In 2007, having met and become friends while working in Asia, Pierre Francois Thaler and Frederic Trinel co-founded business sustainability ratings leader EcoVadis.  With a shared passion to start a business that would make a positive impact on the planet & society, and with a deep understanding of the procurement and technology domains, they recognized an opportunity to fill an urgent need. It is essential for all companies to effectively manage sustainability impacts across their supply chains, but many lack the insights and know-how to do so effectively at scale.  

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By 2023, Thaler and Trinel grew EcoVadis to become the world’s most trusted business sustainability ratings provider, having assessed more than 100,000 companies in over 175 countries and 200 industries.  Formalizing its commitment as a “Purpose Led” company in 2022 to guide all companies toward a sustainable world, EcoVadis envisions a global marketplace where sustainability intelligence influences every business decision that improves economies, people’s lives and the planet we all depend on. Central to this mission is to provide reliable, globally recognized sustainability ratings and insights that enable all companies to reduce risk, drive improvement and accelerate positive impact on our planet and society.

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From its earliest days as a startup, to achieving unicorn status in June of 2022 with a valuation of over $1 billion, Thaler and Trinel have focused on building a values-driven culture where the company’s 1,700 employees around the globe share a collective passion for making a positive impact..

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In this feature you will learn more about how Thaler and Trinel overcame challenges to build a global network of customers whose combined annual procurement spend of more than $2.6 trillion has the power to make real impact at scale. They discuss how taking a “net positive” approach by considering all stakeholders – customers, investors, employees, suppliers, and more, while actively measuring results and working to improve sustainability practices at scale can lead to positive outcomes.  This includes bottom line impacts, as indicated in a recent study by Bain & Company which analyzed the correlation between sustainability maturity and financial performance of over 100,000 companies that EcoVadis assessed.

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The challenges we face are massive and require constant innovation to achieve success. You’ll hear about new tools that EcoVadis is developing and enhancing to support its customers like a Carbon Action Module to engage suppliers to drive decarbonization across the supply chain and the EcoVadis Academy learning management platform that helps develop sustainability practices and improve performance.  

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After spending a moment with the visionary leaders of EcoVadis, you’ll have a better sense of how a commitment to solid fundamentals and the maxim “measure what you manage” can provide a path to a more sustainable future. 

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