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We’re moving, we’re just not moving fast enough
We need urgent collective action. Five accelerators can transform the systems by which we live, work and play.

Runaway climate change and rampant inequality threaten humanity and are costing a fortune. Here’s how Business can help lead us to a better future.
My Story
Business leader, climate and equalities campaigner.
You either make the dust, or you eat the dust.
I was one of six children born in the Netherlands. My mother was a teacher and my father had an administrative job in a tyre factory. They taught us that success isn’t about accumulating wealth—it’s about serving others. Having lived through a terrible war that took opportunities away, they simply wanted a better life for their six children. Values like dignity and respect, equity and compassion guided them.
After a bachelors in economics in the Netherlands, I finished my graduate studies MA and MBA in Economics and Business in America at the University of Cincinnati.
I worked for three great companies in the years that followed: Procter & Gamble, Nestle, and Unilever – all built to last. I learnt the power of creating lasting value through business models driven by clear values, and I learnt that serving all your stakeholders – employees, customers, suppliers, local communities, the planet and even future generations – is the best way to also ultimately serve your shareholders and build thriving companies over the long-term.
I was CEO of Unilever between 2009-19. Working with a tremendous team, we showed that responsible business models can go hand-in-hand with strong performance, raising top and bottom line growth, outperforming the industry, and increasing shareholder returns by 290% while the company consistently ranked first in the world for sustainability and one of the best places to work.
