Our Work
In a post-Covid 19 world, the spotlight will expand from corporate responsibility to the resilience and regeneration of systems – our economies, societies, politics and natural environment. We’ve been in the business of systems thinking and systemic change since Volans launched in 2008, so we’re well placed to help you think through how to create significant value as the next normal surfaces all around.
“The world is ready for regenerative change. It’s going to be a complete change of our behaviour as a species in the longer term. It is going to be a step as big as fire was for humanity.” Ties van der Hoeven, The Weather Makers
Join tomorrow’s conversation.
We provide:
Executive Briefings | Transformational Leadership Programmes |
Boards and Advisory Boards | Imaginariums | Inquiries | Research
Executive Briefings
We bring an outside perspective into boardroom or leadership team conversations, based on leading edge research and decades of experience. Every briefing is tailored to the specific organisation and its current challenges.
Our briefings offer you clarity of insight and can also be supplemented with a deeper workshop.
If you would like to start a conversation around what this might look like for your business please get in touch.
Briefing: Resilience and growth after COVID-19
Based on our recent work with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development looking at the consequences of COVID-19 for the 2020s, we offer bespoke briefings to help business leaders understand how they can develop strategies for resilience and future success.
Transformational Leadership programmes
Business-as-usual has destabilised the communities and natural ecosystems on which economic prosperity depends. Encouragingly, there is a growing focus on the need for regenerative strategies as the best way of ensuring long-term economic, social and environmental resilience.
We help companies to identify the actions they can take to move towards a more regenerative business model. In our transformation sessions you will map where you are on the path to regeneration and understand the value to your company of refocusing in this way.
To start a conversation about how we can help you to transform your organisation please get in touch.
We designed the Acciona eXponential Sustainability Leaders programme – a bespoke, transformational change champions programme through which leaders from across the organisation’s global operations co-evolved a proposed vision to drive exponential change.
See Volans CEO Louise Kjellerup Roper and regenerative leadership expert Giles Hutchins in conversation to summarise the definitions of regenerative leadership. (June 2021).
Boards and Advisory Boards
In turbulent times it is more important than ever to scan the horizon and bring other perspectives into your organisation. With our extensive and varied network stretching generations and geographies, we can help you build the right structure to bring the insight and challenge needed to ultimately deliver of your vision. More here.
If you would like to find out how this could help you please get in touch.
We convene and chair Neste’s external independent Advisory Council on Sustainability and New Markets – a group of carefully selected experts providing strategic insight, guidance and assistance. Our role is to help the CEO and senior management team to evolve and road test their plans for their accelerating shift into renewable energy and the circular economy.
Imaginariums
Our Imaginariums open the opportunity to grapple with a specific challenge or issue, surfacing fresh insights and thinking on how the business context is changing through unprecedented levels of disruption.
The two-day process is designed to enable creative, transformative thinking, grounded in facts but unconstrained by current realities. Participants are given permission and the necessary tools to think the currently unthinkable – and to explore challenges and opportunities in a safe space – coming away with an action plan and follow ups as needed.
We are migrating our Imaginariums into the virtual world of working from home. We would love to discuss what is possible for you, so please get in touch.
“The Volans Imaginarium helped us unlock ideas that will smash the dominant business model in our global sector and gives us a chance to create much more value for Scotland.” Terry A’Hearn, Chief Executive, Scottish Environmental Protection Agency.
Inquiries
Our Inquiries aim to be systemic game changers. Bringing together those with leadership ambition in business, finance and government to explore, learn and collaboratively shift systemic conditions. These initiatives provide deep insights to those involved, helping them discover how to accelerate the knowledge and growth of what is possible, together. The discoveries and outputs from our Inquiries are made available freely as public goods.
Current Inquiries
Tomorrow’s Capitalism – Phase II
In Phase II (2020-21) we are focusing on accelerating the emergence of what we call ‘Green Swan’ trajectories: exponential market shifts that positively impact people and planet.
We will be exploring how the rules, norms and institutions that shape financial markets need to be – and can be – positively disrupted. With a spotlight on specific examples of emergent Green Swans at the level of individual sectors and countries.
If you would like to find out more about Phase II please get in touch.
We are working with the All Party Parliamentary Group on Fair Business Banking and Re:Pattern on the Bankers for NetZero Initiative bringing together banks, businesses and regulators to enable banks to successfully support their clients, accelerate the transition to net zero and deliver on the UK government’s ambitions for addressing climate change.
“Banks have been a bit late to the game on climate action. I really welcome the Bankers for NetZero initiative because it’s time for banks to catch up.” Nigel Topping, UK High Level Climate Action Champion for COP26
If you would like to be considered for participation in this initiative please get in touch.
The Green Swans Observatory is a Volans initiative to improve business understanding of regeneration to accelerate the shift towards a regenerative economy.
We will track, analyze and share actionable examples of best practice. It also involves engaging, supporting and learning from pioneers in every sector of the economy. The results of our Observatory programs are shared as a public good.
Research
Our research translates the trends most likely to shape tomorrow into actionable findings for organisations and businesses. We help identify the key issues and challenges that are going to change the landscape for businesses and their boards, and turn those insights into compelling collateral for leadership teams. A recent example is our work with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
What research are you missing to Step Up? Let us know.
We collaborated with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) on two reports as part of its Vision 2050 Refresh. Find both Macrotrends and Disruptions Shaping 2020-2030 and The Consequences of COVID-19 for the Decade Ahead below.
Our research is being used by WBCSD and its member companies to help develop strategies for long-term success in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting opportunities for business to play a part in “building back better”.
