At Aspen Medical, we passionately believe in having a social purpose. This runs deeper than traditional corporate social responsibility – we aim to create a better world by the very act of conducting business and to be a positive force in society. Our social purpose is embedded into operational and strategic decision making.
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Founded by Glenn Keys AO in 2003, Canberra-based company Aspen Medical has become one of the world’s leading providers of healthcare solutions, particularly in remote, challenging and under-resourced locations. Keys is passionate about the role businesses can play in bringing about positive impact by embedding social purpose in their strategies and decision-making processes.
As a company on the frontline of the global fight against COVID-19, I’m regularly asked what the post-COVID world will be like. Anybody who knows me knows I’m the glass half full guy, an eternal optimist. I am enthusiastic about the future. I believe it is a future where a new vision for corporate governance sees companies integrate social purpose into their very reason for being.
At Aspen Medical, we passionately believe in having a social purpose. This runs deeper than traditional corporate social responsibility – we aim to create a better world by the very act of conducting business and to be a positive force in society. Our social purpose is embedded into operational and strategic decision making.
What does that look like?
First, you’ve got to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. By that, I mean being prepared to be audited and certified. Since 2016, Aspen Medical has been certified by B Corp, an independent, international organisation that certifies businesses that meet high standards of social and environmental performance, public transparency and legal accountability. It’s essentially a “Fair Trade” mark for organisations. So, B Corps are an emerging group of companies using the power of business to create a positive impact on the world and generate a shared and durable prosperity for all.
We’re not alone – there are many Australian companies walking the walk as certified B Corps. A good example is SilverChef, a company that provides flexible equipment finance for hospitality businesses. SilverChef also works with Opportunity International, which provides microloans to help people build a future for themselves, their families and their communities. In partnership with Opportunity International, SilverChef has helped 1.5 million people out of poverty.
So, what are the pillars on which our social purpose is built?
We are a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact: the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative. We commit to doing business responsibly by aligning our strategies and operations with the Compact’s principles on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.
We are committed to the advancement of and partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, through our Reconciliation Action Plan. A percentage of Aspen Medical’s profits goes to the Aspen Foundation; medical, nursing and allied health scholarships for First Nations people are a key focus.
We are committed to creating a culture that is diverse and inclusive, including through real action around gender equity. Over the past 18 months, 86 per cent of promotions within our business have gone to our female colleagues. Today, our senior management team is a fifty-fifty split. We are also committed to providing employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
Outside of my family and Aspen Medical, my other great passion is Project Independence, which we founded 10 years ago. A new model of home ownership, Project Independence provides people with an intellectual disability the opportunity to acquire equity in a property and to live as independently as possible.
Finally, we are committed to preventing human rights abuses. Aspen Medical has provided a statement in response to the Modern Slavery Act 2018, outlining the actions we will take to ensure that its principles form part of our strategy, culture and day-to-day operations.
In the 1989 film Dead Poets Society, Robin Williams’ character says to his students: “…medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.”
Return on investment, debt-equity ratios and cashflow forecasts are noble pursuits to keep a business functioning. But it is social purpose that gets us up in the morning.
Glenn Keys AO
Founder and Executive Chairman
Aspen Medical
Aspen Medical is a CSO Gold Partner. The CSO thanks Aspen Medical for providing expert guidance in the delivery of COVID-safe concert experiences.
Learn more at www.aspenmedical.com
