ESG – Environmental, Social & Corporate Governance: Chuka Umunna: inspiring leadership interview with Jonathan Bowman-Perks MBE
Podcast Details
Top Tip
Chuka Umunna – Board Advisor and Former Members of Parliament
Chuka Umunna, Executive Director and Head of ESG at Edelman – core theme is the role of business in society and the importance of the integration of environmental, social and governance factors (ESG) into corporate decision making Currently also has non-executive roles at UK tech companies as a Director on the boards of Advanced and Digital Identity Net UK, and he sits on the Advisory Board of Signal AI. Previously served in the UK House of Commons from 2010 to 2019 in a number of senior roles leading on economic, business, trade and foreign policy, first for the Labour Party and then for the Liberal Democrats.
A solicitor by profession, he practiced for several years as a City employment lawyer before entering Parliament. Top Tip – Draw up a strategy – which will always evolve – and then focus laser like on the tactical execution of it, whilst having a ‘Plan B’ if ‘Plan A’ doesn’t work out. Chuka has had a varied career which has involved being a public figure for much of the last 10 years. The common thread running through his two-decade career, first in corporate law, then in public policy, and now back in business has been desire to build a better and more responsible capitalism in which all citizens have stake. The son of an entrepreneur, from a mixed heritage family, he has observed how he would not have had the opportunities he had were it not for the power of enterprise.
Not afraid to try new enterprises in politics and to challenge group think and tribalism, he was one of a number of MPs who left the main parties to set up the new party, Change UK. He switched to the Liberal Democrats before leaving politics. For any organisation to thrive, Chuka believes internal challenge is vital, as is an understanding that success is not all about any one individual but a group. But any group needs a leader to lead and bring decisions to a head.