Alex Edmans

Purpose is the buzzword of today, with politicians, the public, and even shareholders calling on businesses to serve wider society. But purpose is also controversial, because companies need to make a profit. Is there a trade-off between purpose and profit, or can companies achieve both? This talk will critically examine the case for purposeful business, using rigorous evidence and real-life examples to show what works – and, importantly, what doesn’t. It will discuss practical ways for companies of all sizes to put purpose into practice – to ensure it guides their day-to-day decisions, is embedded throughout the organisation, and enhances rather than jeopardises long-run returns.

Responsible investing promises financial returns, social impact, and values alignment – but these objectives often conflict, and delivering even one is challenging. Common claims that sustainable investing always pays off are based on flimsy evidence, and the most eye-catching strategies, such as blanket exclusion, are often ineffective. This talk highlights the trade-offs and nuances in issues often portrayed as black-and-white, and outlines a way forward for responsible investing that navigates these complexities and achieves real impact rather than simply ticking boxes.

The rapid rise in ESG has been met with an equally fierce backlash. Should companies respond by dismissing the criticism and pressing on regardless, or by recognising the shifting sands and abandoning ESG altogether? This talk argues for a middle path. It introduces Rational Sustainability: a way forward that harnesses ESG’s benefits while addressing legitimate concerns. Rational Sustainability serves both shareholders and stakeholders, positioning sustainability as a mainstream business issue rather than one confined to ESG specialists.

DEI has surged to the top of corporate agendas – but so has the backlash. This talk argues that the solution is neither to abandon it nor to ignore the pushback, but to evolve. Drawing from academic evidence and practitioner experience, it highlights that cognitive diversity is the true driver of performance, of which demographic diversity is only one source. Moreover, cognitive diversity is ineffective without inclusion: a psychologically safe environment that encourages dissenting views. It will discuss best practices for building cognitively diverse teams and creating inclusive corporate cultures.

Boards make their most serious mistakes not through lack of intelligence, but through poor group decision processes. This talk explains how groupthink, informational cascades, and hierarchy can derail even the most experienced boards, drawing lessons from famous policy failures and successes. It highlights the importance of cognitive diversity, psychological safety, and well-designed processes in improving judgement. The talk offers practical steps for boards to encourage dissent, surface better information, and make more rigorous, resilient decisions.

One of the most dangerous phrases is “evidence shows that …”, because you can almost always find evidence to support any viewpoint. Experts are similarly untrusted, because they may have motives other than the truth. These problems are particularly severe in the digital age where people are bombarded with data and supposed expert opinions. This talk will explain the common mistakes people make in interpreting data, and the biases that cause us to make them. It will provide a practical guide for how to discern whether a particular study or expert opinion is trustworthy – even if we’re pressed for time and don’t have specialist knowledge in the field – and how to create a culture that actively promotes a diversity of thinking.

Classic time management frameworks advise us to focus on the important rather than the urgent. But these frameworks seem not to be applicable to the 21st century, where technology means that we are constantly bombarded with deadlines, and it’s unrealistic to simply ignore the urgent. This talk will explain how to focus on important long-term goals but at the same time meet urgent short-term deadlines, how to use email as an effective communication tool without being overwhelmed with it, and how to instil superior time management practices within the teams that we lead. It will be based on insights from behavioural economics which demonstrate the most effective ways to develop new habits.