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    • BSR 2012 Global Conference

    BSR's Aron Cramer: 'Partnerships Are Essential'

    Aron Cramer, CEO and president of BSR, tells Devex president Raj Kumar why businesses are focusing on the development of societies in emerging markets – and how the international development community can leverage their expertise.

    By Andrea Useem // 20 November 2012

    This article is produced and published by Devex Impact, a global initiative by Devex and USAID that focuses on the intersection of business and global development and connects companies, organizations and professionals to the practical information they need to make an impact.

    Companies are more focused than ever on emerging markets while their vision for social good has evolved far beyond on the “old model of check writing,” said Aron Cramer, president and CEO of BSR.

    The international development community can leverage these business trends through partnerships, said Cramer in an interview with Devex president Raj Kumar on the sidelines of the BSR 2012 annual conference.

    “We know from experience that no single sector can address the world’s most urgent development challenges and opportunities on their own,” he said. “The key is to remember what each sector brings that’s unique and then leverage those skills.”

    Many businesses are experts at logistics, able to deliver their products all over the world, said Cramer, while public-sector development agencies bring “legitimacy” and long experience working with civil society and other governments. “That’s a case of one-plus-one equals 3,” he said.

    The mandate for the development community is to better understand core business drivers and look beyond corporate philanthropy, “which can only go so far.”

    “The great project of the 21st century is to bring sustainability – prosperity, dignity and good livelihoods – to 7-billion-going-on-9-billion people. I see both the business community and the development community poised to make that happen.”

    Video editing by Sarah Cannon.

    Sign up for the weekly Devex Impact newsletter to receive the cutting-edge news and analysis on the intersection of business and development. Join the 300,000-strong Devex community to network with peers, discover talent and forge new partnerships - it’s free!

    Explore Related Content:

    • IBM’s Stan Litow: 3 Steps to Effective Corporate Citizenship (VIDEO)

    • How Business Is Changing the Global Development Landscape

    • Five Keys to Effective Partnerships for Development

    • Economic Development
    Printing articles to share with others is a breach of our terms and conditions and copyright policy. Please use the sharing options on the left side of the article. Devex Pro members may share up to 10 articles per month using the Pro share tool ( ).

    About the author

    • Andrea Useem

      Andrea Useem

      As former associate editor and content director for Devex Impact, Andrea created and managed cutting-edge content on the intersection of business and international development. An experienced multimedia journalist, Andrea also served as leadership editor at the Washington Post and spent three years as a foreign correspondent in Eastern Africa reporting for publications including the Boston Globe, Dallas Morning News, and San Francisco Chronicle.

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