This episode is part of a series on purpose. In the next few weeks we’ll be exploring purpose through different lenses. In episode 28 we will be exploring a specific angle, the question of purpose through the business lens. My guest for this episode is Phil Preston. Phil used to work in the finance world, more specifically he was in the investment realm, overseeing 50 Billion dollars of global investments. But in 2007, he starting asking himself “Why am I doing this?”. This question lead him to build his current business two years later, in 2009, where he now a speaker a facilitator and a consultant, whose mission is to bring more purpose to the business world. We exchange on how businesses can embed purpose into their values, whether it is through their mission statement, their KPIs, or their culture, and generally what it takes to have a whole company following a purpose that is not simply “making money” but also having a cause, how to get the business to commit to that decision, and what are the challenges and rewards that such a business faces along the way.
About Phil Preston
Phil left a corporate career in 2007 where he was overseeing billions of dollars of investments to help businesses go beyond token and symbolic acts of charity to really making a difference – and purpose is central to that task.
Read more at: https://philpreston.com.au/keynotes/biography/
Key takeaways
“As soon as financial success appeared achievable, as soon as it became within sight, then I realized ‘what else? where do you go after that?'”
“One donation does not wipe out a life time of sin”
“Businesses often spend less than 1/10 of 1% of their revenue on their corporate social responsibility (CSR) program”
“If you are dealing simply out of a philanthropic agenda, you will not properly invest in the issue, at scale”
“The last two years have been ground-breaking in terms of purpose. The CEOs of the top 150 American firms made a statement that business is not all about shareholder capitalism but also stakeholders.”
Show notes
“What pushed you to change career and leave the financial sector? Why? ”
“How much does finance and investment impact our world? ”
“In one of your videos, you said “one donation does not wipe away a lifetime of sin”. You also said that businesses often spend less than 1/10 of 1% of their revenue on their Corporate Social Responsibility programs. (Keynote: “Why philanthropy is for dinosaurs”) . Could you dig deeper into that idea that companies often do symbolic acts of kindness rather than having purpose and ethics at the core of their values? ”
“Since you started doing this seriously in 2009, can you see a culture shift happening? Are businesses more aware of their impact and feel more responsibility towards the world and their employees? “
This episode is part of a series on purpose. In the next few weeks we’ll be exploring purpose through different lenses. In episode 28 we will be exploring a specific angle, the question of purpose through the business lens. My guest for this episode is Phil Preston. Phil used to work in the finance world, more specifically he was in the investment realm, overseeing 50 Billion dollars of global investments. But in 2007, he starting asking himself “Why am I doing this?”. This question lead him to build his current business two years later, in 2009, where he now a speaker a facilitator and a consultant, whose mission is to bring more purpose to the business world. We exchange on how businesses can embed purpose into their values, whether it is through their mission statement, their KPIs, or their culture, and generally what it takes to have a whole company following a purpose that is not simply “making money” but also having a cause, how to get the business to commit to that decision, and what are the challenges and rewards that such a business faces along the way.
About Phil Preston
Phil left a corporate career in 2007 where he was overseeing billions of dollars of investments to help businesses go beyond token and symbolic acts of charity to really making a difference – and purpose is central to that task.
Read more at: https://philpreston.com.au/keynotes/biography/
Key takeaways
“As soon as financial success appeared achievable, as soon as it became within sight, then I realized ‘what else? where do you go after that?'”
“One donation does not wipe out a life time of sin”
“Businesses often spend less than 1/10 of 1% of their revenue on their corporate social responsibility (CSR) program”
“If you are dealing simply out of a philanthropic agenda, you will not properly invest in the issue, at scale”
“The last two years have been ground-breaking in terms of purpose. The CEOs of the top 150 American firms made a statement that business is not all about shareholder capitalism but also stakeholders.”
Show notes
“What pushed you to change career and leave the financial sector? Why? ”
“How much does finance and investment impact our world? ”
“In one of your videos, you said “one donation does not wipe away a lifetime of sin”. You also said that businesses often spend less than 1/10 of 1% of their revenue on their Corporate Social Responsibility programs. (Keynote: “Why philanthropy is for dinosaurs”) . Could you dig deeper into that idea that companies often do symbolic acts of kindness rather than having purpose and ethics at the core of their values? ”
“Since you started doing this seriously in 2009, can you see a culture shift happening? Are businesses more aware of their impact and feel more responsibility towards the world and their employees? “
