Videos
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Big ideas to change the way we do business | London Business School
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CARE Conference 2021 (Day 1) - Academic Spotlight: Ioannis Ioannou 720p
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Prof. Ioannou discusses VW scandal on BBC World News
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Changing mindsets for a sustainable future - Professor Ioannou
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Sustainability Leadership and Corporate Responsibility | London Business School
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ESG and Impact Investing in Private Equity and beyond | London Business School
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The era of the responsible organisation | London Business School
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Board members must be accountable for ESG standards - Datamaran | London Business School | Softbank
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#SmartHeadTalks 4, Ioannis Ioannou on Benefits from Implementing Sustainability into Core Strategy
Learn More About Ioannis Ioannou
The integration of sustainability into business strategy is not just a task; it’s a journey filled with both fundamental disruption and immense opportunity. In this rapidly evolving competitive landscape, leaders face a critical question: how can they navigate these changes while ensuring their firm’s ESG strategies are not only successful but also yield long-term positive societal impact?
Professor Ioannis Ioannou, Ph.D. (ee-oh-AH-nees ee-oh-AH-noo) of London Business School, a renowned scholar and strategist, spearheads transformative research in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) integration. His award-winning work is important for helping companies strategically navigate the complexities of sustainability disruption. By providing expert guidance to overcome critical challenges and trade-offs while seizing the many growth opportunities this transformation generates, his support assists organizations in effectively embedding environmental and social issues into their business models and strategies, enabling them to smoothly navigate this disruption. In doing so, companies are empowered to thrive as sustainable businesses, while positively impacting society at large.
Ioannou’s dynamic and engaging presentations blend storytelling, data visualization, case studies, and interactive exercises with a multidisciplinary, evidence-based methodology. In the process, he illuminates how organizations can:
- Create value, achieve better financial performance, and ensure regulatory compliance.
- Enhance reputation, investor confidence, customer loyalty, competitiveness, and resilience while strengthening the social license to operate.
- Attract, recruit, retain and engage talent with meaningful work.
- Drive sustainable growth and impact while avoiding marketing pitfalls like greenwashing.
“Businesses can play a critical role in helping us address some of the world’s biggest challenges,” explains Ioannou, an associate editor of the Strategic Management Journal. “My goal is to increase awareness, and most importantly to increase the capability of executives, managers, and founders to fundamentally integrate corporate sustainability into the way they do business.”
A Framework for Navigating the Sustainability Disruption
To empower executives to define, develop, and implement sustainable business models, Ioannou has created a powerful and proven six-pillar framework for educating leaders on the sustainability disruption. With a strategic focus on the interplay of ESG leadership and ongoing corporate performance, he emphasizes the achievable synergy between purpose and profit.
“A sustainable business model is fundamentally about creating synergy – it’s where financial success intersects with environmental and social responsibility,” Ioannou explains. “Achieving this synergy is the cornerstone of a truly successful and responsible business model.”
Ioannou provides leaders with practical tools and frameworks to understand and improve sustainability in their businesses. These resources help leaders easily assess and boost their sustainability efforts. With Ioannou’s guidance, sustainability becomes a clear and integral part of their business strategies, leading to more responsible and impactful outcomes.
Unlocking New Growth Opportunities with Sustainability as a Differentiation Strategy
As organizations evolve into sustainability leaders, leveraging innovation to differentiate from competitors becomes crucial. This approach not only triggers profitability but also enables rapid scaling of impact.
“Using sustainability as a strategy for differentiation opens up new avenues for growth,” explains Ioannou. As a trusted advisor to global organizations including Merck KGaA, and the DWS Group as well as innovative start-ups like TreeApp, he deeply understands the nuances of this process. “It allows businesses to profit from innovative solutions to ESG challenges. This profitability lays the groundwork for the swift scaling of sustainable solutions. Efficiently and effectively scaling up these solutions thus leads to business success and boosts the company’s positive impact. Ultimately, sustainability becomes a potent tool and catalyst for transformative organizational change.”
Ioannou delves into the latest sustainability research and effective strategies, enhancing corporate resilience, investor confidence, regulatory compliance, and social impact. Through his speaking engagements and advisory roles, he equips global leaders with the essential skills and mindsets to navigate sustainability challenges and manage transformative initiatives successfully.
