CHANGING THE RULES OF THE ENTERPRISE GAME: THE FRESH GROUP HOSTS CEO DIALOGUE ON CREATING A ‘PROFIT PLUS’ FUTURE FOR BUSINESS

Cape Town, 26 March 2014

CEOs from a cross section of industries gathered on Wednesday, 5 March at Old Mutual House in Constantia for a ground-breaking dialogue on the topic, “Business as a force for good”. The event, which was hosted by strategic HR consultancy The Fresh Group for a select group of its CEO clients, saw business leaders debate how to shape the future of enterprise, and conceptualise a new way forward which would entail a “profit plus” mindset.

Keynote speaker Peter Willis, Chairman of the University of Cambridge Program for Sustainable Leadership, presented the notion of business as a force for good, and how to replace the fading dream of perpetual economic growth with a more enriching and sustainable model for enterprise. Willis emphasised that most businesses plan no more than three to five years in the future, whereas the average lifespan of our children will exceed that planning timeframe by one hundred years – hence the need for a much longer term view.

Willis then facilitated a dialogue between the 20 attendees, who debated that values in business needed to shift away from the single-minded pursuit of super profits. While commercial gain will always drive business, the need for profit will need to co-exist with a new set of rules for enterprise which should include the redistribution of capital as a measure of success, and the building of trust between business and government.

“Leaders need to think differently about how to plan for their future,” said Rowan Belchers, founder and CEO of The Fresh Group. “Given the world’s finite resources, business as usual is no longer a valid approach to take. It was inspiring to observe young business minds grapple with the idea of instilling a culture of profit plus sustainability in their organizations. In being open to another way forward for enterprise, and in challenging the existing status quo, they displayed plenty of courageous leadership.

“Armed with a real grasp on the need for sustainability, this able group of CEOs represent an optimistic picture of what the future of business could – and should – look like. The Fresh Group believes this will be as enriching to participate in as it will surely be challenging to create, and we look forward to partnering with our CEO clients as they shape this future.”

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More about The Fresh Group:
The Fresh Group (www.thefreshgroup.co.za) is a strategic HR consultancy specialising in driving performance through people development. The group partners with a wide range of businesses of all sizes, where its work through an organisation – from CEO level to new hires – tangibly impacts the bottom line.

Author: Jane Belchers from Glow Public Relations.
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More Info link: https://www.thefreshgroup.co.za
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CEOs from a cross-section of industries gathered in Cape Town earlier this month for a ground-breaking dialogue on the topic, “Business as a force for good”. Left to right: Ross Hickey, CEO at Trinity Telecomms; William Moutloatse, CEO at Novare Actuaries and Consultants; Maryla Masojada, MD at Trade Intelligence; Pete Stewart, CEO at iProspect; Adrian Hewlett, CEO at Machine. Photo by: Johan Botha
The event, which was hosted by strategic HR consultancy The Fresh Group, saw business leaders debate how to shape the future of enterprise to ensure its sustainability. Left to right: Andy Sutcliffe, CEO at 34; Adrian Hewlett, CEO at Habari Media; Rowan Belchers, CEO at The Fresh Group.

Attendees discussed how values in business should shift, with the drive for profit co-existing with a new set of rules for enterprise which will entail a “profit plus” mindset. Left to right: Andy Sutcliffe, CEO at 34; George Eadie, Associate at The Fresh Group; Graham Crawford, COO at Macquarie Securities Group South Africa; Peter Willis, Chairman of the University of Cambridge Program for Sustainable Leadership; James Mason, MD at Macquarie Securities Group South Africa. Photo by: Johan Botha

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