World’s Leading CEOs Convene to Explore “Winning on Purpose”, Viewing Societal Investment as Driver of Growth

NEW YORK, Feb. 23, 2015 /3BL Media/ - Fifty CEOs representing a growing movement of leaders committed to infusing purpose throughout their business strategy gathered today for CECP’s 10th annual Board of Boards: Winning on Purpose. CEOs of the world’s largest companies, including Mitsubishi, PepsiCo, PwC US, and Western Union, attended this matchless CEO gathering designed to set the corporate societal engagement agenda, through a discussion on the trends impacting society and business now and in the future, and the role of CEOs in supporting solutions to community challenges by being a force for good.

The esteemed list of CEO discussion leaders, who were also recognized with CECP honors, includes:

• Indra Nooyi, Chairman and CEO, PepsiCo; accepting the Chairman’s Excellence Award on behalf of the Safe Water Access program
• Bob Moritz, US Chairman and Senior Partner, PwC; accepting the President’s Excellence Award on behalf of its Earn Your Future commitment
• Ken Frazier, Chairman and CEO, Merck and Founders Force for Good Award honoree
• Tom Wilson, Chairman and CEO, Allstate Corporation and Collaboration Force for Good Award honoree
• Hamdi Ulukaya, Founder and CEO, Chobani and Pacesetter Force for Good Award honoree
• Bill George, Former CEO, Medtronic and Lawrence A. Wein Legacy Force for Good Award honoree

A full list of attendees and more information on the Excellence Awards and the Force for Good Awards can be found on the CECP website. 

“The CECP Board of Boards is a unique opportunity for global business leaders to have frank conversations about ommunity investment and the evolving expectations of the role of business in creating societal solutions,” stated Daryl Brewster, CEO, CECP. “CEOs recognize that this is a time of great opportunity to infuse ‘purpose’ in everything they do, and want a seat at the table to determine what part their companies will play in making the world a better place.” 

The CECP Board of Boards’ agenda included panel discussions, live polling, an interactive Harvard Business School-style case study review, recognition of the CECP Excellence Awards and Force for Good winners, and a presentation from CECP on trends in corporate societal investment.

Main takeaways from the CEOs at the Board of Boards included:

• Given more conscious consumer behavior and global trends, successful companies create business value by solving societal problems; only purpose-driven companies will be able to capitalize on this competitive advantage.
• CEO leadership on societal issues and commitment to a purpose-driven brand empowers companies to act in the best interest of the community and uphold the values of the company.
• CEOs need to lead in the creation of a unique company-wide language that expresses corporate purpose in a transparent way, resonating with all stakeholders. 
• 61% of CEOs report that their companies operate with a larger purpose, with 26% reporting that they are making progress on this (CECP, Board of Boards 2015 live event polling). 

CECP, a coalition of CEOs who believe that societal improvement is an essential measure of business performance, was founded by actor and philanthropist Paul Newman and recognized by Forbes as a leading convener of “power players” in business. The conference was held at the Time Warner Headquarters in New York City, and event attendance was limited to CECP CEOs. CECP thanks the event supporters, Newman’s Own Foundation and PwC US, and the Empire State Building for lighting in CECP blue the evening of the Board of Boards in honor of the convening. 

For a full list of speakers, attendees, and other details, please visit: http://cecp.co/BoB

Note to Editors: Select CEO attendees, including award winners and speakers, and CECP executives are available for comment following the event. 

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About CECP: The CEO Force for Good

CECP is a coalition of CEOs who believe societal improvement is an essential measure of business performance. Through convenings and thought leadership, CECP fosters collaboration among Fortune 500 companies striving to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems through the skills and resources of their companies. CECP, a global nonprofit organization, counts more than 150 affiliated at the CEO level and 50 at the company level. Companies affiliated with CECP together have more than $7 trillion in annual revenue and more than 14.5 million employees, and invest more than $18 billion annually in cash and non-cash in the communities around them. For more information visit cecp.co.