Sustainability Expert and Author Andy Savitz Visits Ross
Vilas Nair
Issue date: 3/10/08 Section: Inside Ross
The Erb Speaker Series will be hosting sustainability expert Andy Savitz on Wednesday, March 12th as he speaks about his recent book The Triple Bottom Line. The Erb speaker series recruits business leaders from around America to speak to University of Michigan students and faculty about their experiences with sustainable enterprise. Savitz follows other speakers such as Peter Mertz, CEO of Global Forest Partners and Aron Cramer of Business for Social Responsibility. Savitz was formerly the managing partner at PricewaterhouseCooper's Sustainability Business Services practice which directed the firm in its environmental and sustainability efforts. At PwC, Savitz developed many of his ideas about the importance of sustainability and presented them at various conferences and councils.
In his book, Savitz provides advice to companies and individuals to help them succeed in what he calls achieving the "Triple Bottom Line". Savitz's concept focuses on the importance of maximizing profits while concurrently focusing on social and environmental performance. The Triple Bottom Line argues that companies that have succeeded and will succeed in the 21st century must somehow find the correct balance between serving not only their shareholders but also societal and environmental interests. The sustainable enterprise movement has attracted a host of prominent followers including management thinkers and even large corporations like GE.
Using Savitz's experience and case-studies of sustainability attempts by corporations, The Triple Bottom Line explores the implications of the sustainable enterprise movement. Specific cases Savitz discusses include Hershey Foods' infamous folly in the realm of corporate-social responsibility that garnered it the opposition of its employees and residents of Hershey, Pennsylvania and the negative impact of a lack of corporate-social sustainability at McDonalds and Exxon. Also discussed are firms like Toyota and GE which have profited from socially responsible programs.
Savitz's talk will focus on his book and the implications of sustainable enterprise to students, now and in the future. Savitz will be speaking from 4:00 - 6:30 PM on Wednesday, March 12th in the Henderson room at the Michigan League. His talk will be followed by a book signing and refreshments.
In his book, Savitz provides advice to companies and individuals to help them succeed in what he calls achieving the "Triple Bottom Line". Savitz's concept focuses on the importance of maximizing profits while concurrently focusing on social and environmental performance. The Triple Bottom Line argues that companies that have succeeded and will succeed in the 21st century must somehow find the correct balance between serving not only their shareholders but also societal and environmental interests. The sustainable enterprise movement has attracted a host of prominent followers including management thinkers and even large corporations like GE.
Using Savitz's experience and case-studies of sustainability attempts by corporations, The Triple Bottom Line explores the implications of the sustainable enterprise movement. Specific cases Savitz discusses include Hershey Foods' infamous folly in the realm of corporate-social responsibility that garnered it the opposition of its employees and residents of Hershey, Pennsylvania and the negative impact of a lack of corporate-social sustainability at McDonalds and Exxon. Also discussed are firms like Toyota and GE which have profited from socially responsible programs.
Savitz's talk will focus on his book and the implications of sustainable enterprise to students, now and in the future. Savitz will be speaking from 4:00 - 6:30 PM on Wednesday, March 12th in the Henderson room at the Michigan League. His talk will be followed by a book signing and refreshments.
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