Uncategorized Archives - Business for Peace Foundation

In Memoriam: Don Roberto Servitje Sendra, Oslo Business for Peace Honouree

In Memoriam – Don Roberto Servitje Sendra (1928–2025)

It is with profound sadness that we share the news of the passing of Don Roberto Servitje Sendra, esteemed Business for Peace Honouree (2010), and co-founder and former Chairman and CEO of Grupo Bimbo. He passed away in Mexico City on 17 July 2025, at the age of 97.

Born in Mexico City in 1928 to a Catalan immigrant family, Roberto joined Panificación Bimbo in 1945, just one year after its founding, at the young age of 17, making him the company’s first employee. Over a pioneering career spanning nearly seven decades, he served in roles including Sales Supervisor, Cashier, founder of the Vehicle Department, and General Manager in Guadalajara, Monterrey, and Mexico City.

In 1969, he undertook executive training at Harvard’s Management Development Programme, paving the way for his appointment as Deputy General Director, CEO in 1978, and Chairman of the Board from 1994 until 2013. Under his stewardship, Grupo Bimbo expanded far beyond its Mexican roots to become one of the largest bakery companies in the world, guided always by values, purpose, and social responsibility.

His commitment to values-based leadership was reflected in both his work and personal life, as Grupo Bimbo’s tribute aptly summarises.

“Don Roberto leaves behind an invaluable legacy. He was a man of strong values and deep convictions, generous in his interactions and unwavering in his purpose. With human warmth and business discipline, he inspired and led thousands of associates in building a company he always envisioned as a great family.”

A devoted family man, lifelong learner, and steadfast advocate of responsible business, Roberto exemplified the ethos of our Foundation’s mission, demonstrating that true leadership unites productivity with humanity. His life and work remain a guiding light for business leaders across the globe who seek to lead with values and vision.

He was conferred the Oslo Business for Peace Award in 2010, in recognition of his unwavering commitment to building not only a successful global enterprise but one rooted in trust, dignity, and shared prosperity, long before such principles became part of the global business lexicon.

We at the Business for Peace Foundation mourn the loss of a visionary leader who showed us what it means to lead with integrity, care, and purpose. Don Roberto’s legacy lives on in the culture he helped shape at Grupo Bimbo and in the countless lives he uplifted.

We extend our deepest condolences to his sons, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, extended family, colleagues, and friends. May his life be celebrated not only for what he built, but for how he built it: with humility, compassion, and an unwavering belief in the good that business can do.

May he rest in peace.

Book Launch Announcement | CRISIS: A Global Case Primer

We are proud to announce the launch of CRISIS: A Global Case Primer (2025, BridgeBuilders Books / Cambridge University Press) by the Business for Peace Research Institute (BPRI) Research Council Members, Jason Miklian, PhD, and John Katsos, PhD. The volume is a timely and essential new resource for understanding how business can engage meaningfully in times of crisis. Drawing from real-world case studies, the book offers practical insights into how business leaders can respond ethically and effectively to complex global challenges.

Aligned with our mission at the Business for Peace Foundation, this work underscores the vital role of “businessworthy” leadership in fostering resilience, peace, and shared prosperity.

We asked authors, Jason Miklian and John Katsos, to share some thoughts with us.

Why this topic, and why now?

Today’s polycrisis world can make doing business ethically feel impossible. We wrote this book to help business leaders see that there is a way to live their values and survive polycrisis. Our research on company leaders dealing with polycrisis from pandemics to political instability and online outrage to offline violence consistently shows that it’s not only possible; it’s a learnable skill. We wrote this book because we think these sorts of crises are multiplying globally, and the crisis models that business leaders are often using right now won’t work.

So, we used gripping, real-world case studies of business leaders who led with principle during polycrisis to show how any executive or manager can succeed through crisis. We aimed to make a guide for any business leader or entrepreneur needing a lodestar to navigate our complex, uncertain world and turn values into strategy. By showcasing tested and proven empirical strategies, we hope that our book can arm ethical leaders with the skills to lead their organisations successfully through the toughest crises, positioning crises as unique opportunities for growth and positive societal impact.

What would you like your readers to take away?

The book outlines quite a few of our biggest lessons from our two decades of research on the topic, but perhaps the most important takeaway might be that business ethics isn’t just for the good times. It’s not a nicety or an add-on, but an essential part of strategic business success during times of polycrisis and ‘normal’ times alike. But how to be ethical in polycrisis is different and leaders usually don’t have the training for it. We want the leaders who read this to walk away with a clear idea and use cases of how to lead ethically and successfully during polycrisis. Working as a socially responsible actor helps businesses anticipate and manage socio-political strife, design business practices to weather any storm, and seize emerging opportunities and expand corporate responsibility to build a better society and a stronger, more resilient business.

Why does this book matter for Business for Peace Foundation readers?

Our big takeaway for Business for Peace Foundation readers is in delivering proof that the business and peace agenda isn’t just about “doing good” or giving back to society, it also gives you a strategic edge! It makes you more resilient, a better employer, more profitable, and better placed than competitors. The cases in our book deliver real-world evidence showing exactly that. From Unilever’s radical pivot during the financial crisis to Chobani’s defiance in the face of political hate, this book explores what it takes to lead ethically, boldly, and profitably in the face of real-world chaos.

CRISIS: A Global Case Primer offers a blueprint for navigating modern complexity that doesn’t compromise on principle.