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Ioannis Ioannou is an associate professor with tenure at London Business School (LBS) and teaches in various degree programs. He is a regular contributor to numerous LBS executive education programs, including custom modules on responsible business and sustainability for senior executives.
Ioannou’s research has been published in top-tier, peer-reviewed academic journals such as the Strategic Management Journal – where he is an associate editor – Academy of Management Review, Organization Science, Journal of International Business Studies and Management Science. He is the most-cited scholar of his graduating cohort and consistently ranks in the top 100 authors on the social science research network (SSRN). His work has been featured in popular and managerial press outlets worldwide and has been referenced in numerous policy documents globally.
A member of ESG advisory boards for numerous international organizations, Ioannou has delivered keynote speeches globally at high-profile events and industry conferences.
Professor Ioannou’s 6-week online course on Sustainability Leadership and Corporate Responsibility has enrolled more than 500 senior leaders and board members from around the world, empowering them to become transformational change agents and achieve positive social impact.
Ioannou received his bachelor’s from Yale University, his master’s from Harvard University and his Ph.D. from Harvard Business School.
Ioannis Ioannou is available to advise your organization via virtual and in-person consulting meetings, interactive workshops and customized keynotes through the exclusive representation of Stern Speakers & Advisors, a division of Stern Strategy Group®.
Sustainability as a Strategic Imperative: How to Futureproof Your Business in a Changing World
Sustainability is more than just a buzzword; it’s a true strategic imperative. In this engaging presentation, London Business School Strategy and Entrepreneurship Professor Ioannis Ioannou, Ph.D delves into the megatrends that have cemented sustainability as a key factor in today’s evolving competitive landscape and its role as a major disruptor for businesses. He will demystify what sustainability really means in the business world and why it’s crucial for executives to embrace it as a central strategic issue. Audiences will gain insights from Ioannou’s rigorous research, learning about the mechanisms of value creation where a dedication to sustainability leads to enhanced financial performance and a positive social impact.
The Secret to Building and Scaling a Successful, Sustainable Business Model
So, your organization is committed to a sustainable business model – what’s next? In this revealing talk, London Business School Strategy and Entrepreneurship Professor Ioannis Ioannou, Ph.D., will unveil key insights from his research and experience on effectively designing, implementing, and expanding a sustainable business model. He will offer practical tools and frameworks for integrating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues into your business strategy and operations. Additionally, Ioannou will cover effective ways to measure and report your sustainability performance and engage stakeholders throughout this journey. Audiences will be treated to real-world examples and case studies from various industries and regions, shedding light on both the triumphs and challenges of scaling sustainable business models in diverse contexts and areas.
Balance the Demands and Expectations of Multiple Stakeholders in Sustainability Initiatives
Navigating the complex trade-offs inherent in corporate sustainability programs is crucial for their success. In this insightful presentation, London Business School Strategy and Entrepreneurship Professor Ioannis Ioannou, Ph.D., will tackle a significant challenge facing executives: integrating sustainability into their core business model and strategy. The audience will gain a clear understanding of how to manage the sometimes conflicting demands and expectations of diverse stakeholders. Ioannou will provide leaders with the tools and frameworks they need to identify material stakeholders and to develop a strategy that accounts for the interests and values of all.
Embed Sustainability into Your Organization’s DNA
For sustainability initiatives to thrive long-term, it’s essential that leaders weave ESG programs into the very DNA of their organization. In this compelling talk, London Business School Strategy and Entrepreneurship Professor Ioannis Ioannou, Ph.D., will discuss the organizational challenges as well as the opportunities associated with a transition to a sustainable business model. He will explain how executives can structurally embed sustainability and social responsibility into the organizational culture, processes, systems, and incentives. Drawing on real world examples, Ioannou will share lessons from successful cases of sustainability transformation across different industries and regions. Audiences will leave with a comprehensive and rigorous understanding of the best strategies for weaving sustainability into the very fabric of their companies.
