WHY WE DID THIS
When we set up Oxbow Partners we wanted to do things differently – and better – than our established competitors. Part of our vision was to create a company culture that was inclusive and empowering from the start.
This ambition is partly commercial. As management consultants, we advise executives about how best to grow their companies. It is therefore sensible that our people should be business builders themselves, and not just analysts. Binding them into the strategy and decision-making processes of our firm is one way that we want to instil commercial nous into our team.
But the ambition is also driven by the values that we have as a team. It is a cliché, but nonetheless true, that a consulting business is only as good as its people, and to get the best people, we must offer the best working environment.
B Corp has allowed us to reflect on how we run the firm – our values, our policies, our staff engagement and more – and build a business where people like to work. We feel like B Corp will also provide us with helpful guardrails to steer the business as we scale rapidly.
And finally, we see the B Corp principles as ‘table stakes’ in the modern corporate world. As sustainability becomes an increasingly hot topic, we are being asked by our clients how we incorporate these principles in our business, and if we can help them with this topic. We feel that if you don’t walk the walk, you can’t talk the talk.
So, ultimately, given that the Oxbow Partners vision was aligned to the B Corp principles, it made sense to apply and seek accreditation.
