Sledge and SWM Partners have become Certified B Corporations, with the employee-owned agencies recording a B Impact Assessment score of 130 - well above the 80 points required for certification.
The announcement also sees Sarah Yeats promoted to group MD, with the new role intended to help take the business to the next stage of its sustainability strategy.
The B Corp certification follows an evidence-based assessment of the group’s operations across governance, workers, community, environment and customers. Its score of 130 compares with a median score of 50.9 for ordinary businesses, according to the agencies.
The certification, verified by B Lab, recognises companies that meet standards covering social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability, as well as demonstrating commitments beyond shareholder value.
Yeats, who has been promoted to group MD as the business works towards its sustainability vision, said the certification formalises an approach that the agencies have already been following.
“While we’ve been operating in line with B Corp, as well as several other industry-leading standards since the implementation of our Sustainability Management System (SMS) in 2024, becoming B Corp certified officialises our commitment to putting purpose alongside profits, and sustainability centre stage.
“As such, it’s very much business as usual at Sledge and SWM Partners, as we continue our focus on embedding sustainability into our entire business model, our culture and our events. The group’s B Corp status is an important milestone on this journey, and will only keep us even more accountable as we ensure compliance with its best practice standards and annual reporting requirements.”
The group said the certification reflects its approach to embedding social and environmental impact into its operations and core business, as well as its wider purpose-led model.
Sledge, founded in 1991, specialises in live events, meetings, conferences and film and content production, while SWM Partners is a global medical events and communications agency working with healthcare, pharma and biotech companies.
The Group is also working towards ISO 20121, the International Standard for Event Sustainability, and ISO 14001, the International Standard for Environmental Management.
The B Corp certification comes as both agencies continue to position sustainability as a central part of their operations and client work.
