ESMT Insight Hour “Conscience Incorporated” with Prof. Michael Posner
In cooperation with Löning – Human Rights & Responsible Business GmbH
April 2, 2025, 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
ESMT Berlin, Schlossplatz 1, 10178 Berlin, and via livestream
This event will take place on campus and online. To attend the event on-site, please register using the form below. To attend the event via livestream, please register here.
Conscience Incorporated: Pursuing profits while protecting human rights – a discussion with Michael Posner and Anahita Thoms, led by Markus Löning
Join us for the inaugural session of ESMT Insight Hour, a new event series built on the success of ESMT Open Lectures and creating a dedicated space for knowledge exchange and discourse on today’s most pressing issues and intellectual questions.
Drawing on his extensive experience as a human rights lawyer, U.S. State Department official under President Obama, and director of the Center for Business and Human Rights at NYU Stern, Michael Posner presents his recently published book Conscience Incorporated: Pursue Profits While Protecting Human Rights. His book lays out a bold blueprint for businesses, leaders, and advocates to align profit with human rights.
This session, held in cooperation with Löning – Human Rights & Responsible Business, will explore how businesses can better protect human rights. Using historical insights and real-world cases, including Nike, Coca-Cola, Walmart, and Meta, Mike will provide a roadmap for ethical corporate practices. Conscience Incorporated highlights the urgent need for stronger protection for outsourced workers, accountability for harmful online content, and human rights-conscious investing. Mike argues that public awareness alone is not enough and encourages governments, especially in Europe, to take a more active role in regulating global business practices.
After presenting the major themes of his book, Mike will engage in an in-depth discussion on Europe’s role, moderated by Markus Löning. He will be joined by Anahita Thomas, head of Baker McKenzie’s International Trade practice group in Germany.
About the speakers
Michael H. Posner is the Jerome Kohlberg Professor of Ethics and Finance at NYU’s Stern School of Business. He is the Director of the Center for Business and Human Rights at the School, the first-ever human rights center at a business school, and the Chair of the Fair Labor Association. Before joining NYU Stern, Posner served in the Obama Administration from 2009-2013 as Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. In 2010, he chaired the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights. From 1978 to 2009, he led Human Rights First, a New York-based human rights advocacy organization.
Anahita Thoms heads Baker McKenzie's International Trade practice group in Germany and is a member of their EMEA steering committee for investigations, compliance, and ethics. She serves as an advisory board member in profit and non-profit organizations, such as Atlantik-Brücke, and is an elected national committee member at UNICEF Germany. Anahita has also been an advisory board member (Beirätin) of the Sustainable Finance Advisory Council of the German Government. Anahita has won various national and international awards for her work.
About the moderator
Markus Löning is an internationally renowned expert on responsible business and human rights issues. In 2014 he founded Löning – Human Rights & Responsible Business, an international management consultancy firm on business and human rights. He has advised numerous global brands and senior executives on responsible business strategies and risk management. With his team, they support companies globally to strengthen their human rights and environment due diligence. In the Löning Academy trainings on all relevant skills for human rights professionals are provided by the consulting team and Markus. He is the former German Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Assistance and was member of the German Parliament.
In cooperation with Löning – Human Rights & Responsible Business GmbH
