‘A week in the life’ – going #BehindTheB with B Lab AANZ CEO Andrew Davies

It has become increasingly common for people to distrust businesses, and often with good reason. Who really knows what’s going on behind closed doors? How do we know that people are doing what they say they’re doing? Is it just greenwashing?

Giving you that transparency and visibility is what B Corp Month 2022 is all about: inviting you ‘Behind the B’ to uncover what truly makes a better business, no holds barred.

Though, as the not-for-profit responsible for certifying B Corps, we could hardly ask B Corps from across the movement to throw open their proverbial doors, if we weren’t prepared to do the same. Here to give you an insight into a typical week from our side of the certification desk, is CEO of B Lab Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, Andrew Davies.

All the best roads are winding

I started off my career as a corporate lawyer, before working in a listed corporation and running a family business, which even included a time owning and operating a golf course and taking a finance case to the High Court in Canberra, my very own Darryl Kerrigan moment (iconic Australian reference for those not sure of the vibe of the thing).

While I had some success in business, and some failures too, it was hardly a straight line to CEO of B Lab Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Career paths rarely are. And even though, by the time I joined B Lab in 2019, I thought I’d experienced a wide range of organisations and business models, what I quickly realised was just how extraordinarily complex it could be to help steer a small, mission-driven organisation trying to rewrite the capitalist rule book.

More than certification

By now you know that we, B Lab, certify B Corps – companies that meet high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. But we do much more than that. We’re trying to change our economic system and shift the very behaviour, culture and structural underpinnings of capitalism. It’s no small task and, funnily enough, when you are trying to change a system as heavily entrenched in our day to day life as capitalism, there’s no playbook and there’s certainly no Yoda. 

Instead, we rely heavily on the expertise, existence and energy of the passionate and purpose-driven community of Certified B Corporations throughout our region and across the world.

Now, I know we promised you a juicy, behind the scenes, no holds barred look ‘Behind the B’ – and you will get it. But, like any business trying to rewrite the rules of engagement, rarely are any two days the same, let alone two weeks.

In any case, this might be considered a ‘typical week’ on the road to better business at B Lab Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. 

Roma the bordoodle (Andrew’s pooch)

Monday

Rise and shine by about 7am. Bit slow this morning because it’s Monday, and because our new puppy insists on chewing her all-natural antler horns extremely loudly from 5am. Kids packed off to school on time.

Today I am working with our Certification and Training Lead, Shalini Samuel, to finalise the details of our third B Consultants program – training and accreditation for consultants who work with businesses to drive change through the B Impact Assessment or ‘BIA’. Together we’re trying to shift the B Consultants learning content to an online education platform, allowing participants to work through much of the coursework themselves. So, lots of videos to record! 

Then, I spent some time with Mindy Leow, B Lab AANZ’s Head of Impact and Growth, discussing the companies who’ve signed up for our Business for Good program in NZ. This is direct business education, developed in partnership with NZTE, that will accelerate the movement in Aotearoa New Zealand and we are really thrilled how many businesses signed up. Although delivering remotely continues to have its challenges (can’t wait for NZ borders to open!).

Speaking of borders, I then got a call that our new Aotearoa New Zealand Manager has been diagnosed with COVID, and is now stuck overseas facing a delayed return to NZ (she’s doing ok now!). This new role is a huge deal for us, and we can’t wait to announce it very shortly.

I finish off the day presenting to the Exec team at a major Australian retailer interested in exploring B Corp certification. Presentations like this are becoming an increasingly regular thing, and they are a great way to connect with businesses. Not sure I’m at my best, because I’m still trying to get my head around a new process for ultra-large businesses to follow that’s just been launched globally, but the presentation went well.

Andrew and Mindy at The Commons Cremorne

Tuesday

I’m back with Shalini Samuel and the Certification Squad, Lauren Diggle and Khushboo Majmundar, this time to talk ‘pipeline’. We’ve worked hard these last two years on building and refining our processes so that we can more consistently support businesses aspiring to get certified through automation, self-paced resources and interventions designed to smooth an often long and arduous process. With 260+ businesses across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand in various stages of verification, it’s a complex undertaking but we are definitely heading in the right direction. 

I then get news that one of our favourite businesses missed out on certification, and we begin discussing how we might encourage them to try again this year. While this is always one of the hard things about this work, I take solace in knowing that our certification is rigorous, and that means not everyone will be successful. 

We also have a couple of big companies in the later stages of certification, ones who might very well pose some intriguing questions of the movement. Managing that over the next few months is going to be interesting and I can feel the wheels around starting to turn in the background about how we might shape that conversation. I put some feelers out to our Europe team to see what they have done in similar situations.

