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Against this backdrop, B Corp and Think HQ recently hosted an engaging panel discussion on the evolving role of business in driving positive change. The event explored how the B Corp movement is rising to meet the moment, adapting and strengthening its framework to support a new generation of business leaders committed to balancing purpose with profit.
In this exclusive Q&A, Marketing Mag speaks with B Lab Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand (AANZ) CEO Andrew Davies and Think HQ chief strategy officer Fiona Nixon to explore how – and why – the B Corp movement is equipping business leaders to stay the course, no matter how challenging the road ahead.
Marketing Mag: The world is in a state of turmoil on all fronts right now. How does B Corp support B Corp-certified businesses to navigate these challenges?
Andrew Davies: As we step further into 2025, businesses around the world are feeling the weight of growing complexity and division. Sustainability and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) are now facing increased scrutiny and, in some cases, regulatory rollback. But it’s in moments like these that leadership is defined.
For more than 20 years, the B Corp movement has shown there’s another way to do business; one that puts people and the planet alongside profit. Now, that model is more important than ever. This isn’t the moment to retreat on purpose or dilute efforts. It’s a time to dig in, lead with purpose and redefine what success really looks like.
At B Lab, we’re supporting businesses to do just that. Last week, we launched our biggest evolution yet: bold new standards that respond directly to the challenges of today.
Four years in the making, these new standards raise the bar for what it means to be a responsible business, and they provide clear, practical guidance for anyone looking to have real impact. Whether you’re already certified, thinking about it, or just curious, they’re here to help you measure what matters and build a better kind of economy.
Fiona Nixon: Community counts during times of turmoil like this, and being part of the B Corp community of businesses with a shared commitment to sustainability, diversity and inclusion is providing a valuable forum for sharing ideas and ways of dealing with challenges.
In mid-April, we hosted a panel event which explored these themes and more than 70 people joined the robust conversation in-person and online – a clear sign of an engaged community.
We’re also looking forward to learning more about the new B Corp standards as a way of planning how we’re going to double down on our purpose and challenge ourselves to focus on impact over the next couple of years.
MM: What are the key attributes of bold leaders in business today?
AD: Bold leaders understand that true business needs a clear purpose to define the impact they seek alongside a return on capital invested. They prioritise stakeholder governance, recognising the wide range of people their decisions impact – not just shareholders, but employees, communities and workers too.
Bold leaders have the courage to stand up to cynics and to stay true to their purpose. Not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it also makes better business sense.
Bold leaders are courageous, but also considerate. They don’t just react to the moment; they zoom out, take a long-term perspective, and act with unwavering commitment to justice, sustainability and ethical leadership.
And when the pressure’s on, bold leaders don’t just ask what the rules require, they ask what kind of business they want to be: one that reacts to the storm, or one that helps shape a stronger, fairer future.
FN: Bold leaders today are showing courage, flexibility and they’re holding the course when it comes to their values.
I saw this illustrated recently, reading about Intrepid Travel’s growth and push into the US market, where they have been active in online marketing and PR efforts to tell their purpose-driven story.
In a recent interview, Intrepid’s chief customer cfficer Leigh Barnes said that while he has been speaking publicly a lot about DEI and climate commitments, he felt like everything was a “hot button” and that he was “being bashed around the head”.
Undeterred, last month the company released an expanded set of Ethical Marketing Guidelines with five commitments and 25 measurable actions relating to DEI, openness and transparency, rejection of neocolonialism, sense of belonging and ethical digital marketing.
Last year, Intrepid was Australia’s second fastest growing company – and so far this year it looks like this courage and holding the course are paying off.
MM: What should business leaders and CMOs be focusing on to ensure their businesses remain relevant in an uncertain global environment?
FN: Relevance is first and foremost about continuing to grow and remain profitable, and uncertainty poses real challenges in this respect. Being clear about the stakeholders, clients and people who are most important to your company and understanding their needs, attitudes and preferences has never been more important. And then being prepared to innovate and embrace change in response is vital.
