BCorp Journey
The journey begins
In a way, ADS Insight’s journey to become a B Corp began in 2001, when the company was first created. From day one, our Managing Director and Founder, Aida Bakri, has been guiding and inspiring the whole ADS team to take a stand for a better, more equitable and sustainable world.
It was not until 2020 however that we decided to apply to be a B Corp certified company. We saw this as a big challenge, but also a great opportunity. We knew the process would be arduous , but this was our chance to join a community of like-minded companies, and signal to all our stakeholders that we want to use business as a force for good.
Completing the B Impact Assessment was a particularly challenging task, but a great learning opportunity. It took over 200 hours to respond to the 200+ questions of the assessment, covering in detail how our company functions, and what we do to be environmentally and socially sustainable. We also had to amend the company by-laws, to enshrine a legal requirement to consider the impact of our decisions on all of our stakeholders. Finally, we had to go through a rigorous audit to verify all our answers. Overall, this long process may have been strenuous, but we consider it to be well worth it: it is what gives the B Corp certification all of its value, and we are very proud to have made it through.
Continous improvements
Indeed, in the end, and with the precious help of Andrea Bury, our helpful B-Leader, we finally got the good news on 9 September 2022 : with a final score of 81.6, ADS Insight made it to the finish line and we are now officially a certified B Corp! We proudly join the ranks of Patagonia, Coursera, Rituals and many others - who have paved the way for us and shown the world that it is possible to use business as a force for good.
However, our journey is only beginning. Now that we are part of this vibrant community of impactful companies, we will strive to reinforce our impact through continuous improvement and we will be audited again in 3 years, and obligated to raise our score.
In the meantime, we are already bringing in some new protocols. For example, we are now formally offering our employees the possibility to use a few hours of work time for volunteering. We have identified a few causes we’d most like to associate with. We have also joined the Interdependence Coalition, where we make use of our expertise in public affairs to help ensure that, as was proposed by the European Commission, we enhance the governing principles that determine how directors of companies address their significant impact on people and the planet.
Our dynamic team at ADS Insight have many other ideas about how to honour our new status as a B Corp. Watch this space!
