Henley Masterclass: Companies as a force for good

Date: 4 March 2025
Time: 16:30-19:00 pm (UTC +1)
Place: KLUB, Linnésgade 25, 1361 København, Denmark

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are everyone's responsibility, and companies are in a good position to make an impact. 

Rolling in regulations can be slow, which is why companies need to be the drivers for learning and sustainability, amongst other things. People also expect that companies take action, hence being the force for good is a great opportunity to stand out.

So, fittingly the theme for our next Henley Masterclass will be 'Companies as a force for good'.

In this event, we will have the unique opportunity to hear from Paul Lindley OBE, the Chancellor of the University of Reading, founder of children's food company, Ella's Kitchen and the Chair of The 'Raising the Nation Play Commission'. Paul is known for his entrepreneurial success but also from his role in working for a range of human rights, education and children’s health causes. 

Agenda

• 16:30  Event begins

• Welcoming words by Paula Kilpinen, Managing Director of Henley Business School in the Nordics

• ”Sustainability in the heart of business – creating value for society and the bottom line” by Tania Ellis, CEO of The Social Business Company, Henley EMBA Global alumna 
  In her keynote, Tania will focus on unfolding the S of the ESG, and how companies can bring the social element into play. She will also touch upon the complexity organisations live with, and how alliances are key to creating a difference.

• "Why companies are a force for good' by Paul Lindley OBE, Chancellor of the University of Reading, founder of Ella's Kitchen and the Chair of the 'Raising the Nation Play Commission'. Paul will talk about how companies can act as a force for good, and how to mobilise entrepreneurs and partners to drive sustainability:

  • learnings from my entrepreneurial journey.

  • what needs to change to deliver more prosperity and economic growth for society

  • why business is a force for good.

• Fireside chat

• The event ends at 19:00

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Paul Lindley

Paul Lindley OBE, entrepreneur and founder of Ella's Kitchen, is the Chancellor of the University of Reading.

He is an entrepreneur who founded the children’s food company Ella’s Kitchen in 2004. The company is now the largest baby food company in the UK.

The University of Reading played an early role in the development of Ella’s Kitchen, helping the company to develop through Knowledge Transfer Partnerships that involved academic expertise from Henley Business School and the Department for Food and Nutritional Sciences.

Mr Lindley was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Reading in 2013, and was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2019 for his contribution to the British food and drinks industry and social entrepreneurship.

Mr Lindley was installed as the ninth Chancellor of the University of Reading in July 2022.

Tania Ellis

Tania Ellis is the CEO, a speaker and a special advisor of The Social Business Company. She has an Executive MBA from Henley and over 30 years of management experience from the private sector. For 20 years, she has led The Social Business Company, which advises many of Scandinavia's most respected companies and organisations within sustainable business development and social innovation.

Over the years, her work has earned accolades such as the "Women Leadership Excellence Award", a place on Cambridge's "Top 40 Sustainability Books" with The New Pioneers, and has received Corporate Vision's Small Business Awards as "Most Innovative Speaking & Consultancy Firm - Scandinavia".

Her communication style is lively and inspiring, and she always engages the audience in dialogue together with concrete examples and good advice.