The Archbishop of Canterbury has appealed to treasurers to see how they can contribute to the “common good” in their work.
Speaking at the ACT’s Annual Dinner, held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, on 13 November, The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury said: “Our corporate sector today is sitting on the largest sum of money that it has ever had. Unless that is deployed confidently in investment across the country… and deployed in caring for those on the edge, then there is not a good future.”
He continued: “There is nowhere that the people in this room don’t reach and no one they can’t influence. It is a responsibility and an opportunity. It takes commitment. It is emphatically a job for teams and not just one person.”
Welby told assembled guests how during his travels abroad he had seen for himself “what could be done with investment, with trade, and not just with aid”.
Turning to the topic of regulation, Welby said: “Regulation is not enough by itself. It needs to be accompanied by the kind of professionalism and character that can negotiate its way through the complex landscapes we see today.”
Welby has been a member of the ACT since 1984. He was group treasurer of Enterprise Oil before resigning in 1987 to train for the Anglican priesthood.
Sally Percy is editor of The Treasurer