B Corp Month 2025 is almost over, but the importance of the movement and everything it stands for will outlive all of us.
We’ve been sharing a whole host of B Corp-related content on our LinkedIn channel throughout March. Now, to round off the month, we spoke to three of CP’s leaders to find out what it’s like to lead a B Corp business, and get their thoughts on this year’s theme: Gen B.
The theme celebrates the next generation of leaders in purpose-powered organisations. The individuals picking up the baton and carrying on this collective, never-ending mission against climate change.
So, without further ado, let’s hear from Nicoleta Voicu, Head of Sustainability, April Homer, Chief People Officer, and Ade Cheatham, CP’s CEO.
B CORP & CP’S FUTURE LEADERS
As Head of Sustainability at the UK’s largest accountancy B Corp and leader of our Sustainability Advisory offerings, Nicoleta knows the B Corp process, its importance, and how to guide a business through it better than most.
“Our B Keepers programme has been particularly useful in consistently managing and improving CP’s impact,” Nicoleta told us. “These are people from different departments working together to make sure we’re doing as much as we can to diminish our negative impact and increase our positive change. This helps with the B Corp process and recertification because it’s always on the agenda – but our B Keepers aren’t just about B Corp, they’re focused on impact as a whole.”
“In an ideal world, I would like the entire company to be involved in that,” she continued, “And the next generation of leaders should be involved more than anyone. I’ve already noticed far more young people are interested in sustainability than ever before, and the graduates and school leavers joining CP list it as a top priority when they’re choosing their workplace.”
Nicoleta also set up CP’s Sustainability Committee to crowdsource ideas and find out from our employees where we should focus when it comes to impact.
“This means our ideas aren’t just top-down,” she told us. “Everyone is contributing their thoughts, and when it’s a collective mission with no definitive answer, that’s really important.”
Nicoleta also mentioned that the B Corp article standards are changing. So, if you’re already a B Corp, or you’re working towards becoming one, keep that on your radar.
“The B Corp article standards received some challenges,” she explained. “Companies could perform really well in one area, for example how they treat employees, but have a poor impact on the environment and still score above the 80 points threshold. Under the new rules, you will have to meet certain standards in each of the five areas – governance, workers, community, environment and customers.”
“We first certified at the beginning of 2023 with a score of 84 points,” she continued, “And we’re on track to recertify with 104 points in February 2026, which would put us in the top 3 in terms of both size and score amongst UK service sector companies. The deadline to submit our impact assessment is August this year, which gives us enough time to go through a very rigorous verification process.”
HOW IMPORTANT IS B CORP IN RECRUITMENT?
April Homer, Chief People Officer, has been a leading figure in shaping CP’s culture for almost nine years, and she’s noticed some huge shifts.
“Once businesses get to a certain size, they have to put more focus on ESG,” she told us. “Irrespective of the size of the organisation you run or work in, if you’re not focusing on sustainability on all fronts, there will be talent that you will either not attract or lose. It’s so critical for people to work for a business that puts this at the heart of what they do in an ethical, responsible way. We don’t live in a world anymore where if you’re a bit climate conscious you won’t work for an oil company – people want and need to be working for a company making a positive change. When you couple wanting to do it because it’s the right thing with the battle for talent, it’s a non-negotiable.”
“Gen B is, in essence, every generation in the workplace,” she continued. “Even when we’re hiring Partners, they’re asking questions about what we’re doing from an ESG perspective. They care about it themselves, but they’ve also got children and grandchildren that they want to create a better world for.”
April also mentioned an initiative led by the catering team at our Sky View office this month.
“The other day we had the catering team doing a zero-waste menu,” she explained, “With a whole host of delicious food, all made from what would normally be waste food products, including watermelon rinds, cauliflower leaves and broccoli stems. It was such a nice touch and a fantastic example of the team educating people on how they can make positive changes on a smaller scale and replicate them in a home environment.”
FINALLY, A WORD FROM ADE, OUR CEO
Ade has been at the heart of the CP story for over 20 years, and CEO since 2014. When he first arrived, just after the millennium, we were as traditional as they came. Predominantly male, overwhelmingly pale and stale, we were accountants, by the book. Sustainability was barely an afterthought – let alone a cornerstone of business success. How times change, on all fronts.
“When I first joined CP,” he told us, “The business world and the world in general weren’t talking about or focusing on sustainability or ‘purpose’ in the way we do today. Fast forward to now, it’s pivotal to so much of what we do, and it’s woven tightly into our vision, culture and decision-making. It’s not just about compliance or ticking boxes, although that’s important as sustainability legislation becomes more wide-reaching and impactful. It’s about doing the right thing for our people, clients, communities and the planet – for this generation and those that follow.”
“As a parent myself, this is all really important to me,” he continued. “And at CP, we’ve committed to ambitious targets that will make us rethink how we work and who we work with at every level. Having Nicoleta and her Impact Beyond Business team driving that is incredibly valuable. Our impact is always front of mind. The whole outlook of the business is drastically different compared to 20 years ago. And long may that continue.”
