It is time for corporate America to become 'the third pillar' of social change in our society complementing the first two pillars of government and philanthropy. We need the entire private sector to begin committing itself not just to making profits but to fulfilling higher and larger purposes by contributing to building a better world.

The question remains: which brands will commit to creating a private sector pillar of social change and which will become casualties of their own outdated thinking?

It's a tricky place especially the last sector. I wasn't happy in practice. I wasn't happy with the car and I wasn't happy with myself. But I always thought there was more in the car.

If I could create one job in the private sector by helping to grow a business that would be one more than Congress has created in the last six months.

My view is that you still in order to win from the Labour perspective have to have a strong alliance with business as well as the unions. You have got to be very much in the centre ground on things like public sector reform.

There are people in the public sector with a range of experiences that have no equivalent in business but are essential to governing like keeping a kid in school or helping someone get and hold a job. The value of those skills can't easily be measured against a bottom line.

When I first left university I thought about going into the private sector. But I discovered when I went to interview that I could only have a career in the back office or doing HR. The attitude was 'My dear lady you cannot possibly think about going on the board.'