“When you fuse purpose with profit, you create sustainable solutions that generate inclusive growth and build the markets of tomorrow.”

In today’s world, businesses are increasingly taking up the mantle of driving social impact alongside pursuing profits. Helping drive this shift is Hamzah Sarwar, Global Head of Social Impact and Innovation at Reckitt, a global consumer health and hygiene company known for brands like Dettol, Durex, and Lysol. Reckitt’s mission is to protect, heal, and nurture in pursuit of a cleaner, healthier world. Hamzah’s personal journey and professional endeavours exemplify how purpose and profit can align to create meaningful change. Overseeing a portfolio that has improved health, hygiene, and nutrition for over 19 million people across 45 countries, Hamzah leads Reckitt’s Global Access Fund, driving the company’s vision of sustainable and equitable growth.

A Journey Rooted in Purpose

Hamzah’s commitment to social impact stems from deeply personal experiences. Raised in a single-parent household, he witnessed his mother’s activism within their community as she helped immigrants find their footing and advocated for safe spaces for women. “She sacrificed a lot to ensure I had access to good education and a supportive environment,” Hamzah shared, underscoring how these early experiences shaped his world view.

Becoming a parent himself further cemented his commitment to creating a better world. “When my daughter was born, it fundamentally shifted my perspective. I began thinking deeply about the kind of world I wanted to leave behind for her and my son,” he reflected. Combined with his growing awareness of systemic issues within traditional business models, this led him to carve out a career dedicated to social impact.

His pivotal moment came when he worked on a project addressing air pollution—a global issue linked to over 7 million premature deaths annually. Through this initiative, he witnessed first-hand how businesses could be a force for good by developing protective innovations like air purifiers and masks. “That project opened my eyes to the potential of merging commercial expertise with purpose-driven solutions,” he explained.

Reckitt’s Role in Health and Hygiene

Reckitt, a global consumer health and hygiene company, operates under the purpose-driven mission of protecting, healing, and nurturing communities worldwide. Its well-known brands—including Dettol, Durex, and Lysol—serve as tools for addressing critical issues such as infection prevention and reproductive health.

Hamzah emphasised that Reckitt’s impact efforts go beyond traditional corporate social responsibility. “We take a holistic view of the end-to-end value chain, considering the positive and negative impacts of our operations,” he said. From sourcing raw materials to creating inclusive workplace environments and addressing community health needs, Reckitt aims to build sustainable, equitable solutions.

Balancing Profit and Purpose

For Hamzah, one of the key lessons of his career has been discovering how profit and purpose can complement each other. “There’s no way for us to fulfill our mission of creating a cleaner and healthier world without tackling systemic inequities,” he noted. By addressing gaps in access to health and hygiene, Reckitt not only improves lives but also creates future markets and growth opportunities.

Through community-driven initiatives and innovative financing models, Reckitt ensures that its products and services reach underserved populations. “We think about behaviour change interventions in communities, such as promoting handwashing or educating young women on reproductive health. These efforts build trust, equity, and access, creating pathways for long-term business growth,” he explained.

Catalyzing Social Innovation Through Entrepreneurship

Central to Reckitt’s strategy is its commitment to scaling community-led innovations. Programs like the Fight for Access Accelerator and WIN Fund support over 50 social entrepreneurs in 10 countries, helping them grow their impact. “We realised that our role could be catalytic,” Hamzah said. “By providing not just financial support but also mentorship, technical expertise, and access to our resources, we amplify their ability to address local challenges.”

This collaborative approach has fostered innovations such as sustainable water filtration systems in South Africa and community-based health solutions in Indonesia. Hamzah highlighted the importance of learning from these entrepreneurs: “Their ingenuity and passion for equity have transformed how we think about innovation and community ownership. It’s a two-way street—we offer scale, and they teach us how to drive local solutions with lasting impact.”

Intrapreneurship: Driving Change From Within

As an intrapreneur, Hamzah exemplifies how employees within large organisations can act as catalysts for change. He credits much of his success to creating cross-functional teams and leveraging Reckitt’s internal resources. “An intrapreneur takes risks within the organisation and finds ways to harness its assets for social good,” he explained.

Hamzah shared four key elements for fostering an effective intrapreneurial ecosystem: purpose, pipeline, people, and power dynamics. “Purpose needs to be actionable and aligned with long-term investments,” he noted. Creating a pipeline of innovative ideas and empowering employees as change agents are also critical to driving meaningful outcomes.

A Call to Action: Believe in the Power of Change

Hamzah’s message for aspiring ChangeMakers is clear: believe in yourself and your ability to contribute. “Imposter syndrome holds many people back, but you have something valuable to offer,” he said. “The world needs all hands-on deck, and every skill—whether technical, creative, or strategic—has a role to play.”

With his work at Reckitt, Hamzah Sarwar exemplifies how businesses can harness their full potential to address pressing global challenges. By blending innovation, purpose, and community-driven strategies, he is helping redefine what it means for companies to be agents of social change.

As he puts it, “When you build access, equity, and opportunity, you’re not just driving business growth—you’re creating a better world for future generations.”

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This is part of our ChangeLeaders interview series with corporate impact leaders sharing their journeys, learnings, and lessons from making an impact in the corporate world. If you are a ChangeLeader we should interview, please email us at info@wemakechange.org.

Interview & Article: James Sancto & Laura De Alba