Becoming a Sustainability Leader: How to Inspire and Mobilize Your Organization
While following the ESG initiatives of competitors is straightforward, true differentiation lies in becoming a sustainability leader. In this motivational presentation, London Business School Strategy and Entrepreneurship Professor Ioannis Ioannou, Ph.D., will inspire and motivate executives to reflect on the broader role of business in society and its potential for positive social impact. He will challenge leaders to take stock of their own personal role and the future career implications in a world facing increasing social and environmental challenges. Audiences learn the key attributes and skills required to drive change and transform their organizations towards a more sustainable future. Attendees will leave with practical tips and tools on how to develop and nurture a culture of sustainability within your organization and beyond.
CSR Decoupling within Business Groups and the Risk of Perceived Greenwashing
(Strategic Management Journal, July 2023)
Review: What Drives Corporate Social Performance? The Role of Nation-Level Institutions
(Journal of International Business Studies, December 2022)
The Impact of Perceived Greenwashing on Customer Satisfaction and the Contingent Role of Capability Reputation
(Journal of Business Ethics, May 2022)
Strategic Management During the Financial Crisis: How Firms Adjust their Strategic Investments in Response to Credit Market Disruptions
(Strategic Management Journal, July 2021)
Willing and Able: A General Model of Organizational Responses to Normative Pressures
(Academy of Management Review, April 2019)
Redefining Strategy in the Age of Sustainability and Social Responsibility
(Oxford University Press, October 2019)
The Consequences of Mandatory Corporate Sustainability Reporting: Evidence from Four Countries
(Oxford University Press, October 2019)
Mind the Gap: The Interplay Between Internal and External Actions in the Case of Corporate Social Responsibility
(Strategic Management Journal, December 2016)
The Effect of Target Difficulty on Target Completion: The Case of Reducing Carbon Emissions
(The Accounting Review, September 2016)
The Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility on Investment Recommendations: Analysts’ Perceptions and Shifting Institutional Logics
(Strategic Management Journal, July 2015)
The Impact of Corporate Sustainability on Organizational Processes and Performance
(Management Science, November 2014)
Build, Leverage and Compete with Powerful Sustainability Programs
London Business School Strategy and Entrepreneurship Professor Ioannis Ioannou, Ph.D., is one of the world’s leading experts on the strategies, financial considerations, and societal impacts of sustainability disruption and corporate ESG integration. With valuable insights into the challenges, strategic trade-offs, and opportunities companies face when developing sustainable business models, Ioannou adeptly guides organizations through creating value, enhancing reputation, and driving growth. With his extensive experience as a corporate advisory board member, Ioannou is well-equipped to discuss a range of topics during board meetings, consultations, small group, and one-on-one advisory sessions. Each program can be tailored to meet the needs and goals of your organization with the flexibility of virtual or in-person meetings.
- Strategies for Building and Scaling a Successful, Sustainable Business Model
- Sustainability as a Strategic Imperative: How to Futureproof Your Business in a Changing World
- Balancing the Demands and Expectations of Multiple Stakeholders in Sustainability Initiatives
- Embedding Sustainability into Your Organization’s DNA
- Becoming a Sustainability Leader: How to Inspire and Mobilize Your Organization
Workshop: Seamless ESG Implementation
Developing and implementing the right ESG initiatives for your organization can be complex. London Business School Strategy and Entrepreneurship Professor Ioannis Ioannou, Ph.D., has created an accessible, impactful six-pillar framework to establish sustainability leadership. In this highly interactive workshop, Ioannou tackles crucial questions, enabling executives to grasp sustainability from a strategic, enterprise-wide perspective. This approach not only futureproofs organizations but also maximizes their positive social impact. Attendees come away with powerful tools and frameworks for seamlessly integrating ESG into their core business models, establishing a solid, responsible competitive edge.
After this session, participants will be able to:
- Critically evaluate how companies strategically integrate environmental and social challenges into their core business model and strategy.
- Understand the trade-offs involved in the decision to integrate sustainability into an organization’s core business model and strategy.
- Recognize the organizational challenges as well as opportunities associated with transitioning to a sustainable business model, including critical organizational levers that facilitate this transition.
- Acquire tools and frameworks necessary to identify material stakeholders and develop strategy that balances their often conflicting demands and expectations.
