A Conversation with Ellen J. Kullman, Chairman & CEO of DuPont, 2009-2015

Lynn S. Paine; Will  Hurwitz

Case | HBS Case Collection | October 2019

A Conversation with Ellen J. Kullman, Chairman & CEO of DuPont, 2009-2015

by Lynn S. Paine and Will Hurwitz

Abstract

Ellen J. Kullman, the retired Chairman and CEO of DuPont, describes how she guided the storied science and technology company through a contentious proxy battle with activist investor Trian Partners, which acquired DuPont shares in 2013 and sought to break up the company. Trian’s pursuit of board seats led to a 2015 shareholder vote, which DuPont won under Kullman’s leadership. In a sweeping interview with Professor Lynn S. Paine, Kullman describes lessons from her experiences navigating the proxy contest that captured national attention as well as about working with your board, setting company strategy, leading a large corporation, evaluating time frames for shareholder returns, measuring stakeholder performance, assessing shareholder engagement, considering joining a new board and boardroom dynamics, and understanding how boards have changed over the years.

Keywords: Agribusiness; Capital Structure; Corporate Accountability; Corporate Governance; Institutional Investing; Leadership; Leadership Style; Management; Transformation; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Chemical Industry; United States;

Language: English

Format: Print

10 pages

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Citation:

Paine, Lynn S., and Will Hurwitz. "A Conversation with Ellen J. Kullman, Chairman & CEO of DuPont, 2009-2015." Harvard Business School Case 320-017, October 2019.

This Note has two parts. The first part (A) explores how US private equity firms are incorporating ESG (Environmental, Social, & Governance) factors and impact objectives into their investment strategies and firm practices. It is based on publicly available information and on interviews with representatives from leading firms, limited partners (LPs), academic experts, and relevant nonprofit organizations. The note begins with background on the PE industry. It then examines why and how firms are incorporating ESG and impact objectives, identifies the barriers to integrating these objectives more fully, and summarizes some areas of possible improvement.
The second part (B) offers suggestions for offers suggestions for roles various constituents can play in advocating for improved ESG and impact efforts in the PE industry.

This is the second part of a two-part note. The first part (A) explores how US private equity firms are incorporating ESG (Environmental, Social, & Governance) factors and impact objectives into their investment strategies and firm practices. It is based on publicly available information and on interviews with representatives from leading firms, limited partners (LPs), academic experts, and relevant nonprofit organizations. The note begins with background on the PE industry. It then examines why and how firms are incorporating ESG and impact objectives, identifies the barriers to integrating these objectives more fully, and summarizes some areas of possible improvement.
The second part (B) offers suggestions for offers suggestions for roles various constituents can play in advocating for improved ESG and impact efforts in the PE industry.

Book | 2020

Capitalism at Risk: How Business Can Lead

Joseph L. Bower, Dutch Leonard and Lynn S. Paine

Who should take the lead in fixing market capitalism? Business—not government alone. The spread of capitalism worldwide has made people wealthier than ever before. But capitalism's future is far from assured. Pandemics, income inequality, resource depletion, mass migrations from poor to rich countries, religious fundamentalism, the misuse of social media, and cyberattacks—these are just a few of the threats to continuing prosperity that we see dominating the headlines every day. How can capitalism be sustained? And who should spearhead the effort? Critics turn to government. In their groundbreaking book, Capitalism at Risk, Harvard Business School professors Joseph Bower, Herman Leonard, and Lynn Paine argue that while robust governments must play a role, leadership by business is essential. For enterprising companies—whether large multinationals, established regional players, or small startups—the current threats to market capitalism present important opportunities. In this updated and expanded edition of Capitalism at Risk, Bower, Leonard, and Paine set forth a renewed and more urgent call to action. With three additional chapters and a new preface, the authors explain how the eleven original disruptors of the global market system clash with the digital age, and they provide lessons on how to take action. Presenting examples of companies already making a difference, Bower, Leonard, and Paine show how business must serve both as innovator and activist—developing corporate strategies that effect change at the community, national, and international levels. Filled with rich insights, this new edition of Capitalism at Risk presents a compelling and constructive vision for the future of market capitalism.

Keywords: Capitalism; business and society; Economic Systems; Economic Growth; Policy; Leading Change; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Business and Community Relations; Corporate Strategy;

Citation:

Bower, Joseph L., Dutch Leonard, and Lynn S. Paine. Capitalism at Risk: How Business Can Lead. Updated and expanded ed. Boston: Harvard Business Review Press, 2020. View Details

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A Conversation with Ellen J. Kullman, Chairman & CEO of DuPont, 2009-2015

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