Business & Society with Senthil Nathan

Inspiring and thought-provoking conversations with eminent thinkers and sustainability leaders about business in society. Hosted by Senthil Nathan, Chief Executive of Fairtrade Australia New Zealand.

Business & Society with Senthil Nathan is a business podcast hosted by Senthil Nathan, with 45 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Senthil Nathan hosts Business & Society with Senthil Nathan, a business show with 45 episodes published.

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  Business & Society with Senthil Nathan

  #44 Democracy, Climate, and the Business We Need: A Reckoning with Rebecca Henderson

  Jul 29, 202656 min

  What does business owe society? And what does society owe business in return? These aren't abstract questions—they're survival questions. As climate change accelerates, democracies falter, and mission-driven companies struggle to stay afloat, we need a new conversation about what capitalism can actually do. This week, we sit down with Rebecca Henderson to explore the real constraints, the hidden power of the private sector, and why this moment might be more hopeful than it seems. Rebecca Henderson is one of 25 University Professors at Harvard and author of Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire . We talk about climate commitments, investor power, the future of democracy, and what it takes to build a business that lasts. If you're a founder, a leader, or simply trying to understand how we got here and where we go next, this conversation is for you. More about Rebecca's work and research: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=12345 Please visit our website, www.businessandsociety.net , for more inspiration.

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  Business & Society with Senthil Nathan

  #43 Another Sort of Freedom: Dharma, Markets, and the Art of Leading Well with Gurcharan Das

  Jun 24, 202650 min

  What does it mean to live a full life — not just a successful one? Gurcharan Das, former CEO of Procter & Gamble India and one of the subcontinent's most celebrated public intellectuals, has spent a lifetime asking exactly that. In this conversation, he reflects on his memoir Another Sort of Freedom , tracing a life shaped by restlessness, curiosity, and the classical Indian framework of the four aims — Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha. From being fired on his first day in business to navigating the ethical minefield of the License Raj, from quitting the corporate world at fifty to write and think, to walking into the offices of Sonia Gandhi and L.K. Advani and finding no political home — his journey is as unlikely as it is instructive. Along the way, Gurcharan shares the idea he considers the most original in the Bhagavad Gita — Nishkam Karma , acting for the sake of the work itself, without attachment to personal reward — and why he believes it remains one of the most underappreciated gifts to modern leadership. He also offers a frank assessment of India's economic journey: what liberalisation delivered, what it failed to, and why he remains cautiously optimistic about the road ahead. A rich, wide-ranging conversation about business, philosophy, and the art of making a life. Link to Gurcharan's website: https://gurcharandas.org/ Please visit our website, www.businessandsociety.net , for more inspiration.

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  Business & Society with Senthil Nathan

  #42 Spiritual Philanthropy: Beyond Metrics and Mandates with Geoffrey Jones

  May 28, 202641 min

  What drives business leaders to give? Geoffrey Jones, celebrated business historian at Harvard Business School, challenges everything we think we know about philanthropy. In this episode, we explore "spiritual philanthropy"—a concept rooted not in tax incentives or CSR mandates, but in deeply held values. Geoff reveals why leaders in emerging markets approach giving differently than their Western counterparts, how proximity to poverty shapes generosity, and what happens when business values get watered down by growth. We also discuss what business history teaches us about capitalism, responsibility, and the skills leaders need in an increasingly complex world. A conversation about fairness, purpose, and what it really means to do good. Link to Geoffrey Jone's latest book: Deeply Responsible Business Please visit our website, www.businessandsociety.net , for more inspiration.

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  Business & Society with Senthil Nathan

  #41 Business and Human Rights: From UN Principles to the Fourth Pillar with Tyler Giannini

  May 15, 202636 min

  Can business be a force for human rights — not just avoid violating them? In this episode, Senthil sits down with Tyler Giannini, Professor at Harvard Law School, to explore the growing field of business and human rights. From the Nuremberg trials to the UN Guiding Principles of 2011, Tyler traces how the world has slowly — and imperfectly — begun holding corporations accountable. Tyler also shares the thinking behind the Fourth Pillar Initiative, a framework he helped develop that puts communities at the heart of business decisions and challenges the "do no harm" baseline that defines current global standards. In this episode: • What the UN Guiding Principles are — and what they leave out • Why voluntary frameworks aren't as toothless as they sound • The Fourth Pillar: agency, power, and advancing rights • Why community engagement is actually good for business • Where the field is headed over the next decade Book mentioned: Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull & Amy Wallace Fourth Pillar Initiative: https://fourthpillarinitiative.org/ Follow the show for new episodes every fortnight. Please visit our website, www.businessandsociety.net , for more inspiration.

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  Business & Society with Senthil Nathan

  #40 Capitalism, Uncovered: The Hidden History of Capitalism You’ve Never Heard with Sven Beckert

  Apr 28, 202645 min

  In this episode of the Business and Society Podcast , Senthil speaks with Sven Beckert about his sweeping new book, Capitalism: A Global History . Spanning nearly a millennium, the conversation challenges conventional narratives of capitalism as a purely Western or modern phenomenon. Beckert traces its origins to early global merchant networks—from the Arabian Peninsula to South Asia—and explains how capitalism was “born global,” long before the term globalization entered modern discourse. Together, they unpack how capitalism evolved from small “islands of capital” into a dominant global system, shaped not just by markets but through deep entanglements with state power, empire, and the transformation of the countryside through commodities like cotton and sugar. The episode also confronts capitalism’s more difficult histories, including slavery and exploitation, while acknowledging its role in driving unprecedented economic growth, technological progress, and social mobility. Beckert emphasizes that capitalism is not a fixed system but an adaptive, undogmatic one—capable of both profound harm and meaningful reform. Looking ahead, the conversation turns to the future: how societies might better distribute the gains of growth, address inequality, and navigate environmental limits. Ultimately, this episode invites listeners to see capitalism not as inevitable, but as a human-made system—one whose next chapter can still be shaped through informed choices and collective action. Please visit our website, www.businessandsociety.net , for more inspiration.

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