MEA Q4 2018

10 MEA MARKETS / Q4 2018 , Marmalade Fishwas formed in 2015 to awaken consciousness in business and fundamentally change the way employees and customers engage with organisations. Recently, we profiled the firm to discover more about how they stay ahead of the game is this dynamic industry. Ambition Delivered Since their inception in 2015, Marmalade Fish has impacted 300,000 people, working across governments and the aviation, transportation, pharmaceutical, technology, SaaS, financial services, and energy sectors, operating out of Hubs in UK and Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific. You might be wondering, “Why the name Marmalade Fish?” The Koi fish has a powerful and energetic life force, demonstrated by its ability to swim against currents and travel upstream. All it takes is for one to turn away from the school in order to create a new pathway for others to follow. The orange koi challenges the status quo, its bright colours representing energy, vibrancy and uniqueness. Marmalade Fish is driven by a belief that for a business to create a sustainable future, investment must be made in human capabilities alongside technology. The firm of 35 associates are made up of global leadership experts, passionate about the power of responsible business as a force for social good. Their services include: • Values alignment and culture change • Top team effectiveness sessions • Away days and team off- sites • Leadership development programmes • Consulting • Executive and systemic coaching Several recent cases surrounding companies’ principles have arisen in the news and are highlighting that the time and need for change is now. According to the recent Gallup State of the Global Workplace survey, only 15% of employees are engaged at work. CEOs are fast recognising that companies have reached a melting point where, not being intentional about culture, is no longer tenable. Samie Al-Achrafi, CEO of Marmalade Fish, commented, “Organisations need to think long-term about how they create a culture that makes it more likely that people at every level of the organisation will make ethically sound decisions. If any leader wonders whether it is worth the effort, there are many studies have shown that purpose-led and values-aligned companies outperform their competitors by up to 10 times.” Marmalade Fish has created the first dashboard to measure the efficiency and effectiveness of prioritising values and culture as a business enabler. It has demonstrated that this approach drove positive outcomes including improved succession plans, better workforce diversity, increased staff performance and higher standards of service delivery. One client reported a 35% improvement in employee engagement year on year, while another witnessed a 22% drop in employee turnover. In 2017, a major financial services company met its obligations to the US Department of Justice under a deferred prosecution agreement, successfully demonstrating a shift in its corporate culture. The manufacturing division of a global pharmaceutical company moved from the bottom to top quartile for safety reporting across 18-months, as employees took personal ownership for living the company’s values and purpose. A joint venture wanted 1810ME02 to refresh its values after 15 years of operations and create a more intentional culture. The values and culture programmes received 99% advocacy, which saw the organisation secure US1.2 billion dollars of funding for expansion and create 275 new jobs in the local community. Marmalade Fish is the first and only certified B Corporation in the Gulf region, becoming a beacon for the highest ethical standards across supplier relations, diversity, and involvement in the local community. The certification also measures the company’s practices and policies around community service and charitable giving, of which Marmalade Fish is committed to donating 5% of its revenues (not just profits) every year to charitable causes. In 2018, they were awarded “Best for the World – Community”, placing the company in the top 10% of companies in the world for their focus on the global community. “Companies like Marmalade Fish exemplify what it means for a business to be a good citizen,” says Jay Coen Gilbert, co-founder of B Lab. “‘Best for the World’ is the only list of businesses that uses comprehensive, comparable, third-party-validated data about a company’s social and environmental performance. As consumers, talent and investors increasingly demand transparent, values-aligned businesses to buy from, work at and invest in, companies will need to not just the best in the world but the best for the world.”