Message from the Director
This last year has been one of profound change personally and professionally. Up until the end of July 2001 I was a member of the London-based ethics team at Arthur Andersen. On the day that I left the Economist published the book that I had been involved in co-authoring, Business Ethics.
This was a collaborative project with many specialists in the field. No-one could have predicted the subsequent demise of Andersen, the collapse of investor confidence in financial markets and the rash of corporate scandals hitting the headlines.
Perhaps though there were some indications - Professor Nigel Nicholson at London Business School had already written about folly, fantasy and roguery in relation to finance risk disasters. Many others though did not take ethics and corporate responsibility seriously.
Certainly nothing could have prepared me for the shock of 9/11 and the tragic news that a dear friend had fallen victim. What struck me most about my friend was her humanity. She cared for people, she cared for animals, she cared for the environment. Ruskin's tenet, There is no wealth but life, sticks in my mind.
We take a lot from this world and we need to give something back.
Chris Moon
