Net Positive

Paul Polman works to accelerate action by business to achieve the UN Global Goals, which he helped develop. He was the CEO of Unilever from 2009 to 2019, the first from outside the company in its century-plus history, and has been described by the Financial Times as "a standout CEO of the past decade." He created a new framework for decision-making in the organization to focus the business on multiple stakeholders and long-term value creation, committing the company to doubling its sales while keeping its footprint flat, to touching one billion people, and to greatly improving the lives of suppliers around the world. Peers and experts have ranked Unilever as the most sustainable company—above long-standing, privately run leaders like Patagonia and IKEA—for eight years. Today, Polman is cofounder and Chair of IMAGINE, a for-benefit organization and foundation that mobilizes businesses around the UN Global Goals.Andrew Winston is one of the world's most widely read writers and leading thinkers on sustainable business. His books on sustainability strategy, including Green to Gold and The Big Pivot, have sold more than 150,000 copies in seven languages. Winston has also written cover stories for Harvard Business Review and published hundreds of articles in HBR, MIT Sloan Management Review, and other top publications. He was recently selected for the Thinkers50 Radar 2020, a list of "30 thinkers to watch out for in the coming year." His views on strategy have been sought after by many of the world's leading companies, including 3M, DuPont, HP, Ingersoll Rand, Johnson & Johnson, Kimberly-Clark, Marriott, PepsiCo, PwC, and Unilever.You can find more about Paul Polman at:imagine.onetwitter.com/paulpolmanlinkedin.com/in/paulpolmanYou can find more about Andrew Winston at:andrewwinston.comtwitter.com/AndrewWinstonlinkedin.com/in/andrewwinston

Named as one of "5 Books Entrepreneurs Should Read Immediately If Not Sooner" by Inc. magazineNamed one of the Best Books of the Year by BloombergNamed a top 10 Book of 2021 by Børsen"…the greatest value of this book is in the practical detailed guidance" — Developing Leaders (IEDP)"The bottom line is that Net Positive clearly lays out the case that businesses should be able to do well by doing good. Drawing on the important example of Unilever during Polman's tenure, it's also a high-level guide for organizations to more aggressively contribute to combating climate change and inequality." — Charter"It makes a more optimistic case for courageous progressive companies and their leaders, who can offer practical, positive ways of tackling environment, social and governance issues." — Financial TimesAdvance Praise for Net Positive:"A wonderful rallying call to business leaders all over the world to step up to the greatest opportunity, and responsibility, of our time." — Sir Richard Branson, founder, Virgin Group"Net Positive will be pure heresy to all those who still subscribe to the failed dogma of shareholder primacy—which is exactly why we need it." — Arianna Huffington, founder and CEO, Thrive Global"A compelling and inspiring case that businesses can—and should—boost their bottom lines by contributing to their communities and protecting the environment." — Al Gore, 45th Vice President of the United States; Nobel Peace Prize winner; Chairman, Generation Investment Management"Carefully considered and deeply rooted in the real world of management." — Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO, Microsoft"Don't call it a 'business book.' Net Positive fundamentally rethinks the way human beings—CEOs, politicians, and activists—can together reset our planet's trajectory." — Paul Hawken, author, Drawdown and Regeneration"Polman knows that when leading CEOs stand up for a more equitable world, governments are much more likely to do the same." — Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General, World Trade Organization; Finance Minister of Nigeria, 2003–2006 and 2011–2015"Net Positive turns courage and principled action into an electrifying strategy for business success. It's powerful, persuasive, and unlike any other book you've read." — Ken Frazier, Executive Chairman, Merck