The Good Business Podcast Series

In today’s troubled world the best business leaders are looking beyond profit to purpose and making a positive impact. Join London Business School faculty, alumni and other experts as they explore the role of business in addressing the key challenges facing us all – from inequality to climate change. This series is brought to you by Think at London Business School.

Subscribe to London Business School podcasts

• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts

Asset management in the new abnormal

A whole host of market ructions including megathreats, stagflation and the challenges of crypto assets are combining to create a new abnormal for asset managers. The recent AQR Asset Management Institute Insight Summit convened global leaders in academia, industry and policymaking to discuss the changed landscape facing investors. Anna Pavolva, Professor of Finance at London Business School and Academic Doctor for AQR Asset Management Institute, hosts this podcast, summarising the insights from the one-day event, and offers an in-depth exploration of the risks, as well as pointing to the opportunities on offer.

The UK economy: how to thrive in the hard times ahead

At a recent event hosted by the Wheeler Institute for Business and Development, a panel of our most distinguished economics faculty explored the cost-of-living crisis, and what it means for the UK economy.

Grow the Pie: does ESG investing work? How?

In this episode, Tom and Alex discuss how to incorporate ESG factors into the investment process and why we can’t always expect ESG investment strategies to outperform traditional approaches. They explore evidence on the real-world impact of different ESG investment approaches and explain why ESG investors may choose to hold “dirty” stocks such as oil companies, as they focus on engagement and activism rather than divestment.

The rise of the responsible corporation | Ioannis Ioannou | Event audio

Why it pays to be socially responsible in business. Professor Ioannis Ioannou explains, at the Private Equity Symposium event, LBS, 2018

Three ways to make an impact | Event audio

London Business School’s Reunion brings together the School’s alumni to reconnect with classmates, and draw inspiration from expert faculty.

The 2019 event featured a session on the people and innovations that are changing the world. Led by Ioannis Ioannou, Associate Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, the panel included three standout alumni. Misha Engineer, Oriol Fuertes Cabassa and Hussein Kanji explore the impact they’ve had within their industries - through innovation and a focus on people, customers, and patients.

Responsible leadership | Ioannis Ioannou | Event audio

Market or Racket: do we need a new approach to executive pay?

The high level of executive pay has been a media and political target for years. In the first week of this year, the UK’s FTSE 100 CEOs earned more than the typical full-time worker will earn over the entire year. But are CEOs paid too much? Should they be paid less? But would that not cause them to leave for foreign firms or private firms? Executive pay: market or racket? These questions were at the centre of a recent event hosted by London Business School’s Centre for Corporate Governance.

What is responsible business?

In this podcast Alex Edmans, Professor of Finance and Academic Director of the Centre for Corporate Governance (CCG), presents the key insights from the Centre’s flagship event for 2019.

Grow the Pie: do investors promote the long-term success of a company?

In this episode Tom and Alex investigate the real role of investors in business, and discuss key success factors that enable activist investors to have positive impact.

Grow the Pie: new insights on responsible business

In this episode, Tom and Alex discuss new insights revealed in the recently published paperback version of Grow the Pie. They discuss how purposeful businesses can decide which social causes to prioritise, the challenges of implementing purpose in start-ups and private companies, how asset owners can hold asset managers to account on sustainable investing, and the challenges of responsible business during a pandemic.

Grow the Pie: can paying shareholders really serve society?

In this episode Tom and Alex consider the case for how responsible business should pay shareholders. Covering the distinctions between dividends and buybacks, what the unique circumstances of the pandemic has shown us and the “free dividends” fallacy.

Grow the Pie: the tough questions for responsible business

In this episode, Tom and Alex discuss what responsible business actually means, and explore the concept of "Pieconomics" and what role the pursuit of profit should play.

Who should run a company?

Who should run a company, and who should a company run for? These are questions fundamentally important to everyone. Hear LBS's Alex Edmans, with speakers from the Centre for Corporate Governance event: ‘Who should run a company?’.

The Future of Investing: ESG Investing and New Frontiers

How exactly has the investment community responded to growing demand for ESG – or responsible – investing strategies – those that seek to have a positive impact on the world while also generating financial returns?

In this podcast, you will hear a wide range of perspectives from academics, including my London Business School Professors, practitioners and those working to grow the market for investment strategies that aim to have positive social and environmental impact in the world.

