When: February 2nd, 7.30am to 10am

Where: Rosewood Georgia Hotel, downtown Vancouver

Overview: The Sauder School of Business Centre for CEO Leadership presents a breakfast roundtable with Joel Bakan, author, film-maker, Professor of Law at the University of British Columbia.

Session background

The Centre’s CEO Roundtables frequently focus on themes which represent opportunities or challenges for organizational leaders. Recent sessions, for example, offered practical insight into building more creative and innovative workplaces, how best to develop strategic plans, and how to lead through turbulence.

Turbulence has dramatically impacted global economies and financial markets, with well-documented connections to high profile corporate failures. Consequently, perception of business has taken a turn for the worst. Research has found that trust in corporations, particularly across western economies, has deteriorated.

Perception now transforms more easily into real and negative consequences, owing to what has become known as the socialization of business. In today’s hyper-connected world, literally anyone can make their voice heard on whatever topic they choose, or whichever industry, business or organization they wish to criticize (or, less frequently, praise). The Financial Times is currently running a series of articles on “capitalism in crisis”, with one article noting “greedy bankers, overpaid executives, anaemic growth, stubbornly high unemployment - these are just a few of the things that have lately driven protesters onto the streets and caused the wider public in the developed world to become disgruntled about capitalism”.

An important voice needs to be heard on the issue. CEOs are uniquely positioned to discuss how best we can enhance public confidence in business and its leaders. Furthermore, based on feedback from CEOs, we understand that the Centre’s best discussions occur through facilitated provocative dialogue and knowledge exchange, leveraging cutting edge thought-leadership.

Accordingly, this CEO Roundtable will feature one of Canada’s most insightful thought-leaders - Joel Bakan, author of “The Corporation” (2004) and the more recent “Childhood Under Siege: How Big Business Targets Children” (2011).

During the session, facilitated by Sauder’s Dr Daniel Skarlicki, Joel Bakan will draw on the message from “The Corporation”, in which he argued that the modern business corporation is created by law to function like a psychopathic personality. The book was written during the making of the film (co-created with Mark Achbar) and formed the basis of the movie’s research and writing. “The Corporation” is now considered prescient, bearing in mind the events that followed, and the film has been recognized as the most successful documentary ever produced in Canada.

Read more about Joel Bakan.