Ron Popper

Ron Popper, who is CEO of the Global Business Initiative on Human Rights (GBI) has been working with companies worldwide for nearly 20 years on the business and human rights agenda. He has a deep, practical understanding of the challenges faced by companies in different sectors in different parts of the world.

He comes from a business background. Ron spent 15 years working for the Switzerland-based multinational ABB – 10 years as Head of Corporate Responsibility. After leaving in 2016, he has worked mainly with multinational companies to help them embed respect for human rights in their operations and value chains.

Recent new laws and regulatory changes, particularly in the European Union, but also elsewhere, mean that companies which do business in the EU have to demonstrate they respect human rights in their operations. “Many companies are unaware that this agenda has changed radically in the past few years and is continuing to evolve. Being able to show respect for labour and human rights will very soon become a matter of economic survival for companies which do business inside the EU, or are part of European supply chains,” says Ron.

Ron has hands-on practical experience of working in many different parts of the world, including eastern Europe. He now also works as a consultant for companies, and as a lecturer at universities in Switzerland, Italy, Norway and the United Kingdom.

While Head of Corporate Responsibility at ABB, he focused on managing high-risk projects in different parts of the world, stakeholder engagement, and developing human rights policies and processes with executive management, key business units and functions. He also developed and led a global human rights training program.