Common Purpose

Common Purpose is a global not for profit founded in the United Kingdom, working to develop leaders who can cross cultural, institutional, and social boundaries, both at work and in society. It runs personal development and business solutions programmes on leadership, collaboration, diversity, equity and inclusion, and organisational change, delivered through in person and experiential learning. Common Purpose operates through a network of country offices and charitable entities across Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Singapore, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, and the US, including Common Purpose India, led locally by a board chaired by a former Chief Secretary to the Government of Karnataka.

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Major Areas of Work

• Personal Development: Leadership programmes for individuals at different career stages, from young people to senior executives.
• Business Solutions: Organisational programmes on equity, diversity and inclusion, change leadership, purpose, and women in leadership.
• Higher Education: Leadership and career readiness programmes for university staff and students.
• Social Campaigns: Public campaigns on sustainability, legacy, and cross generational dialogue.

Major Initiatives and Programmes

• The Leadership Arena: A programme using sport as a lens to explore leadership under real pressure.
• Global Leaders Programme (January): A flagship programme developed with Google Digital Academy for leaders navigating global challenges.
• CSCLeaders: A Commonwealth wide senior leaders programme run in partnership with the Duke of Edinburgh's Commonwealth Study Conferences.
• Common Purpose Student Experiences: A global higher education initiative partnering with over 100 universities and reaching more than 10,000 students a year.
• Legacy Programme: A programme working with young people, delivered across multiple UK locations since 2020.

Impact

Common Purpose states it has delivered more than 4,000 programmes locally and globally, and developed over 137,000 leaders worldwide over more than 35 years. It reports that 87% of participants found significant value in their experience, and 89% said they applied what they learned to transform their organisations and communities. Its university partnerships alone reach over 10,000 students annually, with 93% saying the experience helped them progress in their careers.

Leadership

• Adirupa Sengupta, Group Chief Executive
• Alison Coburn, Co-Founder and Global Environment Lead
• David Grace, Board Chair, Common Purpose Charitable Trust and Common Purpose Ltd
• Sudhakar Rao, Board Chair, Common Purpose India

Partners

Google, Harvard University, British Council, GE, Unilever, American Express Foundation  

Common Purpose suits people who want to work on leadership development at a global scale, with the chance to design and deliver programmes across sectors, countries, and cultures. The organisation offers exposure to a wide network of partners spanning corporates, universities, and government bodies, along with a well established international structure spanning more than a decade of operation, including a dedicated India presence. It appeals to people who want to work on long-term capability building for leaders, backed by a well known global brand in the leadership development space.