A succcessfull CEO and a Christian?

An interesting article in Matthias Media this week!

- I hope he didn't mean to say that

9 March 2006 AD

An interview on Business Sunday (full transcript available) provides an intriguing insight into the difficulty of being a successful CEO and follower of the Lord Jesus in the modern world.

Roger Corbett, a well-known and respected Christian leader, and CEO of Woolworths, was asked about his company’s profits from sales of alcohol, cigarettes and poker machines:

INTERVIEWER: This is a very personal question but it is probably going to be the last chance we get to speak to with you on Business Sunday. You are now the biggest pokies operator, the biggest pub owner, the biggest liquor retailer in Australia, how does that sit with your very well known personal Christian beliefs?

CORBETT: Ali, right across the community lots of people like a drink, I like (a) nice glass of wine myself, like lots of people go to their local hotel and it is their club, it is their social life, lots of people like to use a gaming machine. I think from our point of view we are anxious that the retailing of liquor, and the providing of hotel services to our customers is at the highest level, so we create environments where it is conducive with people enjoying it in the way that I think it is best used. You have got to remember, a person asked me the other day, ‘why do you sell cigarettes?’. Well people have a right if they want, they are adults, we cannot be the type of standard setters for society, that is not our role.

INTERVIEWER: As you look back on your career though at Woolies if it could have been as profitable as successful as without going into liquor and into gaming, would you have been more comfortable?

CORBETT: That is not a judgement for me to make. The board of directors is elected and empowered to make those judgements on behalf of the shareholders and it is their decision. From my point of view, personal point of view, then that decision being taken, I want Woolworths to be the most caring organisation it can be in how it delivers those services and I’m sure in doing that I have a great partner in Bruce Matheson in doing that.

INTERVIEWER: Did you ever consider walking away?

CORBETT: In the broader — it is a very difficult question. But my greatest obligation is to do what I’m employed to do by the shareholders and that is to do my very best in their interests at all times. And that was the overriding principle here.

MOORE: So you never considered walking away?

INTERVIEWER: I wouldn’t say that.

So what do we make of all that? Did Mr Corbett really mean to say that his “greatest obligation” is to his shareholders? Was he just “following orders” from his Board? Did his Board really make the decision irrespective of his own wishes and/or recommendations as CEO?

http://www.matthiasmedia.com.au/