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Butler/Till was introduced to the idea of becoming a B Corp in 2015 when we acquired a small marketing consultancy that did a lot of work in the energy space. Being a B Corp was really important to those employees, and with just a little bit of homework, we realized that the values involved in the certification process were the same values wed woven into our DNA since our founding. The B Corp designation has become a kind of shorthand for a purpose-driven company that balances profits with people and the planet. The designation is not 100% altruistic, nor should it be. B Corps are for-profit companies that believe you can do business for good and that your employees, your clients, and your business all benefit when you do. We are just finishing up the recertification process, which is required every three years. While it can be a challenging process, it pushes us to reevaluate our commitment to corporate social responsibility across five areas: community, governance, customers, environment, and workers. At Butler/Till, this is not a top-down process; it is spearheaded by a dedicated committee of employees who want to ensure we stay true to our values every day. The problem with B Corp certification In recent years, B Corp certification has come under fire from within the community. In 2022, a group of B Corp organizations sent an open letter to B Lab, the nonprofit organization behind the process, protesting the certification of a multinational company with a history of child labor issues and anti-environmental practices. The letter pointed out flaws in the certification process, suggesting it had become susceptible to exploitation for greenwashing purposes and demanding changes. In response, B Lab acknowledged these concerns and published a set of new rules in April to rectify the situation. While the rewriting of these rules took longer than expected, Dr. Bronnersone of the companies that signed the letter in 2022decided not to wait. Earlier this year, the company publicly announced it would be relinquishing its B Corp status when it expires near the end of 2025 and that it would be taking the B Corp logo off of its products. The founders explained, Sharing the same logo and messaging regarding being of benefit to the world with large multinational CPG companies with a history of serious ecological and labor issues, and no comprehensive or credible eco-social certification of supply chains, is unacceptable to us. I applaud their conviction for a just and sustainable planet, but I think their decision to denounce the system rather than stay and fix it is shortsighted. The letter pointed to other highly successful companies committed to justice and sustainability, notably Patagonia and Ben & Jerrys, as examples of those doing it right. The not-so-subtle message here is that the 8,000+ companies that have invested the time and resources to become certified B Corps are not doing it right or not doing enough. Work together to do good This you cant be us message is the opposite of the inclusivity organizations seek when they commit to becoming a B Corp. Were in a moment in this country when companies face backlash for DEI efforts, and the need for corporate social responsibility of any kind is being questioned. This is not the time to give up on efforts to do business in a better way. If anything, employees need us to lean in more than ever. The B Corp values of working together to do good are engraved into our ethos. We make a conscious effort to create an environment where people get to do their best work, feel fulfilled, acknowledged, and respected, and earn a good living doing it. We are also a 100% ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan), meaning that the company is fully employee-owned. This keeps us independent and allows us to make decisions that are truly in the best interest of our clients and also happen to be in the best interests of our employee-owners. Weve also committed to spending a certain portion of our dollars with like-minded, minority-owned, women-owned businesses, including other B Corps and other ESOPs. Social good is ingrained in everything we do. B Corp certification helps us solidify and display that commitment to our employees, our clients, our partners, and our community. Giving that up because the process is not perfect would be steps backward versus forward. Throwing away certification isnt the answer Its easy to call people outits practically all anyone does on social media these daysbut purity tests arent useful. B Labs process may certainly be flawed. Companies are scored in each area, and then the results are averaged. This means a low score in one area, like customers or governance, could be essentially ignored if the scores in other areas were high enough. I certainly hope that B Lab’s new rules fix this glaring error in calculation, but throwing the certification away entirely is not the answer. The truth is that most companies do not meet the existing metric. Isnt it better to call them in versus out and give them something to strive for than to declare that theres a small club of pure companies out there that they can never belong to, even if they try? Kimberly Jones is CEO of Butler/Till.
Category:
E-Commerce
The loudest voices may seem like they rise above the clamor. But success and sustained growth in business and in life takes people strong enough to listen. As the president of Chubb Life Hong Kong and head of North Asia for the past three years, Ive embraced a business strategy centered around agility, diversity, and yesproactive listening and learningfrom the key stakeholders affected by my decisions. That includes the community that surrounds me, and from the deeper ties that bind us all. Here are four key lessons Ive learned along the way: #1: Life is full of taboos. Confront them. Diversity is an ongoing action, not a checklist item to be ticked off. In our recent PR, marketing campaigns, and product launches, weve taken on calculated risks head-on and dared to be inclusive by confronting societal taboos in Hong Kong and beyond. In a nod to Hong Kongs shifting population demographics and rapidly evolving definition of family, our Every Way of Legacy campaign called for a new definition of legacy: one based on each individuals unique path and values rather than rote social expectations. We brought this ethos to the fore with innovative products like the citys first insurance plan to offer legacy planning for LGBTQ+ couples. #2: Difficult conversations are waiting. Start one. Life insurance as an industry is rife with possibility and rich with meaning. Its also a minefield for conversations that many people find difficult. However, Ive found that the most challenging dialogues are often the most rewarding. In HK, death is something we just dont talk about. Responses from our early marketing research surveys show that 71% of Hong Kongers have yet to talk about death and end-of-life planning with their loved ones. Therefore, last year we painted the question Whats your wish? quietly on the streets across Hong Kong to ignite the conversations and built a series of events and social media campaigns around this. As a grand finale of the campaign, we presented Conversations of Life: Every Wish Lasts at Art Basel Hong Kong 2025, an immersive experience that encouraged participants