ROGER STEARE | CAREER

Roger Steare’s career started in the banking world, working for HSBC; he then became a social worker, and then the CEO of The Adecco Group recruitment company. It was in 2009 that he entered the world of business ethics, first as a visiting professor in business ethics at the International Hellenic University.

He has gone on to work in the culture and ethics department for Nationwide Building Society, the Financial Conduct Authority, the Financing Reporting Council, CIPD, Bank of Ireland, and ICAEW.  Roger was a member of the Expert Drafting Committee for Rights and Humanity, invited by the British Government to prepare recommendations for the G20 London Summit in April 2009.

Roger Steare is currently a visiting professor at the Bayes Business School, creating and delivering ethics education programmes; a freelance editor for the Duke Corporate Education; and a visiting professor on leadership, culture, and ethics at the IE Business School as part of their Headspring global educator community. In 2014, Steare was appointed Visiting Professor of European Studies at the College of Europe, Bruges.

ROGER STEARE | WRITING

Roger Steare has contributed to a number of professional publications, and media outlets. He wrote an essay entitled ‘The Power of Love in Business’ for thinktank ResPublica’s “Changing the Debate: The Ideas Reedifying Britain” report.

He has been featured in The Times, Chartered Banker Magazine, and The Guardian. In 2020, he became a columnist for The Financial Times on culture, ethics, and leadership.

Roger is the author of two business books. Ethicability (2006) is now on its 5th edition and aims to help readers decide what is right, and how to find the courage to do it. Based on a clear, concise and robust model which combines over 3,000 years of moral philosophy, and scientific thinking. He followed this up in 2019 with Thinking Outside the Inbox, a book dedicated to thinking; about thinking differently, about the things we ought to be thinking about, and also about our feelings and our intuitions.

ROGER STEARE | THE CORPORATE PHILOSOPHER

As The Corporate Philosopher, I have been a public speaker for over 20 years on Ethics, Ethics in AI, Leadership, Culture, D&I, and Teamwork.

Partnerships with Visionaries
In 2007, I embarked on an inspiring journey with CEO Joe Garner at HSBC, followed by collaborations at Openreach in 2012 and Nationwide Building Society in 2016. Our focus was on building a culture of social purpose and shared ethical values. Together, we worked with every leader and team on the art of making good decisions and doing the right thing. Reflecting on our journey in 2023, Joe penned a heartfelt reference, acknowledging, “Roger is brilliant in his field and thinks very differently from most.”

Learning from Disaster
Post the Gulf of Mexico disaster in 2010, I was entrusted by BP to spearhead an Ethical Leadership program, touching the lives of 4,000 global leaders. This initiative wasn’t just successful; it became a benchmark. In 2016, the US Department of Justice recognised its impact, mandating its continuation in the US$20.8bn Consent Agreement with BP – a testament to our transformative approach.

Shaping Cultures in Times of Change
The year 2012 marked a significant turning point with RBS. Post their US$1,000bn balance sheet restructuring; I was headhunted to collaborate with PwC in pioneering a leadership and culture transformation program. The following year, CEO Stephen Hester’s personal thanks encapsulated the essence of our success. His words, “I have for one, have learned much,” were not just a commendation but a reflection of our shared journey of learning and growth.

Building a Fairer Society
In 2021, I was asked to work with the Prime Minister’s office for a national government to understand which ethical values help build a better, fairer society. We reviewed insights from anthropology, psychology and moral philosophy and identified Humanity, Justice, Wisdom, Courage, Temperance, and Resilience as the foundations for a fairer and sustainable society. Whilst this work will always be a “work in progress”, for a national leader to ask this question is quite remarkable.

See Roger’s programme for EY about millennial ethics in banking below:

Roger Steare | Clients include: Abbvie, Bank of America, Bank of Ireland, Barclays, BP, Clifford Chance, the College of Policing, Credit Suisse, EY, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, KPMG, Lloyds Banking Group, Nationwide, NHS Trusts, Novartis, Openreach, PwC, RBS, the Royal College of Defence Studies, Santander and Shell.

Call +44 1753 439 289 or email Great British Speakers now to book business culture, leadership and ethics speaker Roger Steare for your next live event or corporate video.

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