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Paul Polman Biography

Paul Polman is a globally recognized business leader, philanthropist, and investor, focused on accelerating business action to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

As a member of the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel, Polman was one of the 27 members tasked with shaping the SDGs and played a critical role in advocating for the role of the private sector in achieving them.

As CEO of Unilever (2008-2019), Polman set a new benchmark for purpose-driven leadership, proving that sustainable business is good business. During his tenure, Unilever’s shareholder returns increased by 290%, while the company was consistently rated as the world’s most sustainable business and celebrated as one of the world’s best places to work.

Polman continues to shape global business agendas through the development of cross-sector alliances and engagement with leading companies to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation across key value chains including food systems, transport, and finance.

He advises and serves on the boards of several leading companies and holds honorary roles with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), The B Team, and the UN Global Compact. Polman also advises the Mo Ibrahim Foundation and the European Climate Foundation, and co-chairs the Planetary Guardians. He provides strategic counsel to global institutions, including as an advisor to the World Trade Organization (WTO). Until June 2024, Paul served as Vice Chair of the UN Global Compact alongside Secretary-General António Guterres, who appointed Paul an SDG Ambassador Emeritus.

Polman is at the forefront of sustainable finance, working with several major impact funds that collectively steward billions of dollars in assets to advance the SDGs through high-impact sustainable investments. He serves on the Global Advisory Council for the Singaporean sovereign wealth fund, Temasek.

Polman is committed to fostering the next generation of responsible leaders. He served as Chair of the Oxford Saïd Business School from 2019 to 2025. As Co-Founder and Chair Emeritus of IMAGINE, and through advisory boards with INSEAD, IESE, and One Young World, he mentors emerging leaders dedicated to sustainability and inclusion.

As a strong advocate for inclusion, disability rights, and human dignity, Polman chairs The Valuable 500 and founded the Kilimanjaro Blind Trust which empowers visually impaired children in Africa. He advances global health and resilience initiatives through his role on the board of the Rockefeller Foundation.

Polman is co-author of the bestselling book “Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take” which was recognized by the Financial Times as one of the top business books of the year. Thinkers50 named Polman and his co-author Andrew Winston first in its 2025 Ranking, recognizing their lasting influence on business and management.

For his contributions to business and sustainability, Polman has received numerous honors, including being named an Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire, awarded France’s Légion d’honneur, Singapore’s Public Service Star, and the Oslo Business for Peace Award. He has also received over 15 honorary degrees.

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Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 04/30/2026.

Paul Polman Speaking Topics

  • Leadership in a Fractured World: Why Business Can't Afford to Look Away

    The rules have changed. The institutions that held the global economy together are under strain. Trust in business, government, and media is at historic lows. And yet the pressure on leaders to retreat — to focus inward, manage the quarter, and leave the big questions to someone else — has never been stronger. Paul Polman spent a decade as CEO of one of the world's most scrutinized companies resisting exactly that pressure. In this talk he makes the case — plainly, commercially, and from direct experience — that the leaders who look away right now will pay for it. And that those who don't have a real opportunity to build something that lasts.

    What audiences take away:

    • Why short-termism is not a safe harbor — and what it actually costs companies that default to it.
    • How Unilever delivered 290% shareholder returns over a decade by holding a long-term course when others didn't.
    • What trust actually looks like as a business asset — and how you build or destroy it faster than you think.
    • The specific leadership decisions that separate companies that endure from those that merely survive.
    • Why the next decade will reward the leaders who had the courage to act when it was still uncomfortable to do so.

  • The Courageous Leader: What It Actually Takes to Lead When the Pressure Is On

    Everyone says they want courageous leadership. Very few organizations create the conditions for it. Paul Polman has been in the room when it mattered — defending a long-term strategy to activist investors who wanted him gone, holding to commitments during a financial crisis when the easy path was to abandon them, and navigating a hostile takeover attempt without losing the culture that made Unilever worth acquiring. This talk is not about inspiration. It is about the specific, often uncomfortable choices that courageous leadership requires — and what it costs when leaders make them, and when they don't.

    What audiences take away:

    • What courageous leadership looks like in practice — not in theory — from someone who has had to exercise it under real pressure.
    • How to build the board alignment and internal conviction needed to hold a long-term course when short-term pressure intensifies.
    • The difference between leaders who talk about values and those who act on them when it is genuinely costly to do so.
    • Why the moments that define a leader's legacy are almost never the comfortable ones.
    • How to create an organization where people feel safe enough to tell you the truth — and what happens when you don't.

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Paul Polman Videos

Paul Polman - ChangeNOW2024

Paul Polman - ChangeNOW2024

Driving Impact from the Board fireside chat

In conversation with Paul Polman: Sustainability innovation

In conversation with Paul Polman: Sustainability innovation

Former Unilever CEO Says Aiming for Sustainability Isn’t Enough.

Former Unilever CEO Says Aiming for Sustainability Isn’t Enough.

Paul Polman, who now chairs Imagine, challenges business leaders to ask themselves if they care about the world's problems.

See All Videos »

Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take
Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take

  • How do I book Paul Polman to speak at my event?

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  • What are the speaker fees for Paul Polman

    Speaking fees for Paul Polman, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Paul Polman are $50,000 - $100,000 for live events and $30,000 - $50,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Paul Polman, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

  • What topics does Paul Polman speak about?

    Paul Polman is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Author, Business, Business Growth, Business Leadership, Corporate Strategy, Entrepreneurship, Environment, ESG, Ethics & Integrity, Executive Leadership, Finance, Geopolitics, Innovation, Leadership, Philanthropy, Sales, Social Activism, Strategic Leadership, Sustainability, World Affairs

  • Where does Paul Polman travel from?

    Paul Polman generally travels from London, UK, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.

  • Who is Paul Polman’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Paul Polman for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Paul Polman for your next private or corporate function.

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Paul Polman is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Leadership in a Fractured World: Why Business Can't Afford to Look Away, The Courageous Leader: What It Actually Takes to Lead When the Pressure Is On, Capital at a Crossroads: The Investment Opportunity That Most Institutions Are Still Missing and Net Positive: Stop Trying to Do Less Harm. Start Giving More Than You Take. The estimated speaking fee range to book Paul Polman for your event is $50,000 - $100,000. Paul Polman generally travels from London, UK and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Peter Diamandis, Scott Galloway, Ian Bremmer, Daymond John and Marc Randolph. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Paul Polman for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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