Keynote: Why should Social Value matter to businesses?

Social Value leaders from energy, insurance and facilities management explored how impact and commercial performance go hand in hand when people and place sit at the centre of strategy.

Chair: Leyoh Goodall, VP of Sales, Social Value Portal
Margot Slattery, Global Head of Social Sustainability & Inclusion, ISS Group
Vijay Tank, Chief Commercial Officer: UK Energy Infrastructure Solutions (EIS), E.ON
Helen Longfils, Group Director of Social Value, Mitie
Alice Jardine, Group Social Purpose Lead, Admiral Group PLC

The challenge
How do large businesses make Social Value a strategic imperative – not a side project – while still responding to local needs and competing priorities? This discussion shared practical examples from energy, facilities management, and insurance.

Stats to remember
ISS is giving away 100,000 qualifications until 2025 – with the next tranche being 250,000 by 2030.
There are over 1,500 E.ON colleagues in the women in leadership network.
Mitie has Social Value pledges to uplift a million people and enable a thousand places across the UK to prosper.

Key themes and insights
Social Value has evolved from CSR “bolt-on” to core business strategy in a world that expects both purpose and performance.
Impact must translate into business outcomes like resilience, retention, win rates and licence to operate.
Smaller organisations and VCSEs should lean into their grassroots insight, while speaking procurement and risk language.
Collaboration and “coopetition” across sectors are essential to reach real scale.

“Social Value is the business strategy for a world that expects purpose and performance, rather than purpose or performance.”
Helen Longfils, Group Director of Social Value, Mitie

Next steps from the experts
Secure visible board-level sponsorship, with clear KPIs and stories that show human impact.
Co-create programmes with charities, VCFSEs and suppliers rather than relying on chequebook giving.
Pilot locally, learn quickly and replicate what works across regions and international markets.