The IEA Book Club is excited to have Alex Edmans, Professor of Finance at London Business School and Academic Director of the Centre of Corporate Governance, speak to us about his latest book “Grow the Pie: How Great Companies Deliver Both Purpose and Profit”.

What is a responsible business? Is it one that sacrifices profit for social outcomes, or one that seeks to generate profit for investors – savers, retirees, and pension funds?

Based on the highest-quality evidence and real-life examples spanning industries and countries, Alex shows that it’s not an either-or choice – companies can create both profit and social value. The most successful companies don’t target profit directly but are driven by purpose – the desire to serve a societal need and contribute to human betterment.

This book explains how to embed purpose into practice so that it’s more than just a mission statement and discusses the critical role of working collaboratively with a company’s investors, employees, and customers. Rigorous research also uncovers surprising results on how executive pay, shareholder activism, and share buybacks can be used for the common good.

If you would like to know more about the IEA Book Club, and attend the event, please email bookclub@iea.org.uk