Chris Laszlo, Ph.D. – Char and Chuck Fowler Professor of Business as an Agent of World Benefit and Executive Director, Fowler Center, CWRU Weatherhead School of Management

Dear Colleagues:

One of the most distinctive programs of CWRU’s Weatherhead School of Management is the Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit. One of the core themes of its work has been making the business case for sustainability. But its present Director, Professor Laszlo, argues that sustainability – not doing harm – is not enough. “Sustainability” is negative, it’s not inspiring. Businesses should and can “do well by doing good.” The Center’s work emphasizes how businesses may benefit from practices that are good for both employees and the wider world.

Why might investors agree? What resistance do the Center faculty see, and what positive responses? What is the case that they make to the business community? Join us as Professor Laszlo describes and explains the work he and his colleagues are doing, and the effects they are working to have.

All best regards,
Joe White
Luxenberg Family Professor of Public Policy and Director, Center for Policy Studies

About Our Guest

As one of the originators of the concept of sustainable value, Chris Laszlo, Ph.D, reframes sustainability as a business opportunity, turning environmental and social risks into drivers of innovation, greater employee engagement, and a new, inimitable source of competitive advantage. Laszlo is the author of five books, including Flourishing Enterprise: The New Spirit of Business (2014), Embedded Sustainability: The Next Big Competitive Advantage (2011), and Sustainable Value: How the World’s Leading Companies are Doing Well by Doing Good (2008), all from Stanford University Press. An earlier book, The Sustainable Company (2003, paperback 2005), was published by Island Press. He has numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and is the general editor of The Business of Sustainability, the second volume of the Encyclopedia of Sustainability (2010). Professionally, Laszlo was elected a Fellow of the International Academy of Management. His book Flourishing Enterprise was chosen as one of the top sustainability books by Sustainable Brands. In 2012 he was selected by his peers to be a “Top 100 Thought Leaders in Trustworthy Business Behavior” by Trust Across America™.

As a co-founder and managing partner of Sustainable Value Partners LLC, he provides advisory services to senior leaders in some of the world’s largest companies. Laszlo has led hundreds of seminars and spoken widely on sustainability for strategic advantage both at companies and at leading business schools such as INSEAD, Darden School of Business, Cornell University, and Kenan-Flagler Business School. In addition to his academic experience and consulting work, Laszlo spent nearly 10 years as an executive at Lafarge, a world leader in building materials; he held positions as head of strategy, general manager of a manufacturing subsidiary, and vice president of business development. Prior to that, he spent five years with Deloitte Touche, where he consulted on strategy to global industry leaders.

Laszlo received his doctorate with distinction in economics and management science from the University of Paris. He holds a M. Phil in economics and a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University, and a BA with honors from Swarthmore College.

Where We Meet

The Friday Public Affairs Lunch convenes each Friday when classes are in session, from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Our programs are open to all and no registration is required. We usually meet in the Dampeer Room of Kelvin Smith Library.

* Kelvin Smith Library requires all entrants to show identification when entering the building, unless they have a university i.d. that they can magnetically scan. We are sorry if that seems like a hassle, but it has been Library policy for a while in response to security concerns. Please do not complain to the library staff at the entrance, who are just doing their jobs.

The Dampeer Room is on the second floor of the library. If you get off the elevators, turn right, pass the first bank of tables, and turn right again. Occasionally we need to use a different room; that will always be announced in the weekly e-mails.

Parking Possibilities

The most convenient parking is the lot underneath Severance Hall. We regret that it is not free. From that lot there is an elevator up to street level (labeled as for the Thwing Center); it is less than 50 yards from that exit to the library entrance. You can get from the Severance garage to the library without going outside. Near the entry gates – just to the right if you were driving out – there is a door into a corridor. Walk down the corridor and there will be another door. Beyond that door you’ll find the entrance to an elevator which goes up to an entrance right inside the doors to Kelvin Smith Library.

Schedule of Friday Lunch Upcoming Topics and Speakers:

September 15: Does Trump Make a Difference? U.S. Policy in the Middle East. With Pete W. Moore Ph.D., Marcus A. Hanna Associate Professor of Political Science.

September 22: University Circle, Cleveland, and the “Opportunity Corridor.” With Robert N. Brown, FAICP, former Director of City Planning for the City of Cleveland.

September 29: Nutritious in More Ways Than One? School Lunch and Student Performance. With Justin Gallagher Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Economics.

October 6: The Budget Mess: Debt Ceilings, Shutdowns, and Health Care, Oh My! With Joseph White Ph.D., Luxenberg Family Professor of Public Policy and Director, Center for Policy Studies. ***Alternate Location: Mather House, Room 100, 11201 Euclid Ave***

October 13: Public Health Lessons From the Ebola Outbreak. With Ronald Blanton M.D./M.Sc., Professor of International Health.

October 20: Students, Stress, and Sickness: Are There More Problems and, If So, Why? With Judith Olson-Hammer MS, Director of Educational Services for Students, and Richard B. Pazol Psy.D., Director of Counseling and Coordinator of Assessment Services, University Health and Counseling Services.

October 27: Patenting Pot. With Craig A. Nard J.D., L.L. M., J.S.D., Galen A. Roush Professor of Law and Director, Spangenberg Center for Law, Technology and the Arts.

November 3: Cleveland’s Muslim Community: History and Challenges. With Ramez Islambouli, Lecturer of Arabic and Islam; Adjunct Professor of Islamic Law; and President, Uqbah Mosque Foundation.

November 10: Lead Poisoning in Cleveland: Why, After All These Years? With Dorr Dearborn MD, Ph.D., Mary Ann Swetland Professor Emeritus and Department Chair Emeritus, Department of Environmental Health Sciences.

November 17: Digging Into Football and Voting With Data. With Andrew Healy Ph.D., Professor of Economics, Loyola Marymount University and Senior Strategist for Player Personnel, Cleveland Browns.

November 24: Thanksgiving Break

December 1: TBA

December 8: Environmental Policy in the Pruitt EPA. With Catherine J. LaCroix J.D., Adjunct Professor of Law.