Business & Democracy

The Business & Democracy Commission is an ambitious initiative led by Jericho, Ipsos and the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) to help recast the relationship between business and democracy.  

The complex relationship between business and democracy is at a critical juncture. From the Ukraine to #MeToo, Black Lives Matter, the growing climate crisis and many more pressing cultural and political issues – all against a backdrop of the 2008 financial crash, the following austerity, the cost-of-living crisis, the surge in populist sentiment, the threats and opportunities of AI and turbulent geopolitical issues – the pressures have rarely felt more acute. 

Starting in the UK, the Commission is taking a practical two-stage approach. The first is an interim report, where we aim to clearly articulate and explore the challenges at hand. In the second stage, we will present actionable ideas to help fix (or at least start to fix) the relationship, especially in terms of where businesses can proactively contribute and collaborate with others.  

The Commission is Chaired by Sir Ian Cheshire, and we are fortunate to have a group of Commissioners who bring a wealth of expertise and experience to the table including Mete Coban, CEO, My Life My Say; Margaret Heffernan, Author & Entrepreneur; Robin Hodess, Strategy Lead, The B Team; Baroness Denise Kingsmill, Labour Peer and Member of the Board of Directors of Inditex; Alastair McCapra, Chief Executive, CIPR; Matthew Painter, Managing Director, Ipsos Corporate Reputation; Ruth Yeoman, Fellow, Kellogg College, University of Oxford; and Anthony Zacharzewski, President, The Democratic Society.

For Further Information, please contact:
Becky Holloway, Programme Director

To propel the Business and Democracy Commission into its next phase, we are seeking to crowdfund half of the financing required. This will provide us with the necessary time and resources to identify practical steps for businesses to navigate our evolving political landscape effectively.