
How to make the workplace inclusive for all
Alexander Fleischmann discusses what drew him to researching LGBTQ+ issues, what's changed in the last two decades, and what still needs to change in the workplaces of tomorrow. ...
27 April 2023 • by David Bach in Governance
In conversation with David Bach, IMD's Professor of Strategy and Political Economy, Isabelle Deschamps talks about ethics, leadership, and getting ahead of the curve....
Apple Google SpotifyGlobally, firms are coming under increasing pressure to weigh profit-making against their social and environmental responsibilities. The trend, which breaks with a long tradition of shareholder primacy, requires business leaders to understand the needs, interests, and expectations of a diverse array of stakeholders. At Rio Tinto, no one has a greater awareness of this than Isabelle Deschamps.
As the mining group’s Chief Legal Officer, Deschamps is not short of responsibility. Her remit includes legal, ethical, and corporate governance functions, as well as communications and public affairs.
It’s rare that companies bring all of these functions together under one person. But Deschamps says that while at first glance they may seem to conflict with one another, the key to solving all of them is listening: “When you talk about communications you think about ‘transparency’, when you talk about legal you think ‘defense’. But that’s not the way we see it. We see that all these functions can create positive tension but also help us get to the right decision-making.”
Deschamps says that to improve decision-making, every stakeholder – both internal and external – needs to be given a voice. In conversation with David Bach, IMD’s Professor of Strategy and Political Economy, she talks about ethics, leadership, and getting ahead of the curve.
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Isabelle Deschamps joined Rio Tinto in November 2021 and has extensive international experience. She is admitted to the England and Wales Law Society, and to the Quebec Bar in Canada. Deschamps has also worked as General Counsel of the AkzoNobel Group and a member of its Executive Committee, and prior to this at Unilever.
David Bach is IMD’s Professor of Strategy and Political Economy, Rio Tinto Chair in Stakeholder Engagement, and Dean of Innovation and Programs. He is a political economy expert with a proven track record of creating impactful learning journeys in a dual role as both Professor and Dean. His course The End of Globalization? – designed in the aftermath of the Brexit vote and the rise of populist leaders across Western democracies – received the 2018 Ideas Worth Teaching Award from the Aspen Institute.
1 June 2023 in Podcasts
Alexander Fleischmann discusses what drew him to researching LGBTQ+ issues, what's changed in the last two decades, and what still needs to change in the workplaces of tomorrow. ...
18 May 2023 • by Michael R. Wade, Amit M. Joshi in Podcasts
Professor Mike Wade explains why we're in an "autonomous driving winter", and AI authority Amit Joshi, tells us why the last stage of self-driving development will require a lot more investment...
4 May 2023 • by Amit M. Joshi, Michael R. Wade in Podcasts
Michael Wade & Amit Joshi discuss the legacy of Moore's Law, the future of processing power, and the chicken-and-egg question of tech...
20 April 2023 • by Michael R. Wade, Amit M. Joshi in Podcasts
In episode three, Mike and Amit explore how digital spaces are developing and whether companies will need a 'Metaverse strategy' to compete in tomorrow's economy...
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