AvS Advisors: Excellent Leaders Shaping Sustainable Futures

Aligning Purpose with Practice: AvS Advisors’ B Corp Journey

In 2023, AvS Advisors embarked on a journey to become a certified B Corporation, driven by its vision to promote long-term and sustainable solutions in strategic leadership and governance matters. This decision marked a pivotal moment in the organization’s history, realizing that B Corp values and consulting practice are already in alignment with the firm’s internal standards of social and environmental responsibility. The board of directors and the team united around the goal of integrating B Corp principles while staying true to core values, with all partners, consultants, and associates formalizing the firm’s commitment to pioneering sustainability through thoughtful design and strategic alignment of talent. 

However, turning this vision into reality required navigating a resource-intensive and demanding process. AvS Advisors quickly recognized the substantial effort needed, in particular the preparation of missing documents and policies to confirm the firm’s positive practices, extensive information gathering, and necessary adjustments to the governance structure. The rigorous B Impact Assessment (BIA), developed by B Lab, offers the opportunity to businesses measure and manage their social and environmental impact, serving as a key part of the B Corp Certification process. Over the course of five months, the leadership team worked closely with B Lab Switzerland, engaging in multiple discussions to evaluate resource implications and prioritize key focus areas to reach more than 80 points across impact areas including our governance, our workers, our customers, the community in which we operate and the environment.

By obtaining the B Corp certification in January 2024, the company set a new standard for how management consulting services can integrate purpose and environmental responsibility, reinforcing its commitment to ethical governance and meaningful client relationships.

Uniting Internal Commitment and External Impact for a Better Future

Fostering Transformative Leadership from the Inside Out

As ONE TEAM, we thoughtfully assessed the impact of the B Corp certification on our operations and core values. Our strong foundational principles and robust internal frameworks reaffirmed that this accreditation would formalize our commitment to sustainable practices while driving continuous improvement. The BIA assessment enabled us to document and enhance our internal practices in alignment with B Corp standards, highlighting ethical leadership, environmental stewardship, and transparency in corporate governance. These documents included the formalization of our beliefs, values, mission as well as policies including the travel policy, a code of ethics, a list of preferred suppliers, the tracking of our energy and waste consumption and more. This milestone solidified our internal procedure on good governance and reputation as trusted advisors to family businesses and privately held companies, demonstrating our dedication to long-term impact and responsible practices. Both our clients and employees – and especially the “NextGen” leaders – appreciate our approach and methodology, which align seamlessly with their social and environmental aspirations.

As ONE TEAM we believe in the power of excellent leadership to drive meaningful change. Our certification journey engaged every level of the firm – from consultants and researchers to project managers and assistants – fostering a collaborative spirit that strengthened our shared purpose. Cross-functional teams took ownership of creating and documenting policies, reflecting our belief that meaningful sustainability requires a collective commitment and understanding. This approach empowered our team, deepened their pride, and underscored our dedication to service excellence – a cornerstone of our ‘client-first’ philosophy. A notable milestone in our B Corp journey was engaging deeply with the B Corp community by sharing experiences in governance practices, our passion for leadership in sustainability and new business opportunities. Furthermore, we were able to welcoming Lorna Davis, a renowned sustainability advocate, B Corp ambassador and former CEO of Danone North America, to our Supervisory Board. Her wealth of experience and commitment to purpose-driven leadership align seamlessly with our values, furthering our mission to support entrepreneurs and business owners while advancing the B Corp Movement. 

Guiding Businesses to Lead with Purpose and Responsibility

Through our collaboration with family-owned and owner-led businesses on governance challenges, mediation, C-level succession and integration, and executive search, we’ve learned the importance of fostering leadership practices that are both enduring and purpose-driven. Grounded in principles of good governance, transparency, and a commitment to social and environmental responsibility, our methodology continues to guide both our client relationships and the way we operate daily.

A cornerstone of our methodology has always been looking beyond technical expertise to evaluate leadership potential and essential social competencies like resilience and empathy – an approach further strengthened through our commitment to B Corp standards. By embedding these principles into our processes, we aim to contribute to a broader movement toward ethical governance, inclusive leadership, and sustainable impact.

This approach has helped us support leaders in navigating the complexities of privately held businesses, especially during pivotal moments like succession planning and leadership transitions. By implementing leadership development, diversity in governance structures or inclusive and ethical business practices, AvS Advisors is staying true to our commitment to purposeful leadership, we enable businesses to foster trust, inspire positive change, and create lasting value for their organizations, their communities, and the planet.

Our Lessons learned

1. Reinforcing values through structured commitment
   Our B Corp certification journey reaffirmed our core values of being leaders for leaders, drivers of excellence, acting with integrity and a global perspective while providing a structured approach to formalizing our commitment to sustainability. To progress sustainably, B Corp enabled us to enhance our governance structure, align internal policies with B Corp standards, strengthening our environmental stewardship, transparency, and leadership framework. This process enhanced clarity and accountability, laying a strong foundation for lasting impact and the basis for continuous progress for our recertification in 2027.

2. Balancing operational demands with ambitious goals
   Pursuing B Corp certification meant balancing daily operations with the demands of the certification process. From redesigning workflows to formalizing documentation, the journey demonstrated immediate positive impact in our daily operations and highlighted the value of cross-functional collaboration and adaptability. By engaging employees at all levels, we not only achieved our goals but also cultivated a culture of ownership, pride, and shared purpose.

3. Sustainability starts at the core
   Sustainability cannot be an afterthought – it must be rooted in the core structures of governance and leadership. This is especially critical for family-owned and owner-led businesses, where 70% fail to transition successfully to the second generation. By embedding sustainable practices into operations, governance, and leadership, organizations can not only navigate these transitions but also thrive across generations. Our journey underscored the importance of aligning purpose with governance to achieve lasting success.

 For more information: avs-advisors.com