Former WMS dean Professor Mike Pratt was back in Hamilton this week to speak on sustainable business at a town and gown event hosted by the Waikato Chamber of Commerce.
Professor Pratt, who’s retained his links with the School as Adjunct Professor of Sustainability and Leadership, was promoting his new book, co-authored with his wife Helga, Sustainable Peak Performance: Business Lessons From Sustainable Enterprise Pioneers.
Speaking at the Waikato Chamber of Commerce BFIT Breakfast, Professor Pratt said sustainability presented a positive way to create business opportunities, enhancing profit, productivity and performance.
“Sustainability is the 21st century equivalent of quality,” he told his audience of more than 50. “Like quality, it needs to be embedded into everything we do, not just tacked on.”
“Mike’s message is an important and timely one for all businesses and organisations,” said University of Waikato Vice-Chancellor Professor Roy Crawford who attended the breakfast event.
“Sustainability is a key driver of the University of Waikato, and we are continually looking for ways to apply our core values to benefit staff, students and the wider community. As an example, we have just been awarded a five green star rating for our new Student Centre in recognition of its environmental and sustainable features.”
Sustainable Peak Performance takes the principles of peak performance – the business and leadership theory based on elite sporting organisations developed by Professor Pratt and colleagues a decade ago – and reframes them within the context of sustainability.
The book draws on the stories of nine trail-blazing global sustainable enterprises, including Snowy Peak and Comvita from New Zealand, and offers practical guidance to aspiring entrepreneurs and established firms seeking a roadmap to sustainable business success.