For many businesses, this currently means grappling with the shifting costs of supply chain uncertainty – in our industry, it’s the vulnerability of the marketing communications budget line that is of concern in uncertain times.
Ours is a highly competitive and rapidly shifting industry where the knowledge, ideas and innovation of our people is our business. We need everyone to be engaged and continually learning new things. We need to be constantly making changes to the way we work, the value we offer, the impact we can have and the way we organise ourselves.
The challenge is most humans don’t really like change. It takes lots of energy and drive, but we don’t have a choice. And I’m sure we’re not alone.
MM: How can businesses identify the areas within their business that they can fine-tune and improve in order to contribute to driving action and change beyond their customer base alone?
FN: Finding ways to have a broader impact is about identifying the expertise and knowledge that resides in your business and thinking creatively about how to apply it in big and small ways.
A small example at Think HQ is the way we reimagined our intern program. We have a strong and long-standing commitment to diversity and inclusion, and deep expertise in engaging and communicating with multicultural communities. Looking at our intern program, we observed that it only benefited those who had the means to access higher education and saw the opportunity to introduce a paid community cadetship for candidates who want to work in an agency but don’t have the qualifications or means to make them eligible.
We also feel we have a responsibility to influence our own industry and have allocated more time in our marketing efforts towards engaging in an open, respectful and positive way to challenge our industry to think about purpose and impact.
Our founder and managing director, Jen Sharpe, spends a lot of time spreading the message of inclusive communications in industry and government forums, laying out the business case for a different approach. She has also been involved in challenging conversations about the need for the advertising industry itself to better reflect Australia. This is a vitally important part of our connection to B Corp’s vision for better business.
MM: B Corp is not just about environmental credentials, it’s about social and corporate culture, too. Why is it important to assess and benchmark internal systems and cultures?
AD: A big part of B Corp is the focus on how we build better businesses from the inside out. That’s why we assess and benchmark internal systems and culture. The true power of a business to benefit all stakeholders starts with considering how a business operates: its systems, cultures and processes. Donating surplus profits is always good, but reengineering a business to consider its impact throughout its value chain offers so much more potential.
This includes the idea of creating ethical spaces. We need to look at how businesses operate internally – how they treat their teams, who gets a seat at the table, who is heard, and whether their systems are designed to lift people up or leave them behind.
Justice, equity, diversity and inclusion (JEDI) are central to everything we do at B Lab. We believe in building a community of bold, visible business leaders who are actively anti-racist, anti-sexist and committed to dismantling the barriers that hold people back.
JEDI is more than a set of values: it’s how we build teams, grow leaders, and drive meaningful change in business and beyond. There is also a compelling and growing body of evidence showing businesses that actively seek out diverse perspectives are more resilient through economic cycles – put simply, it’s good for business.
MM: The pressure to do more with less is reaching a crescendo point for many business leaders, especially those in marketing and content creation. As a result, burnout is becoming more pervasive. Does B Lab have any initiatives that support this area?
AD: We appreciate that while driving purpose-led work can be deeply meaningful, it can also be demanding. At B Lab AANZ, we’re here to uplift and support businesses to grow in a way that energises their teams and strengthens their mission.
We provide ongoing support for both aspiring and Certified B Corps through tools like the B Impact platform, which helps measure and track progress. Our online training and events are also designed to tackle challenges, share learnings and help businesses move forward with clarity.
We also continue to partner with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise to run ‘Business for Good’ – a six-week program that helps Kiwi businesses track their social and environmental impact using the B Impact platform.
Our guidance for businesses looking to step up: You don’t have to tackle everything at once. Start with clear, purposeful goals. Progress, not perfection, is what creates lasting impact.
Fiona Nixon joined Think HQ in 2023. With 30 years of experience in senior leadership roles across multiple sectors, including financial, consultancy, public and not-for-profit, Nixon’s focus has always been nurturing purpose-driven brands.
Andrew Davies is a former corporate lawyer, business leader and golf course owner. Since becoming the CEO of B Corp AANZ six years ago, he has channelled his efforts into shifting the behavioural, cultural and structural underpinnings of capitalism.
