Genzyme at CGI: Global Problem-Solving Gives You a Competitive Advantage

If your corporate social responsibility (CSR) program is ancillary to your corporate strategy, it's on the chopping block--or already in the waste bin. This is especially true in today's economy. On the flip side, you have a chance to gain a competitive advantage by creating a unique approach to making the world a better place.

Say the CEO or the board asks why the company is spending money on a particular CSR program. You need to have an answer ready, but you should also see it as an opportunity to make the case for a sustainable, strategically integrated CSR program.

Twenty years ago and earlier, with rare exceptions, the only corporate charity was a bit of gifting by the CEO, perhaps to the arts. Ten years ago, corporate philanthropy and volunteerism became popular as an a la carte add on. In these posts from the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), I'm turning the spotlight on the avant garde of CSR: companies that make community and global problem-solving part of their business platform, thus making "doing good" sustainable.

Genzyme, one of the world's leading biotechnology companies, is a good example.

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