“We are walking the talk” – PALO IT Thailand Techs the Box with B Corp Certification

P&P: What motivated you to explore B Corp certification?

Frederic Bernaroyat & Patchareeboon Sakulpitakphon: PALO IT Thailand’s vision is to wield technology as a catalyst for positive change. It’s about recognizing our interconnectedness and the responsibility we bear for the world we share. For us, B Corp certification is not just a “sustainability” certification; it’s a genuine way to show through our actions. As our Managing Director, Frederic Bernaroyat, emphasizes, “Our team is serious about our commitment to sustainability, and we are ‘walking the talk.’” Achieving B Corp Certification is also a testament to our collective commitment to a higher standard – a standard that values not only profits, but also people, the planet, and purpose.

P&P: What internal changes did your company make to become certified?

FB & PS: To gain certification, a minimum score of 80 out of 200 points is needed. PALO IT Thailand’s B Corp Profile page publicly shows our score of 81.6 and the details of our assessment. The strongest impact we generated among the five categories (governance, workers, community, environment, and customers) was our efforts and benefits for our staff. We also improved our carbon footprint practices, hazardous waste policy, and how we assess and measure our impact.

Source: PALO IT Thailand Facebook Page

P&P: How has B Corp benefited your company?

FB & PS: We are extremely pleased to be the first technology company in Thailand to achieve B Corp certification and join the B Corp community back in December 2023 – so very recently. To date, we have received positive feedback from our staff, clients, business partners, and the community.

P&P: How has the certification affected employee recruitment?

FB & PS: Our commitment to sustainability, action, and being a purpose-driven company – all of these aspects are very important to our current staff, and we know that they play a valuable role in attracting new talent. Due to our recent certification, we do not have recruitment data yet, but we can inquire about it with all future recruits. In a recent survey with our employees, 99% of staff fully supported our efforts to achieve B Corp certification. In addition, 100% of our staff are trained on sustainability, climate action, and creating positive impact. 

P&P: Has it changed the way you approach clients or consider vendors?

FB & PS: Yes, B Corp has given us more important points to consider in the selection of potential clients and vendors. For PALO IT Thailand, we have always prioritized high-impact opportunities, especially those that support the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, climate action, or improved well-being in society. One specific example is that we now assess all our vendors to see if they meet B Corp’s criteria for independent and local vendor status, among other factors.

P&P: Do you have any recommendations for other businesses looking to explore this certification?

FB & PS: For us, B Corp certification is a “sustainability” tool that we can use to assess our own performance and understand how we can improve and do better to ensure that we are indeed taking the most appropriate and/or responsible action for our staff, clients, community, and the environment. It is not a quick process, but we appreciate that it allows us to learn and improve our operations to minimize our negative impacts. We hope that other companies can also learn and do the same. 

P&P: Is there anything else you would like to add?

FB & PS: Enacting our mission, “crafting tech as a force for good,” we will continue to use technology to build sustainable solutions. We hope to also be active in the B Corp community within Thailand, ASEAN, and welcome collaborations with other like-minded companies and organizations. Please reach out to our Sustainability & Impact Lead, Patchareeboon Sakulpitakphon (Mam) at psakulpitakphon@palo-it.com.