, Virgin Group

"I challenge any executive to read this book and return to their desk, unchanged. Honest, hopeful, and human, this book will leave you thrilled at the possibilities offered by a new way of doing business."
--PAUL POLMAN, business leader and co-author, Net Positive

"Andr? Hoffmann takes us from his childhood in the wilds of Camargue, to the boardroom of his family company where he is confronted with what to do about past wrongs--environmental damage and corruption. It helps him shift from 'trying to conform' to having the courage to stand alone (if necessary) for what seems right. It is a tale of the way moments of reckoning help humans build courage to do the right thing, and the kind of vision that can illuminate it."
--NGAIRE WOODS, Dean of the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford

"In all the years I've known Andr?, he has always had a mind endlessly focused on the betterment of the world around him. The New Nature of Business urges companies everywhere to seize this moment in history and chart a course for a more sustainable future. I encourage anyone interested in how our global economy can evolve in the face of modern challenges to pick up this book."
--ART LEVINSON, Chairman, Apple; Co-founder and CEO, Calico

Author Biography

ANDRÉ HOFFMANN is co-chair of the World Economic Forum, the international organization for public-private cooperation, alongside Larry Fink. He is also the Co-Founder of InTent, an international platform that accelerates sustainable solutions, and the Vice Chair of Roche Holding, an international pharmaceutical company.

PETER VANHAM is a business journalist, researcher and author, who writes about the global economy and those who shape it. His previous books include Stakeholder Capitalism (written with Klaus Schwab) and Before I Was CEO.