Nick Flynn, General Manager
When I joined Londale Solutions there was a tale that the founders named the company after an ambition to be able to buy a place in Point Lonsdale to retire to one day.
If you’ve never been, Point Lonsdale is a lovely little seaside village at the heads of Port Philip bay overlooking Point Nepean. For a seaside village there’s a really strong sense of community and people who have associations that go back many years, sometimes generations. Locals walk along the foreshore and drink their coffee overlooking the bay, having a chat with friends and checking in on their families, loved ones and grandkids. The lawn bowls and golf clubs are thriving community hubs. The ‘old Lonnie’ as it’s called is built on sand dunes and a Teatree forest and the locals are passionate advocates intimately connected to the environment they live in.
Coincidentally I happened to be there recently when we finally got notification that we’ve officially received our B Corp Certification!
This is the culmination of around 18 months of work after making a conscious decision to align with a for purpose business model that believes business can be a force for good. The ‘B’ stands for ‘Benefit’ and refers to companies that benefit not only shareholders but also their clients, employees, community and the environment. It’s less about shareholder primacy and more about making a positive and sustainable impact on all stakeholders.
There are only a handful of consultancies like us in the world. And only 400 Australian companies in Australia (out of 2m+ registered), and 4000 globally certified B Corps. It’s not that there are only that many companies out there doing good things, rather it’s really hard work to gain certification. It’s a badge steeped in trust, something that our clients can trust in knowing we’ll do what we say we’ll do.
Communities like Point Lonsdale thrive when they focus on supporting everyone not just a few. Just like Point Londale we’re committed to people, community and environment. As a B Corp we’ve made conscious decisions support our community and foster an inclusive culture where people can be their full-selves and provide a suite of benefits and training opportunities to help them achieve career aspirations. We’re committing a portion of our fees to philanthropy and this program run by our employees benefiting those less advantaged than ourselves; we’re working with local and underrepresented suppliers in our own supply chain; and we’re reducing our environmental impact by tracking and off-setting our carbon footprint. There’s a lot more we’re doing, and we’re trying to do better and improve as we go, it’s a long journey we’re committed to.
Whether the story about the beach house is true or not, I think there’s a nice serendipity between the name chosen and what we’ve grown to be. Both vibrant communities and both much more than just a beach house.
Nick