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How business lost our trust

Public talks
04 Mar 2025 | 06:00 pm – 07:00 pm | GMT Standard Time
RSA House and online
Business and entrepreneurship Economy Employment Public services
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A low-angle view of modern skyscrapers with glass and steel facades, converging towards a cloudy sky. The buildings vary in design and height, creating a dynamic architectural composition against the overcast backdrop.

Is capitalism at a crossroads?

Please note: in-person tickets are sold-out, but you can still book a place to watch the livestream and join the conversation online.

From big tech scandals to soaring executive pay gaps, public trust in major corporations is at an all-time low. Despite life-changing innovations like vaccines and digital tools, we increasingly “love the product but hate the producer”.

Renowned economist John Kay visits the RSA to deliver a bold critique of modern business. He’ll unpack how the relentless pursuit of shareholder value has gutted some of the 20th century’s most iconic companies and left the 21st-century corporation facing a reckoning.

What must change to restore trust in and purpose to the businesses we rely on?

Chair

  • Andy Haldane, RSA CEO

Speaker

John Kay, economist and author

Book Now

John Kay

Award-winning author, economist and FT columnist
Book cover for "The Corporation in the 21st Century" by John Kay. The background is black with gold text. A blue sticker indicates it's shortlisted for the FT Business Book of the Year 2024. Subtext reads: "Why (almost) everything we are told about business is wrong.
The Corporation in the Twenty-First Century: Why (almost) everything we are told about business is wrong

By John Kay

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