Ray Anderson, one of the world’s leading environmental entrepreneurs, will address the importance of sustainability at a free public lecture hosted by the KU School of Business. Anderson will speak and take questions at the 2008 William S. Sutton lecture on Wednesday, March 26 at 7:30 p.m. in the Woodruff Auditorium of the Kansas Union.
The Sutton Lecture, sponsored by the KU International Center for Ethics in Business and the KU School of Business, is made possible by a gift in 1993 from Betsey G. Sutton in memory of her husband, Walter Sutton.
Anderson built one of the world’s largest interior furnishings companies, Interface, which revolutionized the commercial floorcovering industry. Anderson’s lecture, titled “Sustainability in Action,” will discuss his worldwide effort to pioneer the process of sustainable business development.
Anderson believes that if Interface, a petro-intensive company, can adopt sustainable tactics in every dimension, they will influence other companies and never need to take another drop of oil from the earth. His environmental vision developed 14 years ago and Interface is well on its way to becoming the first fully sustainable company by 2020.
TIME International named Anderson one of their “Heroes for the Environment” in 2007. He appeared in the 2004 Canadian documentary “The Corporation” and served as co-chairman of President Clinton’s Council on Sustainable Development. Anderson chronicled his journey as an environmental entrepreneur in his book, Mid Course Correction.
The KU International Center for Ethics in Business is a cooperative effort by the School of Business and the College of Liberal Arts. The Center aims to promote individual and corporate integrity in both U.S. and international business through research, service and training on ethical principles and behavior. Co-directors are Douglas R. May, professor of business, and Richard T. DeGeorge, distinguished professor of philosophy.
For more information on Ray Anderson, view this YouTube video.