***

CRISIS: A Global Case Primer is more than a book. It is a call to action for a new kind of leadership. For the Business for Peace Foundation community, it affirms that ethical, “businessworthy” leadership is not just compatible with resilience and profitability – rather, it is essential to achieving them.

In a world increasingly defined by disruption and uncertainty, Miklian and Katsos provide a roadmap for leading with integrity, courage, and clarity. Their work reinforces our shared belief that business can, and must, be a force for peace, purpose, and progress.

CRISIS: A Global Case Primer out June 17, 2025.

Introducing the UN Business Arena

15 June 2023

Business for Peace Foundation is proud to introduce the UN Business Arena, a groundbreaking platform launching in 2024 that harnesses the power of collaboration to drive positive change and create a more inclusive and sustainable future. With a steadfast commitment to advancing #businessworthy leadership, the UN Business Arena empowers business leaders to become catalysts for societal transformation.

At the Business for Peace Foundation, we believe that businesses have a crucial role to play in shaping a better world, and that this can be done better than it is currently done today. That’s why we established the UN Business Arena along with our Oslo Business for Peace Award nomination partners UNDP, ICC, UNGC and PRI. The UN Business Arena is an unprecedented initiative designed to bring together public and private actors from around the globe. By fostering a new form of multilateralism, the UN Business Arena leverages collective efforts to drive the Global Agenda and tackle pressing challenges across sectors and regions in low-, middle- and high-income countries.

On June 5th, we convened a high-level meeting of the UN Business Arena in Norway. Esteemed leaders from diverse backgrounds convened in Oslo to ignite collaborative action and define the thematic focus for the forthcoming flagship event in 2024, where the next Oslo Business for Peace Award Ceremony will be one of the key events. This landmark gathering emphasised the indispensable role of the private sector in effecting positive change and underscored the transformative potential of partnerships between businesses, governments, and civil society.

The UN Business Arena is driven by a collective ambition to accelerate the leadership of businesses that embody the values of responsibility and contribute to positive change on a global scale. By providing a unique platform for knowledge-sharing, dialogue, and collaboration, we enable business leaders to forge innovative solutions that address the world’s most pressing challenges. From sustainable energy solutions to responsible investment practices, food system transformation, and fostering peace through dialogue, the UN Business Arena strives to unleash the full potential of responsible business practices worldwide.

We extend our deepest appreciation to our highly appreciated partners who have played a pivotal role in shaping and supporting the UN Business Arena. Our heartfelt thanks go to the International Chamber of Commerce, Principles for Responsible Investment, United Nations Development Programme, and United Nations Global Compact for their unwavering commitment to collaborative action and their shared vision of a more responsible and sustainable future. A huge thanks also goes out to our esteemed Oslo Business for Peace Award Honourees Connie Hasemann, Dr Agbor Ashumanyi Ako, Dr Harley Seyedin, Felicitas “Joji” Pantoja, Dr Vladas Lašas and Tore Lærdal who came to Norway to support.

We invite you to join us in our mission to create a more inclusive and sustainable world through the UN Business Arena. Feel free to get in touch, and stay tuned for updates on UN Business Arena’s LinkedIn page as we continue to chart our transformative journey, catalysing impactful initiatives and driving collective action towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

Together, we can harness the power of business to shape a brighter future for generations to come.

A Holiday Message from Business for Peace

23 December 2022

Dear friend,

If you told me a year ago I would be writing these words in the midst of a full-scale territorial war on European soil, I would not have believed you. Yet, here we are at the end of 2022, a year that one could easily be forgiven for labelling an annus horribilis. This rings particularly true when the glaring violations on Ukraine’s sovereignty is coupled with the subsequent soaring prices on basic necessities, rising interest rates, and a lingering COVID-19 situation. We live in unprecedented times.

In addition to this, the climate change threat is more severe than ever, there are deep-seated trust issues, and broken supply chains between the global north and the global south. And the

lead-up to the Football World Cup in Qatar showed us that tens of millions of migrant workers worldwide are stuck in a precarious position, with grave human rights violations being committed.

Yet, all is far from hopeless. On December 19th, the United Nations Biodiversity Conference in Montreal, Canada adopted the Global Biodiversity Framework, which aims to protect 30% of Earth’s lands, oceans, coastal areas, inland waters; Reduce by $500 billion annual harmful government subsidies; Cut food waste by 2030. The need to “foster the full and effective contributions of […] the private and financial sectors” are deemed critical throughout the framework’s four goals and 23 targets.

I am also relieved to see an ever-increasing focus on the global challenges at hand. New technology and a genuine willingness to build back better offer unimaginable opportunities for better lives and green growth. Now, more than ever before, the private sector has to be a fundamental part of global development, global solutions and global wealth distribution.

Private companies are rising to the challenge in record numbers. And, like the global network of Oslo Business for Peace Award Honourees, a growing amount of businessworthy leaders work tirelessly every day, all over the planet, to conduct business that does good, provide innovative solutions to global challenges, and which also inspires other business leaders to act businessworthy.

As 2022 draws to a close, I and everyone at Business for Peace are filled with renewed optimism and motivation to help re-imagine capitalism and make all businesses a force for good. After years of work, 2023 will see an immense opportunity come to fruition, where we together with our partners will lay the groundwork for a new form for multilateralism and transformative partnership as set out by the UN Secretary-General, to help build future systems of collaboration between business and society.

I hope you and your loved ones will have a peaceful holiday season. For all those that are not so fortunate; I promise that we will work tirelessly for a better tomorrow.

Warm wishes,

Marius Døcker

Managing Director