from all walks of life to open up about what they hoped to leave behind for the next generation. By asking guests to think about their final wishes, we were actually challenging them to dream up brighter futures for themselves and their loved onesand start living out those values today. #3: Companies are part of communities. Join them. At its heart, business is about connectionfrom our clients to the communities that surround us. Growth is never possible without acknowledging where you live, where you came from, and where youre headed next. Weve immersed ourselves fully in local and international communities. From sponsoring Coleman Wongthe first Hong Kong tennis player to win a match at the ATP Masters 1000to backing events like a YouTube music event, Ultimate Song Chart Awards, special screening for the blockbuster movie The Last Dance, launching Chubb Life Art Gallery, supporting the exhibition Picasso for Asia: A Conversation at M+, and Art Basel, weve sought to embrace our brand philosophy, enabling Every Way of Life by materially supporting the artists who tell our collective stories. #4: Every voice counts. Count them. When I joined Chubb Life Hong Kong in 2022, a key priority was enhancing staff retention. By opening up a two-way dialogue and meeting our employees needsfrom an agile, collaborative workspace to improved benefits centered around holistic well-being and work-life balancewe were able to cut that rate nearly in half within just a year. The principle of the power of listening extends far beyond the workplace. We recently overhauled our underwriting efforts by leveraging insights from our focus groups. These opinions also served as a springboard for our recent array of product launches (with eight released in 2024 alone and two in Q1 2025, including a digital-only product). By considering our clients unique pain points and needs in an ever-changing world, weve been able to tailor our solutions to themnot the other way around. After all, the boldest moves and best paradigm shifts dont start with the loudest voices; they start with listening ears. Belinda Au is president of Hong Kong and head of North Asia for Chubb Life.
Category:
E-Commerce
Recent tariff announcements have caused significant disruption across global markets and economies. Subsequent changes and postponementsincluding negotiations between major economies like China and the U.S.offer a welcome step towards resolution. But the initial uncertainty has already prompted impacted countries to diversify their trade partnership from long-standing trade allies in order to reduce dependence on a single market. In the short term, this volatility has created a significant headache for business leaders grappling with the costs and pricing of goods and services. However, this very uncertainty also presents unique opportunities, especially for emerging markets, particularly in Africa, to forge new trade relationships and strengthen their economic positions. A rare opportunity for Africa to forge its own path On one hand, escalating trade restrictions could further marginalize developing economies. On the other hand, they present a rare moment for Africa to forge its own path and build a future anchored in the open flow of trade, ideas, innovations, cross-border collaboration, and digital empowerment within its borders. Fortunately, private and public sector leaders on the continent have been actively putting in place measures to further grow trade within itself, both as a powerful engine for economic expansion and as a vital strategy to protect against external shocks such as tariffs. With the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) now gaining momentum and a growing digital economy taking shape, the continent has the tools to chart its own course. The AfCFTA has already significantly increased intra-continental trade since its official commencement on January 1, 2021. According to Afreximbanks Africa Trade Report 2024,[1] intra-African trade rose to $192.2 billion in 2023, a 3.2% increase from the previous year, despite global economic challenges. The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa anticipates a 35% increase[2] in intra-African trade by 2045, after AfCFTA is fully implemented. Challenges to increasing intra-African trade Despite the promise of AfCFTA, significant barriers continue to hinder robust intra-African trade, whether through traditional channels or digitally enabled transactions. These challenges include fragmented payment systems, inconsistent regulatory frameworks, and complex cross-border logistics. This has contributed to Africa’s historically low intra-African trade, which was about 18% of its total trade in 2022, compared to 59% for Asia and 68% for Europe.[3] Payments are trades lifeblood Africa must be able to trade with itself quickly, affordably, and securely. When payments move across borders with ease, so do goods, ideas, services, opportunities, and people. This is not just about convenience or merely advocating for fintech adoption; it is about the transformation of how we trade. A trader in Nairobi selling goods to customers in Accra must be able to receive payment as easily, if not easier, than if they were in London or New York. Similarly, a major multinational looking to tap into Africa’s young and growing consumer base needs payment systems that handle complex, high-volume transactions just like in their home markets. The future of intra-African trade depends on our ability to make such transactions as intuitive and reliable as the click of a button. When paying and getting paid for intra-African trade becomes seamless, we will see faster growth of regional value chains, a more efficient distribution of locally manufactured goods, and the emergence of more African brands competing globally. Essentially, with the necessary support for an open economy in Africa, we increase not just the volume but also the value of trades within Africa, building economic resilience for shared prosperity. What we must do First, we must ensure payment system interoperability so that businesses can transact seamlessly across borders, without the hindrance of friction or currency barriers. This is critical because, while African countries have developed efficient local payment networks tailored to their needs, these systems do not interact well across borders, limiting our potential to trade more internally and withstand global economic shocks. Second, we need to align policies across governments to create an environment where innovation thrives and cross-border commerce flows effortlessly. This includes, but is not restricted to, a review of policies on customs and barriers to trade, and logistics (inter-country shipping, freight, and flights). Lastly, a critical step involves significant investment in physical infrastructure, particularly in addressing inadequate transportation networks (roads, rail, and ports) and resolving unreliable energy supplies. Together, these efforts will reduce the continents external dependency, making it easier for businesses to grow within Africa and beyond, creating an economic firewall that protects us from external shocks. Now is the time to double down on openness, not retreat from it; Africas future depends on it. Olugbenga “GB” Agboola is CEO of Flutterwave.
Category:
E-Commerce
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