Malta CEOs Issue Two HELGA & ROBERTA

MaltaCEOs 2020
THE ISLAND’S MOST INFLUENTIAL BUSINESS MINDS
2020:
The CSR revolution is
in full force
ALTHOUGH THE CONCEPT OF CORPORATE SOCIAL
RESPONSIBILITY IS BROADLY REGARDED AS AN INTEGRAL
COMPONENT OF BUSINESS VALUES, THE PROSPECT IS STILL AN
ALIEN ONE FOR MOST LOCAL INDUSTRIES. MALTACEOs MEETS UP
WITH TWO FEMALE FRONTRUNNERS IN THE GAME, HELGA ELLUL
AND DR ROBERTA LEPRE, TO DEBATE THE PLATFORM’S BENEFITS
AND DISCUSS PLANS FOR ITS NATIONWIDE IMPLEMENTATION.
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MaltaCEOs 2020
THE ISLAND’S MOST INFLUENTIAL BUSINESS MINDS
Former Playmobil Malta CEO and Core
president Helga Ellul, and CSR specialist and
Weave Consulting managing consultant Dr
Roberta Lepre, are indomitable spirits in their
own rights and collectively share a massive
array of accomplishments within the field of
business. Despite originating from different
backgrounds and pursuing different angles
through their respective careers, a common
purpose unites them in initiating an awakening
within the local business sphere and directing
the community towards a more holistic
business framework.
Both agree that, as a relatively new term
in the business lexicon, Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) seems to prevent
local business owners from exploring the
concept out of a mixture of reluctance,
misunderstanding and feeling overwhelmed.
Dr Lepre shares the results of a recent study
carried out locally which revealed that
larger companies proved to have a better
understanding of the concept, while smaller
entities struggled by comparison.
Ms Ellul says that from a technical perspective,
there are a total of 17 goals that need to be
observed in order for a company to align
with the core values of CSR. These have been
simplified into what she affectionately calls
the 5 Ps: partnership, prosperity, peace, people
and planet. These elements all work together
to positively affect a business. CSR has a proven
track record as Ms Ellul can attest: “it truly pays
to be a good corporate citizen.”
CSR strategies are not about
imposing demands but about
working together to evolve a
company’s corporate culture.
DR ROBERTA LEPRE
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It pays to be a good
corporate citizen.
HELGA ELLUL
Ms Ellul affirms that she is a true believer in
empowering one’s own employees, in that it
contributes directly to an overall greater sense
of loyalty and promotes a more proactive spirit.
“Employee retention is a massive problem for
business across industries of all sizes,” Dr Lepre
says, adding that, “through CSR, there are
strategies that one can implement to reduce
employee turnover and attract and retain the
best people within your company.”
Dr Lepre discloses that some businesses
in Malta do not comprehend the power of
conversing with employees and educating
them. Instead, they are more in favour of
promoting a corporate culture dominated by
fear. “This is the old-fashioned way,” Ms Ellul
concedes, adding that the dread of employees
leaving prevents most from adopting a
different stance. Drawing from personal
experience, she shares that while there is
always the chance that former employees
might return to the company, there is also a
sense of pride to be felt when she sees her
“ex-employees become CEOs and company
secretaries because they learnt it in my
company.”
Ms Ellul and Dr Lepre insist that a business
is not just an owner’s possession but a living
entity that plays a crucial role in a community’s
development. As such, for a business to thrive,
its framework must adapt to cater for society’s
demands. Ms Ellul urges those heavily involved
in the corporate world to listen to the words
of the younger generation. She elaborates by
highlighting the fact that “business relies on
the community outside, on people to become
your consumers – if you don’t adjust to the
way they want businesses to run, you will have
neither employees nor a business.”

