Corporate Social Responsibility, Talk about the good work being done by firms in touch with their triple bottom line.

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A New Voice for Corporate Social Responsiblity

David Connor | Monday 21st September 2009

Welcome to my first post as Editor of the Corporate Social Responsibility section.

I hope you will enjoy the content, join in the discussion and help spread the good word. To put some perspective on the context of the upcoming posts, albeit as objectively as possible, it's worth understanding my own personal journey to bring me before you; the Justmeans.com audience.

My career initially meandered across many areas; which with hindsight provided a good development path for Corporate Social Responsibility. After life in university studying a Technology Management degree the next stop was a couple of eye-opening years in the wonderful world of retail until professional sport came calling. I spent eight years inside the business of Everton Football Club in the English Premier League, winning prestigious national awards for Corporate Social Responsbility. The highlight of my time at Everton was, without any doubt, my creation of what became an internationally acclaimed Disability Football Programme (which now includes a satellite centre in Shanghai). It was at Everton that I was first formally introduced to the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility, brokered by Business in the Community. I instantly knew this was the allusive vocational calling I had been unknowingly searching for.

I'm one of those lucky - or prepared to take risk - people, whose passion is their job. I run my own Corporate Social Responsibility consultancy called Coethica based in Liverpool, UK. I'm on a personal mission to drive the wider responsible business agenda forward in any way possible, like an ethical maverick in a private sector suit. Most days I am actively challenging and advising companies of all sizes and their employees to identify their own opportunities created by opening up their business radar to embrace the agenda. I also spend more time than our accountant would prefer lobbying politicians, stirring up public (and voluntary) sector types, brokering relationships, lecturing students and mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs to generate greater awareness, motivation and increased implementation of a profitable way to better business. In particular I focus most of my efforts on small & medium sized businesses that are the forgotten masses in the Corporate (!?) Social Responsibility world by championing an entrepreneurial understanding adapted to suit the owners or managers individual personalities and commercial targets.

In my 'spare' time, I'm Chairman of an Enterprise Facilitation project called Enable; a Trustee for Liverpool Habitat for Humanity and imminently signing up as Non-Executive Director for an innovative social enterprise called Kick4change who sell football (soccer to those in the US) footwear, sportswear and equipment.

I've been a fan of Justmeans for some time now and I'm really excited at being given the opportunity to be able to play my part in helping evangelise about Corporate Social Responsibility through the energetic and engaged Justmeans community. I'll be writing a couple of posts a week on themes across the agenda, but if there's anything you think needs covering just let me know, after all Justmeans is a community not a newspaper.

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Recent Comment

Andrea Learned | Posted: Today

Looking forward to your curating of this discussion here, David! Congrats!

Terence Washington | Posted: 1 October 2009

Congrats, David on the new position and promotion. I know your experience and conscious language on Social Responsible corporations, individuals, and policies will find a wealth of eyeballs--and readers.

I applaud all your successes going forward.

Terence

David Connor | Posted: 23 September 2009

Thanks for the warm welcome. More posts on their way. Can't make any guarantees about the chunky monkey Elaine but I'll see what I can do.

logesan verrappan | Posted: 22 September 2009

good job

Kevin Long | Posted: 22 September 2009

Thanks for being a fan of Justmeans. I am looking forward to becoming a fan our of CSR Editorial section.

Graham Sinclair | Posted: 22 September 2009

welcome to the club. look forward to hearing more.

Elaine Cohen | Posted: 21 September 2009

great to see you doing your CSR stuff here david!! lnice to hear your story, looking forward to some great posts..... please go easy though on the football... even though i was born in Manchester United, i managed to avoid the sport most of my life. oh .. and if you throw in a litlle chunky monkey here and there, I wont complain ....