“Contribute to transformative change” – EXO Travel’s Journey to B Corp Certification
As part of the B Corp movement, PAPER & PAGE is committed to transforming the global economy to benefit all people, communities, and the planet. In the 🌏 B Corp Spotlight 🔦 series, we talk to other Certified B Corporations that are changing the rules of the game here in Southeast Asia.
This time, we talked to Alexandra Michat, Chief Purpose Officer of EXO Travel, a travel agency that is at the leading edge of sustainable tourism. As a Certified B Corporation™, EXO Travel has a clear roadmap aimed at enhancing its positive impact on destinations, the environment, and all stakeholders involved.
P&P: What motivated you to explore the B Corp certification?
Alexandra Michat: Having held the Travelife certification since 2016 in most of our destinations, we have benefited from this tourism industry-focused certification. It has notably enhanced our internal processes and practices, particularly in relation to product development. We pursued the B Corp certification to enhance our company’s structure and governance, ensuring that all levels of our organization contribute to this transformative change. From our shareholders to all our employees, we wanted to bridge the gap between vision and intentions at all levels. The B Corp certification also promises broader networking opportunities outside our industry, connecting us with diverse partners.
P&P: What internal changes did your company make to become certified?
AM: To achieve the B Corp certification, we strengthened our training and career development initiatives and enhanced healthcare benefits across all locations. We focused on internal hiring and promotions and improved our impact measurements, particularly regarding our carbon footprint and community engagement programs.
P&P: How has B Corp benefited your company?
AM: B Corp certification has bolstered our credibility in sustainability, instilled pride in our employees and engaged our shareholders in our sustainability efforts. It has enforced our commitment to sustainability, providing clear indicators for tracking our progress and aligning daily tasks with sustainability goals. We all feel responsible for upholding our commitments and B Corp status. It has brought clarity and alignment on sustainability throughout the organization, engaging all departments in tracking specific indicators.
P&P: How has the certification affected employee recruitment?
AM: The certification has had a positive impact on employee recruitment, notably by making our offered benefits clearer and attracting talents who seek purposeful work. With the B Corp certification, we’ve expanded our pool of potential candidates, ensuring that new hires align with our core values.
P&P: Has it changed the way you approach clients or consider vendors?
AM: Our approach to selecting suppliers and clients has evolved, prioritizing those aligned with our sustainability values and B Corp requirements. This has strengthened our commitment to working with like-minded businesses.
P&P: Do you have any recommendations for other businesses looking to explore this certification?
AM: Though the certification process takes time, its value in establishing reputability makes it worthwhile.
P&P: Is there anything else you would like to add?
AM: While the criteria for the assessment may sometimes seem challenging or not perfectly aligned with our operations in a straightforward way, we anticipate adjustments over time and look forward to the evolution of the certification requirements.
If you’re a B Corp operating in Southeast Asia, our readers want to know! Reach out to us via hello@paperandpage.com if you’re interested in being featured in our B Corp Spotlight series, so other businesses can learn how you’re changing the rules of the game.
