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Emmanuel Lulin: why is trust a businesses’ most valuable currency?
Leadership

Emmanuel Lulin: why is trust a businesses’ most valuable currency?

We spoke with Emmanuel Lulin about why having a sincere purpose is more important now than ever.
16th Dec 2020

Why is trust a businesses’ most valuable currency? When organisations don’t follow up pledges with real action, they lose the trust of their employees, their suppliers, and their customers. We spoke with Emmanuel Lulin about why having a sincere purpose is more important now than ever.

“Traditionally, when we appraise an organisation, we look at the accounts… but if you want to have a good idea of how much the organisation is really worth… [you need to consider] the ability of the organisation to generate trust.”

Emmanuel Lulin is Senior Vice-President and Chief Ethics Officer of L’Oréal. In order to cultivate an environment where employees feel psychologically safe, L’Oréal organises a number of events where employees are able to express themselves and discuss their views with senior management.

In this interview, we discuss how to create a culture where employees are free to speak up, and why when it comes to ethics, organisations must surpass what is legally required of them.

“You do not create value or add value by just being compliant. You create value by being ethical, and ethics is beyond the law.”

As part of the drive for change, Leaders on Purpose & the Fourth Sector Group have created an open letter, urging governments and businesses to “build the economic system better”. Emmanuel Lulin is a signatory of the letter.