Fundamentally sound values, excellent leadership, and concern for the environment.
“These are the qualities that Volvo and the international Scouting movement share,” says His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden, who holds the position of Honorary Head of the World Scout Foundation. “These shared qualities make both these organisations fitting partners in an undertaking such as the Volvo Ocean Race.” His Majesty the King of Sweden paid a visit to Boston, U.S., during the weekend of the in-port race to take part in the annual meeting of the World Scout Foundation.
Leif Johansson, President and CEO of the Volvo Group, was also a Scout in his youth and is particularly engaged in the organisation of the Race for the Environment. (In the neighbouring pavilion, Carl-Henric Svanberg, President and CEO of Ericsson, is also a product of the international Scouting movement.) “We are delighted to have been able to organise this event with the Scouts,” says Johansson. “Volvo is an organisation, much as the Scouting movement that is directed by strong values including energy, passion, and respect for the individual. We also share Scouting goals such as building leaders for the future.
Taking our responsibility for protecting the environment is also a discernible shared value for both the international Scouting movement and for Volvo,” he says. Lars Kolind, from Denmark, is Chairman of the Board at the World Scout Foundation and an international authority on value-based management systems for private enterprise. He agrees with Johansson’s conclusion. “Scouting is a clear example of an organisation that is grounded on a value-based system,” Kolind says. “The strengths of every individual are appreciated and each member of the organisation is made to feel their own worth as an individual,” he says. “Volvo is a prime example of a business organisation that shares these goals and strives to achieve them.” According to Kolind, these shared values and ambitions make Volvo an obvious partner to co-operate with the Scouts. “Volvo as a global company can learn a great deal from the Scouting movement. And of course Volvo’s values make it an excellent role model for our young Scouts, and the kind of engaged and accountable enterprise that can be meaningful for them after they grow up and take their part in the business world,” Kolind says.
His Majesty the King of Sweden underscores this meaningful co-operation between Volvo and international Scouting, saying that the shared experiences, fundamentally sound values, firm leadership, and concern for the environment have built the foundation for shared participation in this ambitious project between international business and international youth. The King of Sweden, however, has not only been a Scout since he was very young, but also a yachtsman, and points out that no event could better host the Race for the Environment than the Volvo Ocean Race. “This is essentially the case,” His Majesty says. “Scouts from almost every corner of the world can now meet these fine sporting figures, who are perfect role models for all of us Scouts. Sailing of this very high quality is effectively teaching us the very same lessons about life that every Scout in the world tries to learn: We try to establish our goals for life, prepare ourselves well to achieve them, and just keep on going until we reach them,” says H.M. the King of Sweden.