The B Team
| Company type | Nonprofit coalition |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sustainability, Business advocacy |
| Founded | 2013 |
| Founder | Sir Richard Branson, Jochen Zeitz |
Area served | International |
Key people | Jesper Brodin (Chair), Leah Seligmann (CEO and Chief Change Catalyst) |
| Products | Advocacy for sustainable business practices |
The B Team represents an international nonprofit coalition co-founded by Sir Richard Branson and Jochen Zeitz, dedicated to promoting business approaches that prioritize human well-being and environmental sustainability.
History
Established in 2013, The B Team emerged from a collaboration of leaders spanning civil society, sustainability, economic sectors, and entrepreneurship. This initiative was inspired by workshops influenced by Lester Brown and the B Corporation movement. They developed the concept of 'Plan B' as an alternative to conventional business strategies ('Plan A'), aiming to motivate corporate leaders worldwide to embrace sustainable methods.
The initiative was nurtured within Virgin Unite, the charitable foundation of the Virgin Group, which also backs entities such as The Elders (organization) and the Carbon War Room. Announced in October 2012 by Branson and Zeitz, Derek Handley—co-founder of The Hyperfactory—served as its inaugural CEO. Since then, The B Team has grown to include over 32 influential leaders and is currently chaired by Jesper Brodin, CEO of Ingka Group (IKEA).
In October 2024, Leah Seligmann took on the role of CEO and Chief Change Catalyst, following Halla Tómasdóttir’s departure to pursue the 2024 Icelandic presidential election.
Leaders
Among the original B Team members are distinguished figures such as Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Group founder and Co-Chair of The B Team; Kathy Calvin, President and CEO of the United Nations Foundation; Christiana Figueres, Convener of Mission 2020; and Paul Polman, former CEO of Unilever. Additional notable executives include François-Henri Pinault, CEO of Kering; Ratan Tata, Chairman Emeritus of the Tata Group; and Jochen Zeitz, Founder of The Zeitz Foundation and Co-Chair of The B Team.
In 2015, prominent leaders like Marc Benioff, Salesforce.com’s Founder and CEO; Sharan Burrow, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation; Bob Collymore, CEO of Safaricom; and David Crane, ex-CEO of NRG Energy, joined the organization.
By mid-2016, executives including Oliver Bäte, CEO of the Allianz Group; Andrew Liveris, Chairman and CEO of Dow Chemical Company; and Arif Naqvi, Founder and Group CEO of Abraaj Group became part of The B Team leadership.
The group further expanded in 2018 with business figures such as Emmanuel Faber, Chairman and CEO of Danone; Indra Nooyi, former CEO and Chairman of PepsiCo; Isabelle Kocher, CEO of Engie; and Hamdi Ulukaya, Founder and CEO of Chobani joining its ranks.
In 2020, The B Team welcomed Hiro Mizuno, CIO of Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF); Torben Möger Pedersen, CEO of PensionDanmark; Jesper Brodin, CEO of Ingka Group; and Jean Oelwang, Founding CEO of Virgin Unite.
New members in 2021 included Ester Baiget, President and CEO of Novozymes; Ilham Kadri, CEO and President of Solvay S.A.; Joseph Kenner, President and CEO of Greyston Bakery; along with Van Jones, CNN contributor and founder of Dream Corps.
Recent incorporations during 2023 were Jacqueline Novogratz, founder and CEO of Acumen, alongside Juan Carlos Mora, CEO of Bancolombia. In 2024, Ryan Gellert (CEO of Patagonia), Jessica Sibley (CEO of TIME), and José Manuel Entrecanales (Chairman and CEO of ACCIONA) joined The B Team.
This collective embodies a strategic leadership framework that harnesses expertise from diverse global industries to drive sustainable business development and market influence.
Work and Collective Action
In 2015, leaders from The B Team championed a climate accord at the COP21 summit, endorsing the objective to restrict global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius to safeguard oceans and vulnerable island nations. Ten companies affiliated with The B Team pledged to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. These included Kering, NRG Energy, Safaricom, Salesforce.com, Tiffany & Co, BROAD Group, Econet, Natura, Unilever, and Virgin Management. They called on governments worldwide to establish Net-Zero by 2050 as a definitive long-term goal. Collaborating with the We Mean Business Coalition and partners such as Ceres (organization) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, The B Team worked to encourage ambitious climate initiatives within the business sector.
In 2014, The B Team joined forces with corporations like Unilever and Natura, alongside organizations including Transparency International, to advance transparency in beneficial ownership. Their efforts contributed to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative adopting a transparency standard in 2016. After the 2016 Panama Papers revelations, The B Team and its collaborators announced plans for a Global Beneficial Ownership Register aimed at increasing corporate transparency and preventing abuse of shell companies.
The B Team introduced the 100% Human at Work campaign in 2015, advocating for a paradigm shift from treating employees as mere resources toward acknowledging their full humanity. This initiative led to the creation of the People Innovation Network, which supports companies in exchanging knowledge on employee well-being.
To promote sustainable business practices, The B Team supported the Natural Capital Coalition in developing the Natural Capital Protocol, launched in 2016 following pilot programs involving over 40 companies, including Kering and Dow Chemical. Additionally, Kering pioneered comprehensive environmental profit and loss accounting across its group in 2015.
In 2016, founders Sir Richard Branson and Marc Benioff initiated "Born B," a movement designed to inspire entrepreneurs and executives to integrate social and environmental considerations alongside profit from the outset of their ventures.
The B Team extended its international presence by establishing The B Team Africa in 2017, led by prominent figures such as Bob Collymore, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Dr. Mo Ibrahim, and Jochen Zeitz. This was followed by the launch of The B Team Australia Network.
In 2018, The B Team collaborated with Ceres (organization) to introduce 'Getting Climate Smart - A Primer for Corporate Directors,' supported by the Ikea Foundation and We Mean Business Coalition. This resource was designed to equip corporate boards with strategies for addressing climate-related risks and opportunities.
In 2021, The B Team published The New Leadership Playbook, providing guidance on contemporary business leadership practices. This included the "10x Bolder" podcast series, which delves into how leaders can align their values with their influence effectively.