Beyond the False Choice: Can Impact and Profit Truly Coexist?

The global debate over ESG has devolved into a false binary — purpose or profit, pick one. As the US retreats from sustainability commitments and 'anti-ESG' becomes a political rallying cry, Japan is quietly charting a different course. Marui Group CEO Hiroshi Aoi rewrote his company's articles of incorporation to commit to solving social issues through business — not alongside it, but through it. In this fireside chat, Aoi shares how a near-fatal corporate crisis, a background in French literature, and the radical decision to embed 'impact KPIs' into executive evaluation led to the transformation of a 90-year-old retailer into one of Japan's most celebrated purpose-driven companies. The question isn't whether impact and profit can coexist — it's whether companies that refuse to try can survive.