Then I give some attention to perhaps the sexiest part of any CEO’s role: governance (I can practically hear you groaning). A bit behind schedule on board recruitment, but I did manage to get some invitations out to new B Council members, a major part of an updated governance model that will take us into the next phase of B Lab’s growth.

Andrew in his element

Wednesday

On Wednesdays, we podcast. Well, not exactly, but this particular Wednesday I was in podcast mode. First it was recording Design Your Life with Vince Frost from B Corp Frost*collective talking about designing future proof businesses. Then, it was Humans of Purpose with the passionate Mike Davis, in the great podcast studios at The Commons. 

Podcasts like these are a great way to get the word out about B Corps themselves, but also to get more people talking about the role of business and how a new model of stakeholder governance can help businesses drive success in both financial terms, and through positive impact.

Tonight I am reading some draft research coming out of University of Technology Sydney (UTS) that explores exactly how companies with a for-purpose model, and a legal commitment to stakeholder engagement, can work in practice. Genuinely exciting, and more to tell soon. Increasingly, I am reminded how much we need academics and lawyers as much as we need business leaders in this movement. Change requires all of us.

Thursday

This morning, I checked in on how our latest communications campaign is progressing with Katie Whittaker, our Communications Coordinator. We have complex global CRM systems and while Katie is a whiz with any number of tools, our CRM is an ever-expanding beast and it’s getting very tricky to wrangle. I spend the next fifteen minutes cursing Pardot.

Right now we are trying to identify which B Corps have not yet completed the requirement to amend their company constitution and adopt the stakeholder governance model (introduced to Australia in 2020, and NZ in 2021). This requirement is a key part of our systems change work. 

With directors’ duties evolving in our region, the idea of acting in the “best interests of the company” is increasingly being interpreted as acting in the interest of wider stakeholders, not just shareholders. I am feeling a growing sense of urgency to seize this opportunity to accelerate change by demonstrating exactly what B Corps do differently, and know this will be a key theme for the year ahead including for B Corp Month (#BehindTheB). 

Thursday evening and I’m in session with our Global Leadership Team – a truly amazing group, with representation from every continent (except Antarctica!). While time zones are a challenge, discussion is always energising! On this week’s agenda we’re discussing further evolution to our business model and how to build more capacity to meet the incredible demand for certification all around the world. Conversation moves quickly to the intricacies of a capacity allocation model designed to meet the needs of mature, developed markets as well as newer B Lab operations across Africa and APAC. I realise I forgot to read something in preparation for tonight; on the list it goes for the weekend.

Some of the B Lab Australia & Aotearoa New Zealand team (but not all!)

Friday

Friday is Finance Day (that’s a thing, right?) and today I’m with Emma Bailey, our Team Support, who tells me our aged receivables are getting a little high, and we work through our month-end financials. We’re in good shape with steady growth in B Corp certification putting us in the strongest financial position we’ve ever been in. And you know what this CEO hears when finance tells them that? Recruitment!

At this stage in our growth, any surplus goes straight back into building our capacity to serve the B Corp community, and by my count there are at least six different roles we need right now. Emma’s got some great ideas too on how we can keep evolving our work-from-home model to better support our team who never cease to amaze me every day with their warmth, energy and passion for this work.

Sure, I said Friday was Finance Day but it’s also check-in with Kira Day Day. Most of our community in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand know Kira – she’s our Impact and Engagement Manager and she’s been head down launching a great new program called ‘Leaders Circles’ for B Corp CEOs. With help from new team member Joanne Nguyen (Programs and Events Coordinator), Kira has just launched the pilot circle, with more events planned in 2022. We also have a quick chat on a pretty major new B Corp being announced very soon. 

Andrew and Kira deep in discussion

What did I miss? A lot of things, probably. My to-do list in Asana doesn’t pull punches. I’m also behind on Board reporting and I’m losing the battle with my inbox (sorry if I haven’t responded to you!).

I hope it’s obvious from this typical week, but I work hard, and I love what I do. It truly is a privilege working with this team and helping to lead the B Corp movement in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. The growing community inspires me every week; the stories we hear from B Corps are phenomenal. 

Sure, sometimes it’s hard not to get overwhelmed by the sheer scope of change we are trying to create. But then I remind myself: we’re not alone, there are many of us (and more every week) working towards this common cause of balancing purpose and profit and reimagining a global economic system. There are also plenty on the sidelines wishing us success, and then I guess the world doesn’t seem so dark.

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