MaltaCEOs 2020
THE ISLAND’S MOST INFLUENTIAL BUSINESS MINDS
Dr Lepre uses Ms Ellul’s premise to illustrate a
common CSR procedure. “Let’s take a look at the
environment,” she suggests. “Many businesses,
as well as us as individuals, are making a
negative impact because of the products and
services that we use.” The first step in curbing
this involves identifying the challenging areas
and following up with a commitment to take
the necessary action to reduce and transform a
negative scenario into a positive outcome. This,
coupled with education and assessment, is a
necessary step that needs to be observed before
a company can start on strategy, planning
and communication. “It is very important to
communicate to your stakeholders – whether
shareholders, employees or the general public
– the fact that you’re committed to improving
your impact and that you are actually taking
steps to do that,” Dr Lepre asserts.
Key elements of CSR are oftentimes confused
with those of philanthropy and, at times, even
charity. Dr Lepre explains that, while all three
share a common denominator through the act
of giving, CSR requires proactivity to ensure that
a business has a continuing positive impact. A
structured, purposeful and consistent input may
appear overwhelming to a business of any size,
especially when considering the whole body
of compliance issues that one must be aware
of, but Dr Lepre is confident that awareness,
adequate education, and dedication are all
necessary tools to become a good corporate
citizen.
I don’t really believe in legislating
when it comes to CSR. It would
be better to look at incentives
rather than obligations.
DR ROBERTA LEPRE
WHAT IS CSR?
“CSR means being proactive in
ensuring that, as a business, you
are having a positive impact. It’s a
combination of awareness, resources,
education, goodwill and commitment
– one may call it an investment into
one’s own business. It’s not a sectioned
department, but a movement that
slowly implements into the company
culture. Its careful implementation
has given great results, with studies
showing that companies that are
sustainable, and which endorse this
philosophy, will ultimately stand out
from competition.”
Dr Roberta Lepre
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People need to be encouraged
and their efforts recognised.
HELGA ELLUL
Dr Lepre reveals that Malta is the only EU country
not to have a national CSR framework. Among
the missing elements of the formula are a lack of
sustainable development goals, a non-existent social
enterprise act and limited support services for social
entrepreneurs. “I don’t really believe in legislating
when it comes to CSR,” she expands, arguing that
it would be “better to look at incentives rather than
obligations.”
Tax incentives are a very viable option, but until the
groundwork is laid for them to materialise, Ms Ellul
offers a shorter-term but equally effective solution.
Together with Dr Lepre, Ms Ellul is organising the first
edition of the Malta CSR awards. “We will start on a
small scale,” Ms Ellul shares, adding that, while some
larger companies will emerge as outright winners,
efforts are being made to implement milestone
awards for smaller companies that have taken the
first steps in incorporating CSR strategies and reaped
the results. “I believe people need to be encouraged
and their efforts recognised for the concept to power
on,” Ms Ellul concludes.
Many operate under the false impression that, in
order to incorporate CSR strategies, it is necessary
to hire more manpower and set up a department
specifically targeting this area. Both swiftly trump
this premise and straighten out the facts. “It goes
right across your whole business spectrum,” Ms
Ellul explains, adding that the key lies at the top of
the company hierarchy. “If the CEO, shareholder,
or stakeholder is convinced of the concept and is
ready to cascade it to empower his people with,
then it evolves into a self-sustaining structure, which
is precisely what CSR is all about,” Ms Ellul states.
An advocate for the infinite powers of collaborative
approaches, Dr Lepre adds that, “CSR strategies are
not about imposing demands but about working
together to evolve a company’s corporate culture.”
HOW CAN CSR BENEFIT YOUR BUSINESS
AND WIDER SOCIETY?
CSR is operating a business while educating
and empowering employees. By doing so,
you allow your employees to buy into your
business, resulting in a mutually-beneficial
agreement that not only drives the company
forward but also compensates those involved
in ways that financial gain does not. Malta,
as a community, is extremely generous, yet
the younger generation does not just want to
contribute money towards social causes. Their
desire for involvement is spurring a change to
the business model and focusing on profit with
a purpose. This is a core value of CSR.
Helga Ellul
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