Operating with positive impact

We move from crisis to crisis, our climate is changing, and growing civil unrest could lead to violence or even civil wars. We need a long-term vision to bring hope and sustainable, real solutions. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors lie at the heart of many of the problems we face, and therein also lie solutions.

We hope this book will help companies that are seeking such solutions, wanting to make a more positive contribution to the impact economy that considers the impact of our actions, and balances the needs of people and companies with the health of the planet.

Operating with Positive Impact provides an understanding of ESG and a roadmap to help company directors, managers, leaders and specialists identify the strategies, systems and practices they can implement to achieve more positive impact. It provides in-depth analyses of ESG factors, case studies and practical advice on transforming business according to ESG principles for long-term sustainability, including strategy, operations, governance, transactions, legislation and reporting.

"This book is [...] a very timely overview of this rapidly evolving and complex subject matter. It is practical, precise and comprehensive, and I hope it can bring very concrete insights and inspiration to many in the corporate world. Navigating the ESG complexity is now a priority for all us."
- Thomas Leysen

Since 2016, Axel Smits has been Chairman and Senior Partner at PwC Belgium, a network firm with a revenue of €400 million and around 2,400 employees. Before assuming his current position, he was head of both PwC’s Belgian Tax and Legal practice, and its EMEA Tax and Legal network. In addition to his roles as Chairman and Senior Partner, Axel remains active as a client partner within the Belgian firm. He is also a member of the PwC Europe Board. A lawyer by training, with additional degrees in taxation, accounting and finance, Axel is a chartered tax consultant. For the first 20 years of his career, starting in 1990 with the predecessor firm Coopers & Lybrand, Axel was a chartered tax consultant with a particular focus on international tax planning. He served clients across the globe and was very active both as a speaker and as a writer of articles and books in his area of expertise. Topics included intellectual property as well as substance in international tax planning. Later on, while continuing to serve clients, Axel took on various management positions in the Belgian and EMEA firms, leading up to his current position. Jochen Vincke is Management Consulting Partner at PwC, coordinating services in the field of ESG, and consulting leader for PwC’s EMEA industrial manufacturing industry practice. He is also a member of the Board of FlandersMAKE, a strategic research centre for the manufacturing industry, with over 750 researchers. Jochen’s ambition is to help drive a new industrial model that makes an overall net positive contribution to society; a model built on innovation, data, customer proximity, and short and circular supply chains. After graduating as bio-engineer in environmental sciences, Jochen studied business economics and attained an MBA from Vlerick Business School. He is certified Master Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma. Jochen has extensive experience in industry, including the food and beverage, chemical, steel processing, pharmaceutical and process industries. He has worked with ESG matters throughout his career, from developing corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies, to coaching and training, and business transformation consultancy.