Ivorian Businessman Joins the Pope's Council for Inclusive Capitalism

Could Ethical Capital Exist?

Former Ivorian CEO of Credit Suisse, Tidjane Thiam, has joined the Council for an Inclusive Capitalism — a US organisation which brings together some 20 world business leaders and advocates for a virtuous vision of the market economy and is officially in partnership with the Vatican as of Tuesday’s announcement.

Tidjane is among a group of investors and leaders of major global corporations — often referred to by some as "gatekeepers," who are supposedly committed to "reforming capitalism for the good of humanity" and who want to promote the private sector's drive to make capitalism operate more in line with justice, inclusion and sustainable development.

These leaders — who represent more than 10.5 trillion USD in assets under management, are scheduled to meet annually with Pope Francis and Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Turkson.

Turkson is one of two African cardinals expected to succeed Benedict XVI in 2013 and become the first "black pope" in history.