Next week, business leaders, more than 60 heads of state, and civil society representatives will come together at the World Economic Forum’s 55th annual meeting in Davos. As the World Economic Forum’s interim co-chair, a longtime B Team Leader, and someone who has consistently advocated that profitability cannot be a company’s sole purpose, I am looking forward to spending five days in discussion with other leaders, influencers and young people. More specifically: people who are open to discussions, learning from each other and not willing to accept the status quo. I will contribute with a sense of urgency. Urgency, because the economic model that still dominates boardrooms is colliding with planetary limits and rising social fracture. 

This year’s conference theme – the “spirit of dialogue” – is born from a difficult moment. Multistakeholderism is under attack. Businesses are reverting to the fundamentals and fixating on short-term profits. Devastating, protracted conflicts are claiming innocent lives. The climate conversation unfortunately has become less of a priority, but the good news is that meaningful discussion continues to have tremendous potential and power. And it will be in abundance at Davos, which is not prescriptive but, rather, provides a platform to think about how we can do things differently and achieve impact for people and the planet.

Real dialogue only occurs when we listen, reflect and learn. When I was in business school, I was told that my future job as a manager was to maximize shareholder value. Plain and simple. Though I heard this message repeatedly, it never resonated. I imagined and remain deeply invested in a counternarrative – one that sees managers of course as key actors for their own organization but in parallel in service to society. 

At the same time, I am also committed to telling a story that does not position business as a big, bad actor and the root cause of all problems. To be clear, the private sector is and remains indispensable. It drives innovation, it provides labor and income. 

Yet, it has made mistakes. Some have lost sight of their values.

But business is – and must remain – a force for good. My B Team colleagues have helped me realize that we can be key drivers of the impact conversation. This requires humility and a recognition that while nature may be free, it is neither infinite nor inexhaustible. It is a living system that underpins the economy; if we stretch it to its limits, everyone will face the costs – but it is those who are most vulnerable who face the worst impacts. We also must consider social capital and ask what it means to be together in society. And we must think about human capital, which involves asking a very simple question: Are people happy, fulfilled, and contributing positively to the system? If the answers are “yes,” then we will have true prosperity. 

What does this look like in action?

In the health sector, for example, a successful, sustainable company anticipates and focuses on what patients need next. Fulfilling this goal certainly requires profits; if you are unprofitable, you are a problem yourself and stop being a solution. But if a company just focuses on the short-term future, it will inevitably make poor decisions, does not have a greater purpose and is agnostic about its social, human, and natural impact. 

In contrast, an impact focused company can clearly articulate why it exists and who it serves. This should not be a formidable challenge, but it does require two commitments. First, a business must remain true to its purpose during adverse moments and unexpected challenges. And second, it must use resources responsibly to deliver long-term societal value. 

This is the lens I bring with me to Davos: not as a celebration of the Forum, but as a test of whether leaders are prepared to confront uncomfortable realities. The conversations that matter most will be about planetary boundaries, about the limits of current business models, and about how power, capital, and responsibility must be redistributed if we want long-term stability. 

Collaboration is not always fashionable. But I genuinely ask my peers: when has domination actually built resilient systems? If dialogue in Davos is to mean anything this year, it must challenge the economic assumptions that brought us here – and help shift business from being part of the problem to becoming a serious part of the solution.

André Hoffmann is the vice chair of Roche Holding AG, interim co-chair of the World Economic Forum and a B Team Leader. Learn more about André.

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