5: Strengthening Reputational Value

“How do we make sure that Boards of Directors are making informed decisions?” This question animates Helle Bank Jørgensen work as Founder and CEO of Competent Boards, which she started in 2019, and is the culmination of her decades of work at the forefront of sustainability, ESG, climate, and corporate responsibility. A company's ability to credibly impact society positively depends on its reputation which, in turn, depends on the actions of its Board, CEO, employees, and value chain partners. Helle brings a wealth of knowledge into her work with company boards as more of them embrace sustainability as a strategic imperative for their companies and the strengthening of their reputations as a by-product. She created the world's first Green Account, the world's first Integrated Report (that shows the connection across business operations, supply chains, and environmental impact), and was the principal organizer for the CEO and Investor Network on Business Ethics and Nonfinancial Reporting. She developed the first integrated supply chain for IKEA and she worked with Nike on how to embed sustainability into their business functions. She was recognized in 2019 with the Clean50 award.² Throughout her work Helle has seen where company sustainability efforts succeed or fail. Success happens when sustainability is embedded deep into a company's operations and processes and not simply treated as a project. Over the years she has cultivated meaningful relationships with leading CEOs and Boards, understands their issues, and helps them become proponents for sustainability issues. The timing of her work is more important than ever because the actions of our companies set a precedent, and the more that organizations act sustainably, the better the outcomes for businesses everywhere, for society, and for the environment.³