On Thursday, 23 January 2020, Krishnan Rajagopalan, President and Chief Executive Officer, participated in a panel at the World Economic Forum titled “The Inclusive Business Model.” The panel explored concrete examples of leadership strategies that foster both diversity and inclusion, and effective approaches for how to measure results. 

Fellow panelists included:

• Facilitator: Brian Gallagher, President and Chief Executive Officer, United Way Worldwide, USA
• Sigve Brekke, President and Chief Executive Officer, Telenor Group, Norway 
• Christy Hoffman, General Secretary, UNI Global Union, Switzerland
• Peter Hummelgaard, Minister for Employment of Denmark
• Badr Jafar, Chief Executive Officer, Crescent Enterprises, United Arab Emirates; Young Global Leader
• Leena Nair, Chief Human Resources Officer, Unilever, United Kingdom
• Gabriela I. Ramos Patiño, Chief of Staff and Sherpa to the G20, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Paris 

The panel underscored Heidrick & Struggles’ commitment to and leadership in the diversity and inclusion space and how we are actively working with our clients to help them recruit, build and develop diverse and inclusive leaders and organizations. 

Krishnan Rajagopalan, President & CEO, on The Responsibility of CEOs to Focus on People, Planet, and Profit

At the 2020 World Economic Forum, CEOs discussed a greater purpose and responsibility for not only focusing on our planet and driving profit, but for also focusing on people and creating corporate cultures that are intentional in embracing diversity and fostering a sense of inclusion and belonging. Krishnan Rajagopalan, President & CEO, shares his thoughts below.

Jenni Hibbert, Global Managing Partner, on Creating a More Inclusive and Sustainable World

With today’s corporate boards making diversity a priority, boards have seen an increase of female and ethnic minority appointees. Jenni Hibbert, Global Managing Partner, Financial Services Practice, shares her thoughts from the 2020 World Economic Forum as organizations must examine their diversity strategies and talent pipeline in order to fully address the challenges of tomorrow.

Claire Skinner, Regional Leader, on Adapting Organizations for Sustainability

As the climate crisis dominated the agenda of the 2020 World Economic Forum, Claire Skinner, Regional Leader for Europe & Africa describes how corporate boards must adapt to make their organizations more sustainable, and how investors and corporate boards alike need to lead the way to a more sustainable future.