Imagine a corporate world where people and planet are at the heart of leadership decisions and businesses can still find long-term profitability and improved shareholder returns. In ‘Kind Business’ Dr David Cooke shows us that world.

Kind Business is divided into three parts.

Part 1 looks at traditional business where business behaving badly is highlighted with short-term profit seeking dominating decision making with little regard for negative impacts. These are the decisions that often result in reputational damage, corporate scandals, loss of shareholder value and discredited corporate leaders.

The disappointing attitudes and negative impacts of many of todays businesses in areas such as climate change, loss of biodiversity and disregard for human rights are all analysed. David uses examples from global historical occurrences through to todays Australian business landscape, including scandals and poor decision making at General Motors, VW, Enron, Rio Tinto, Qantas, PwC and Optus. The phenomenon of greenwashing, the rise of shareholder activism and the role of whistle blowers in exposing poor practices are all examined.

In part 2 David introduces the concept of Kind Business, where the corporate world is reimagined as a place where leaders with courage and high emotional intelligence, ones who understand the interconnectedness of all stakeholders, make decisions based around their customers and the planet. Global and Australian companies and leaders who are advocating for change and championing a new way of doing business are highlighted.

And lastly, in part 3, David provides a case study of at an Australian tech-sector organisation that highlights evidence of the power of the philosophy of profit and purpose nourishing each other to show that when a business does good then that business will do well and that values create value.

‘Kind Business’ contains numerous resources for anyone interested in having a positive impact in the company in which they work. The wisdom of business and leadership experts is quoted throughout along with guidelines and frameworks from the United Nations and the Federal Government all designed to foster higher business standards and increase the positive impact of the corporate sector on society at large.

Dr David Cooke has spent 35 years in the Australian tech sector working with global tech firms. His career culminated as the Chair and Managing Director of Konica Minolta (Australia and New Zealand) where the company won many awards and accreditations including from The Australian Human Rights Commission, Anti-slavery Australia, The Champions of Change Coalition and The Workplace Gender Equality Agency.

David is the past Chair of the United Nations Global Compact Network Australia and the Australian Institute of Human Rights, as well as being a former Director on the Board of Sustainalytics Australia prior to its acquisition by global entity Morningstar.

David has two doctorates, one for research into corporate social investment plus an honorary doctorate, for his public advocacy of responsible business. His doctoral thesis advocating for responsible business is available through the Berkeley University portal Bepress and his dissertation has been downloaded nearly 19,000 times, indicating significant interest in this field. His article, Building Social Capital, won the annual Global Social Impact Award from Emerald Publishing in London.

David now consults on sustainable business through his firm ESG Advisory.

* This is a book for our times. It is a timely response to the call for higher standards of honesty and transparency in business. It is a contemporary book laced with examples right up until early 2024.
* On almost a daily basis our news feeds contain yet another corporate scandal or example of corporate leaders behaving badly. This book not only details these but provides a way forward to a better way of doing business.
* There is a genuine thirst for an intelligent discussion about why business is failing societal expectations and what can be done about it and this book shows a way to have these discussions.
* Kind Business is a book that will be embraced by every person who wants to see business done differently where our companies care for their people, contribute to their communities and respect the planet on which they are operating.
* LinkedIn will be used widely to promote the book. The author’s posts on these topics have attracted up to 60,000 views per post. Many champions of change, with significant LinkedIn followings, are quoted in the book and they will be highlighted in posts generating increased exposure through their networks.
* The Dean of the Business School and Head of MBA programmes at every university in Australia will be contacted with a request to add Kind Business to their student reading lists.
* I will be increasing my public speaking at events, conferences, dialogues and summits (has done over 50 in recent years) and via podcasts in order to promote the book
* Engagement of a PR firm to create media interest.
* The author is a passionate believer that bookstores are the heart and soul of our communities and will seek to drive as much traffic as possible into stores.