Expression from Leadership

Here I just thought everyone should read this and think about it for a little while.



Letter from the Principals




Dear Friends,

As we were writing our 2nd annual sustainability report, we were also planning for a monumental business milestone. This year, in 2011, we are proud to celebrate BrownFlynn’s 15th anniversary. While “time changes things” we have found that, our commitment to corporate responsibility has not wavered. To demonstrate the deep connection between sustainability and our business, we are tying the release of our 2009/2010 sustainability report to our anniversary celebration. Furthermore, after 15 years in business, we decided to challenge our readers to imagine the possibilities of “15 minutes of sustainability.”

If you were given an extra 15 minutes today, what would you do with it? Would you sleep more or work out longer? Would you spend more time with your family or finish that report for your boss? Would you take that extra couple of minutes to turn off all the lights and electronics in the house before leaving or sort through the items that can be recycled from breakfast, lunch and dinner?

At BrownFlynn, we define sustainability as the integration of three pillars: People, Planet and Prosperity. We have integrated this triple-bottom-line thinking into our operations and built a business around guiding companies in developing strategies that are focused on their social, environmental and economic impacts. Believe it or not, if you answered “yes” to any of the questions above, you are in one way or another, thinking about or engaging in sustainable practices. Thank you—that’s a great start! And, for those of you that spend more than 15 minutes a day, or week, or month, or year devoted to sustainability—thank you as well and please continue your dedicated efforts. As you will read throughout this report, the impacts of “15 minutes of sustainability” can be life-changing.

This past year, we have seen many “minutes of fame” for sustainability. From Dodd-Frank passing both Houses to the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, “sustainability” has seen its name in the headlines. And, as companies begin to realize the top-line and bottom-line benefits of integrating environmental, social and governance impacts into their strategies, “sustainability” will endure. BrownFlynn expects the trends, stakeholder pressures and reputational benefits of sustainability to increase for the foreseeable future and we remain committed to helping our clients keep pace with these business expectations.

At the same time, we will continue to live our motto of “doing well by doing good.” We will try to inspire our stakeholders, and all of you, to think about sustainability every day so that in the end, everyone wins.

Now…what will you do with your 15 minutes of sustainability?

Sincerely,



Barb Brown & Margie Flynn

All it takes is 15 minutes. Maybe doing your laundry with cold water maybe only having a 5 minute shower. Making sure you recycle and compost. Funny to think you could help shape the world in that little time.
Jamie G