Kent Thiry on corporate social responsibility
From Distinguished Speakers Series: Kent Thiry, DaVita · · Duke University - The Fuqua School of Business
“Companies are asked to take positions on social issues. So what do you think about lesbian gay et cetera rights? And what are you willing to say publicly? Are you willing to sell products or services to certain people? What are you going to say about Charlottesville publicly? When are you willing to criticize the president? 10 years ago, the incidence of CEOs being asked internally or externally to take stands on these kinds of things was literally one 20th what it is today.”
On , Kent Thiry, Former Chairman & Chief Executive Officer at DaVita, spoke about corporate social responsibility during Distinguished Speakers Series: Kent Thiry, DaVita on Duke University - The Fuqua School of Business.
About Kent Thiry
In a 2017 talk at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, Kent Thiry discussed challenges in the dialysis industry, attributing "80% of the difficulties" to reimbursement cuts and emphasizing the need to adjust cost structures. He stated that the U.S. has "the most generously funded health care system in the world" and argued that the industry bears responsibility for waste, which has led to political involvement. Thiry also noted that legislation affecting kidney care, which he said accounts for 7% of the Medicare budget, had passed the House Ways and Means Committee by a vote of 39 to one, and he predicted it would save money while improving quality. Thiry reflected on his decision not to run for governor of Colorado, describing it as a choice between adding value through his current role or spending time on a potentially unproductive political campaign. He also discussed the increasing pressure on companies to take public stances on social issues, noting that while 80% of his organization supported such a stance on one issue, 80% of the board opposed it as an unnecessary risk. Additionally, he described intrapreneurship as a "strategic imperative" for companies to remain competitive.