Former McDonald’s heavyweight Bob Langert reflects on Racing Foundation conference
For many who attended the Racing Foundation Industry conference at Ascot in early October, one of the highlights was listening to Bob Langert, the opening keynote speaker.
Bob Langert stands as a global authority in the realm of social licence and sustainability. His expertise is widely recognised, as evidenced by his TED Talks and published works on these subjects. Langert’s reputation is built on his influential career at McDonald’s, where he spent over three decades shaping the company’s approach to environmental and social governance.
The theme of the Racing Foundation conference, ‘How can horseracing navigate social licence amidst changing societal expectation’ led to a day of deep inward focus and reflection about how the racing industry can maintain its relevance and social licence to operate.
What did you expect before the conference?
I had high expectations. I thought The Racing Foundation had a great plan. The topic of social licence seemed that it could generate really good, meaningful discussion. I did wonder if the participants would really open up.
However, it exceeded my expectations! I thought the attendees were zoomed in and thirsting to share ways to change the future. I was impressed by everyone’s love of the sport. The sport deserves to grow and prosper, thus the passion from attendees that the status quo is not enough. Changing with the times is very necessary and should not be looked as appeasing the critics. It is all about making the sport more relevant.
A word on your fellow speakers
All were terrific, really. I was impressed by the Jockey Club CEO, Nevin Truesdale. He discussed the why and how of the changes they made to the Grand National, much of them centered around addressing societal concerns. My experience is that most companies/industries play defence. They view the critics as the enemy. In other words, they are totally reactive. That is not good business. So, I admire what the Jockey Club has done. I often wonder why organisations aren’t more proactive. Why have others define who you are?
What is your experience of the importance of social licence in respect to community engagement?
My experiences leave me with 100% conviction that an organisation/industry, if they are smart, forward-thinking, and strategic, can leverage their relationship with society in a way that is good for society and good for their business success. Societal engagement should be embraced and welcomed, not feared, and pushed aside.
What do you hope happens next?
I’d like to see an industry strategy developed, approved, and implemented. I heard about how fragmented the industry is at present. So, I know it will not be easy. But without this, your industry will be on its back foot forever. The conference had a fantastic workshop, with attendees all discussing what is the number one societal issue that offers the industry an opportunity to be more relevant. What ensued was an excellent roadmap of actions to be initiated. I sensed an overwhelming amount of synergy about WHAT needs to be done. I did not get a good feeling about HOW to get there. So, there is the leadership challenge.
You can listen to Bob’s enlightening conference speech again at the Racing Foundation.