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CEOs
urged not to ignore activist groups |
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Kraft Foods Co-CEO Betsy Holden expressed disdain Friday for the same activist groups she urged her fellow corporate chieftains to listen to. Though business leaders might resent the growing demands, they cannot ignore them in today's post-Enron era, she said in a luncheon speech to the Executives' Club of Chicago in a ballroom of the Chicago Hilton & Towers. "The day is quickly passing when companies can be highly selective in who we have a relationship with and on what terms," Holden warned. Besides, engaging one's critics can help identify those who are "constructive," those who aren't, and whether there is common ground the two sides can reach, she said. As if to demonstrate her point, five protesters from Chicago-based Genewise stood outside the hotel, holding placards and handing out leaflets calling on Kraft to cease using genetically engineered ingredients in its food. Holden said science has proven that genetically modified organisms are safe, but Kraft prohibits genetically altered ingredients in the products it sells in Europe because of the consumer outcry abroad. Holden also urged business leaders to donate money in a way that solves problems, rather than just to get the glory, and to critically assess company policies. Holden revealed that Kraft is implementing
a beefed-up code of conduct governing its employees' ethical behavior.
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