Insights from B4SI’s Social Impact in Action series – as shared by leading organisations in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

In May, B4SI kicked off its global Social Impact in Action in-person event series in Sydney and Melbourne.

The series brings together social impact practitioners from all sectors to explore what’s shaping the ‘S’ in ESG – sharing challenges, sparking ideas, and spotlighting real-world impact in an ever-evolving space.

In Sydney, we were thrilled to be hosted by the AMP Foundation, where a lively panel discussion featured Kate Roberts from Roche and Richard Fifer from Endeavour Group.

In Melbourne, we were generously hosted by SEEK, where Janet Liu from ANZ and Sally Mangan from SEEK shared insights on embedding impact into core business strategy.

In Brisbane, we were generously hosted by Suncorp, where Eliza Bale shared how the company approaches community investment aligned to business strategy. 

Across industries the events offered a wide range of insights. They highlighted that there isn’t a one-size-fits all approach to the same goal – maximising social impact achieved through business –  but clear themes across the sessions were:

• Impact measurement is essential to reinforce credibility and secure buy-in, both internally and externally. 

• A structured, credible framework helps embed social impact within the business, ensuring consistency across operations and transparent reporting. 

• Strategic integration, linking social impact to a company’s identity but also to business value, is key to make it sustainable and effective. 

• Whatever the business makes or does, the social impact challenges are universal 

ANZ 

Janet Liu, Head of Social Impact and Community Partnerships,showcased how ANZ’s purpose, to help people and communities thrive, is more than words: it’s operationalised through targeted investments in financial wellbeing, affordable housing, and environmental sustainability. With over 20 years of B4SI-aligned reporting, their approach is streamlined and deeply embedded within the business. Janet emphasised the importance of clearly linking social outcomes with business value, and their recent internal studies proved how volunteering programs boost retention and job satisfaction. A strong business case, paired with external credibility, ensures programs gain internal buy-in and withstand pressure during tough decisions.

Endeavour Group  

Richard Fifer, Head of Responsible Business and Community, shared how social connection is core to the company’s purpose and culture, especially with venues at the heart of local communities. Given the nature of their business, maintaining a social license to operate is critical, particularly in addressing sensitive issues like mental health and alcohol-related harm. This means being transparent, responsible, and responsive to community concerns. Richard explained how Endeavour Group leverages data to shape and refine their community programs. While capturing impact data isn’t always easy, the B4SI Framework helps Endeavour Group identify what to measure and why – providing structure, focus, and a more credible approach to managing and communicating their community investment.

Roche 

Kate Roberts, Corporate Affairs Partners & Sustainability Lead, described how sustainability at Roche is deeply embedded in their business model – it’s not an add-on, but a core part of their identity. Guided by six strategic pillars, their approach focuses on developing long-term partnerships that have the potential to create positive ripple effects in the community. Kate explored how impact measurement is critical, not just for accountability, but to secure ongoing support and funding. While data quality can be a challenge, Roche uses the B4SI Framework to standardise their approach – bringing greater consistency, credibility, and insight to their impact measurement. 

SEEK 

Sally Mangan, Senior Sustainability Manager, shared how social impact is embedded at the heart of their business and sustainability strategy. To better frame their community investment efforts, SEEK adopted the B4SI Framework, valuing its structure, clarity, and alignment with leading Australian peers. Operating across eight marketplaces across APAC, SEEK acknowledges that impact maturity varies across the region. Through B4SI, they’re building a consistent, credible approach to social impact measurement. Sally emphasised the importance of starting simple, recognising that strong data comes with time, and assurance for social data is just as vital as environmental data reporting.  

Suncorp 

Eliza Bale, Manager, Community, presented how continued work with a discrete set of partners allows the company to align its investments with its strategic social impact pillars and implement learning and evaluation year on year. In 2024, the company became a pureplay insurer, and having clear data from across the organisation, enabled by B4SI, was key for the Community team to assess the alignment of its investments to the new shape of the business, provide clarity to senior management and ensure continued alignment with overall business strategy and priorities. Looking into the future, Suncorp hopes to continue building capacity in their partners to measure and report outputs and impacts consistently to tell its story with data. 

What stood out across both sessions was the growing recognition that a credible, consistent framework is essential for securing leadership buy-in, demonstrating the value of community investment, and driving continuous improvement through robust data. A strong framework like B4SI helps organisations focus on what matters, evidence impact, and speak confidently with stakeholders who may not otherwise prioritise social impact.  

• The next in-person events in our Social Impact in Action series will take place in Brisbane, London and Madrid. Reach out to the B4SI team at mail@b4si.net if you are interested in attending, and to learn more about joining the network.