Jeffrey Swartz, CEO and president of Timberland, spoke to about 200 people in Koury Auditorium as part of the business school's 2001 Dean's Speaker Series.
"This week our school is celebrating community," said Robert Sullivan, dean of the business school. "As part of our celebration, we are fortunate to have Jeffrey Swartz with us. His work and priorities exemplify many of the ideals that we celebrate this week."
Swartz said his approach to business was not that of a normal chief executive officer. He said most businessmen are more concerned with pleasing the shareholders than worrying about people in the community.
"Anything that traditional business does that doesn't cater to the shareholders is almost immoral," Swartz said.
But he said he can create a better type of business by running his company with more compassion for the consumers and workers.
Swartz has implemented this policy by providing daycare at his corporate headquarters for employees and community members who can't afford private care for their children. He also has initiated a literacy program in several of his Latin American factories to better the lives of his employees and their families.
Swartz said he left it up to the people at Timberland retail stores across the world to decide what programs and projects to financially and physically support.
"I want the local Timberland people to calibrate what the need and service is," Swartz said. "The localized attention gets our resources where they are most needed."
Swartz pointed to a problem that exists in North Carolina as a prime example of how businesses can improve local conditions.
