Business as a Platform for Change

The FORTUNE CEO Initiative is a forum for corporate leaders who are committed to addressing major social problems as part of their core business strategies. The Initiative grew out of an historic meeting of 100 CEOs with Pope Francis at the Vatican in December 2016, and is based on a belief that infusing broader purpose into corporate strategies has become increasingly important in attracting and motivating talent, deepening bonds with consumers, steadying corporate reputation in an era of declining trust, and preserving a well-functioning society in a time of political tumult.

Through annual gatherings and participation in action work streams, CEO Initiative members exchange best practices and leadership techniques for addressing key issues, and work to identify opportunities for collective action. Participation is by invitation only, and benefits of membership in the CEO Initiative will extend beyond the annual meeting. Click here to read a compilation of CEO Initiative working group reports from 2020.

Overview

From the group’s inception in December 2016, members of The FORTUNE CEO Initiative have shared practices and strategies to address important social, cultural and environmental issues. This year, harnessing the strong spirit of collaboration kindled in response to the COVID-19 crisis, the CEO Initiative leaders doubled down to craft recommendations for their peers on how corporate leaders should address these critical issues.  We challenged five working groups to come up with explicit recommendations for how businesses can take a leadership role in the year ahead to enact systemic change centered on these topics—Collaboration to Change the World, Tech for Good, Workforce Redesign, Equity and Opportunity, and Climate-centric Strategies.

Over the course of the past four months, more than 250 leaders participated in the workstreams. Time and again, the conversations in every group circled back to several central themes—purposeful collaboration will be imperative on the path forward, elevating support for diversity and inclusion in the C-suite is imperative, and taking action on climate change is a responsibility no CEO or business leaders can ignore. We are grateful to everyone who participated in these dialogues. Read on for detailed recommendations from each group, along with insights into the ideas that lead to them.

Click here for a compilation of all the reports

Venue


Park Hyatt Washington D.C.
1201 24th St NW, Washington, DC 20037

Membership Benefits

Through annual gatherings and participation in action work streams, CEO Initiative members exchange best practices and leadership techniques for addressing key issues, and work to identify opportunities for collective action. Participation is by invitation only, and benefits of membership in the CEO Initiative extend beyond the annual meeting, and includes frequent virtual conversations. 

The benefits of membership in the FORTUNE CEO Initiative include:

Participation in ongoing virtual leadership discussions with your fellow CEO Initiative members, and a virtual annual meeting September 13-14, 2021.

Action Work Streams. Participation for you or an appropriate executive in Action Work Streams, including four working group meetings, and a final report. Current areas include: diversity, climate, workforce development, health and well-being, economic inclusion, public–private partnerships.

Complimentary invitations and special opportunities to attend select FORTUNE events for you and executives from your company.

Recognition in FORTUNE Magazine. Fortune will run an editorial report following the conclusion of the CEO Initiative annual meeting which will include a listing of all Members.

Video Interview. The Member will be offered an opportunity to participate in a video interview series by a Fortune staffer, highlighting business with purpose, published on Fortune.com.

Premium-level access across all FORTUNE media platforms. In addition, your membership will include complimentary access to FORTUNE’s new platforms and products including subscriber-only journalism online and in print; an immersive video portal including FORTUNE conferences via live stream or on demand; proprietary research each week; and subscriber-only calls.

Contact Us

The CEO Initiative is developed with the guidance of FORTUNE editors, and the program is tailored with themes and speakers carefully selected to deliver maximum value to participants.

For Speaker Suggestions:

To suggest a speaker for the FORTUNE CEO Initiative, please complete the form at the link below. There are no exact deadlines for speaker submissions.
Please click here to submit a speaker suggestion. 

For Participation:

Membership in the FORTUNE CEO Initiative is by invitation only, and subject to approval. Registration is non-transferable. The annual membership fee of US $15,000 includes all member benefits. Participants are responsible for their own travel and hotel charges for all events. The staff for the event will provide more information about accommodations.
Sarah Worob
Diana Connors
Tel: 1-866-661-3840
E-mail: CeoInitiative@fortune.com

For Sponsorship Opportunities:

A limited number of corporate sponsors opportunities are available for 2021. Please contact us for more information.
Elizabeth Parks
Monica Sembler
E-mail: fortunesponsorships@fortune.com

For Press Inquiries:

Alison Klooster
Senior Manager of Brand Communications, FORTUNE
Tel: 646-437-6613
E-mail: alison.klooster@fortune.com