These views were first aired at The AQR Asset Management Institute's conference: Insight Summit. ‘The Future of Investing: ESG and New Frontiers’. Jeremy Grantham, a legendary investor, co-founder of GMO, and Nobel Laureate Oliver Hart, Andrew E. Furer Professor of Economics at Harvard University were some of the keynote speakers.

Grow the Pie: what is purpose and how can companies embrace it?

In this episode, Tom and Alex look at what purpose means and how companies and investors can work together to create businesses that deliver both purpose and profit.

Grow the Pie: what can we learn from Milton Friedman?

In this episode, Tom and Alex mark the 50th anniversary of Milton Friedman's seminal essay on the social responsibility of business by discussing the merits and limitations of the Friedman doctrine in today's world.

Responsible Business - How does stewardship create long-term value?

Many companies talk about wanting to become more sustainable and purposeful. But when they face challenges, with financial targets to hit, how can they be sure that they put sustainability into practice?

In this episode, London Business School’s Tom Gosling, Executive Fellow of the Centre for Corporate Governance, talks to Yolanda Courtines, Partner and Equity Portfolio Manager at Wellington Management and Chair of the Investment Stewardship Committee. Hear about how stewardship activities, such as investors’ direct engagement with boards, can translate into value over the long term. Learn about the role of companies and investors in addressing societal issues and systemic risks such as climate change. Plus, find out which key questions investors should ask themselves before deciding to take action on stakeholder matters.

Responsible Business - How can business work with nature rather than against it?

Many companies talk about wanting to become more sustainable and purposeful. But when they face challenges, with financial targets to hit, how can they be sure that they put sustainability into practice?

In this episode, Tom Gosling, Executive Fellow of the Centre for Corporate Governance, London Business School, talks to André Hoffmann, environmentalist and Vice Chair of Roche, about why companies should take threats to biodiversity more seriously and what action they can take. Hear about André’s work with the Capitals Coalition to integrate social, human and natural capital into measures of corporate performance. Learn how companies and organisations, including business schools, can think long-term to help drive firms to sustainable prosperity.

Responsible Business - How long-term investors think about sustainability

Many companies talk about wanting to become more sustainable and purposeful. But when they face challenges, with financial targets to hit, how can they be sure that they put sustainability into practice?

In this episode, Tom Gosling, Executive Fellow of the Centre for Corporate Governance, London Business School, talks to Andy Brown, Founder and CEO of Cedar Rock Capital. Learn how Andy builds sustainability into his firm's investment approach, how growing concerns about sustainability and social issues impact investment strategy and long-term value creation, and what sustainability does and doesn’t mean in the consumer goods and tobacco sectors.

Responsible Business - How can we start?

The responsible practices of big business are increasingly under scrutiny, but how can smaller, younger businesses implement these principles, how can they find support, and measure success?

Hosted by Alex Edmans, Professor of Finance at London Business School, Academic Director of the Centre for Corporate Governance, and author of “Grow the Pie: How Great Companies Deliver Both Purpose and Profit”, his guest in this episode is Alice Williams, founder and CEO of Luminary bakery, a social enterprise working to create employment opportunities for women who have experienced gender-based violence. Join Alex and Alice as they discuss how business can embrace responsible practices right from the outset.

Responsible Business - Sustainability & purpose in practice

Many companies talk about wanting to become more sustainable, and more purposeful. But when they face challenges, with financial targets to hit, how can they be sure that they put sustainability into practice

Grow the Pie: can citizens make a difference?

In this episode, Tom and Alex broaden the field of view to talk about how the pie-growing mindset applies widely to key issues faced by society, including the pivotal role individual citizens can play as employees, consumers and investors.

Grow the Pie: how should responsible businesses pay their CEOs?

In this episode Tom and Alex unpick the thorny issue of Executive pay, exploring the arguments for paying CEOs more and analysing it within the context of the COVID-19 crisis.

Grow the Pie: is the evidence for responsible business really so clear cut?

In this episode Tom and Alex dig into evidence – beginning with how to distinguish it from data, using it to consider alternative explanations and avoiding cognitive bias. Together they investigate what evidence tells us about the relationship between responsible business and performance, and crucially, what the counter evidence can teach us./p>