E. Neville Isdell
Chairman, The Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum, Responsible Business
I joined IBLF because of what I saw as a child, learned as a student, and practiced as a businessman. When I was 10-years-old, my family moved from Northern Ireland to Zambia, and a new world unfolded before my eyes. I was taken by Africa's beauty and warmth, but stunned by its poverty and challenges. At the University of Cape Town, I studied social science and became a licensed social worker. Then I decided to go into business because I thought I could add more back to society as a businessman, and frankly I thought it would be a lot more challenging.
Working for Coca-Cola for more than 40 years, for whom I am now the Chairman and CEO, I have lived in 11 countries. I've seen businesses create economic and social value, governments try to meet the needs of its citizens, and NGOs work on society's most pressing problems.
I saw that each institution had a piece of the answer, but recognized that the problems that affect our world - from the environment to poverty and beyond - cannot be solved alone. When I joined IBLF, I fully subscribed to The Prince of Wales's vision of bringing together leaders from business, government and civil society to create a force for positive change that is far greater than the sum of its parts.
Representing The Coca-Cola Company as a member and also as Chairman of the IBLF's Board of Trustees, I've seen how that power can spark new collaborations and new solutions that ultimately change lives. Like all of The Prince's Charities, the IBLF is a forum for social change that achieves results because of the people it brings together, the creativity it fosters, and the urgency it brings to each challenge. The convening power of the IBLF is extremely powerful, and one that The Coca-Cola Company continues to use successfully. The power of building alliances means that the positive effects of the organization sometimes go unheralded, but that does not diminish the level of its effectiveness. For me personally, it is an opportunity - on a global scale - to work on the challenges I saw as a child, to apply the lessons I learned as a social worker, and to use my experience in business for social good.
