A SAMPLING OF EKOS CLIENT COMMENTS
"EKOS has all the technical skills, deep understanding of business, expertise in sustainability, and competencies in attaining rapid change you would expect of a traditional leading consulting firm. What I comment on here is what makes EKOS unique.My view is that EKOS brings a practical, realistic perspective about what we can get done given the organizational circumstances we are currently working under. They are able to assess the situation, understand how fast the organization can move, and keep us at that edge where progress is made but there is respect for the speed at which the organizational culture can effectively change and grow. Some organizations are really hungry for change, where others, although they see the importance of sustainability for business advantage, are busy running the business. EKOS partners Lorinda Rowledge and Russell Barton are very sensitive to this dynamic, and are able, where needed, to design interventions that so fit with business needs that the culture change is almost imperceptible. Work with EKOS can also be used as a culture-improving hub, giving the employees something they identify with, without losing sight of what the core business is. Russ and Lorinda have two different styles, and are able to smoothly pass the baton back and forth depending on what is needed to best reach the audience. They quickly learned how to work with the organization without taking too much of my time - I have a lot of trust in them to keep things focused and moving forward. I feel very comfortable giving them the lead to go for it. EKOS partners have great sensitivity to showing business value all along the way. They have been effective in showing the true economic value and business imperatives rooted in a sustainable business model, keeping the business rationale and bottom line benefits front and center. Sustainability is presented in a way that is not strident, but instead clearly analyzes financial returns and business performance. They demonstrate that sustainability does not have to be disruptive to the organization. My bottom line is that EKOS is who I would hire to help lead a strategic sustainability initiative. Based on my seven years experience in a senior management position at the national level of a global building products company, several years in asenior post at a regional level for First American Title, and several years in a senior management position for a large Pacific Northwest food production and processing company, my assessment is that EKOS is the premier consulting firm for assisting executives in integrating sustainability with business strategy and implementing changes for breakthrough improvements toward financial, environmental, and social sustainability. There are a lot of consulting firms out there, but the others quickly fall away once you get beyond the introductory presentations. EKOS has the competence needed by those who are on the ground floor doing the work of sustainability. I have years of experience working in the arena of sustainability, and EKOS is still who I would hire to get it done."
Steven P. Rowe
Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Northwest Dairy Association Darigold, Inc.
"EKOS partners understand what it takes to succeed in business, and have helped my companies across a range of businesses (Ballard Power Systems and Covalence Specialty Materials) invest in people, processes, and values. Cynthia Figge, Lorinda Rowledge, and Russell Barton apply their expertise in industries as diverse as fuel cell startups and plastic materials to help executives and managers create economic success, environmental sustainability, and social responsibility. They helped us clarify our strategy for how to win in the market and contribute to a more sustainable society."
Layle K. Smith
President and CEO, Noranda Aluminum Holding Corporation; Past CEO, Covalence Specialty Materials Corporation; Past President, Ballard Power Systems
"EKOS provided strategic guidance and recommendations about REI's sustainability program and reporting that havehelped to shape our thinking and influence our CSR reporting. Their wide experience and expert insight both from the business perspective and from the sustainability world were instrumental in helping us identify opportunities to improve our work and get the most out of our efforts."
Kevin Hagen
Director, Corporate Social Responsibility, REI
"Cynthia Figge and EKOS were doing research on best practices in global sustainability when virtually no one in the U.S.corporate world had a clue that this field existed. Thanks to Cynthia and EKOS, our leading corporations were exposed to the lessons hard-learned in Europe, ages before their compatriots in the U.S. got a handle on the benefits of this methodology. Thanks to EKOS, the U.S. moved to sustainability perhaps a decade earlier than would otherwise have happened. I highly recommend them to any company interested in becoming current with best practices in sustainability."
Mark Anderson
CEO, Strategic News Service, Chair, Future in Review Conferences
"EKOS provides valuable strategic consulting services to Methodologie's clients both at a broad level - collaborating with us to help BNSF identify and outline company-wide sustainability priorities in preparation for their first citizenship report for example - as well as more specific consulting services - such as benchmarking competitor sustainability reports for Coca-Cola to inform the strategy of their sustainability reports. EKOS brings deep experience and knowledge of the expanding world of corporate social responsibility, combined with very effective communication skills, collaboration, and the ability to engage and inspire."
Janet DeDonato
Strategic Director & Partner, Methodologie
"Since 1985, I've had the pleasure of working with EKOS International partners Lorinda Rowledge and Russell Barton over the equivalent of close to nine working years in two major industries [telecommunications and healthcare] and three different large organizations. My perspective on the value they can add to any enterprise is based on the three major roles I have had in the course of my career in Organization Development and Quality System Design: senior internal consultant, senior level manager, and external consultant. In contracting for their services, you will benefit from a consulting group that: 1. Takes a long-term view of the relationship they build with their clients; 2. Ensures that a "meta-level" approach to strategy development and deployment is the focal point of all their work; 3. Leaves behind IN the organization the leading-edge knowledge they have worked hard to acquire; 4. Have the type of personal presence that can engage, enroll, and involve people at all organizational levels; and 5. Are quick studies in learning their customer's business.You will enjoy working with them."
Gerry Belton, Ph.D.
Quality Services, Saskatoon Health Region
"EKOS was instrumental in helping BECU develop a strategic framework for our sustainability efforts. Their knowledge and experience provided valuable insight to our team."
Tom Berquist
Senior Vice President, Member Strategies, BECU
"Russ Barton and Lorinda Rowledge of EKOS are the team I would want working with and guiding my senior management group. Their combination of intellectual depth and practical know-how on sustainability strategy design are unparalleled. EKOS pioneered sustainability strategy analysis years ago and built a distinguished track record with global clients before most consultants even recognized the importance of the issues. I have known and worked with them for almost ten years in my position as a graduate business school professor conducting research and teaching MBA students about sustainability strategy and innovation. Russ has been an influential speaker for my MBA students at Darden. I also had the pleasure of working with Lorinda in her role as a leader of Bainbridge Graduate Institute's MBA in sustainable business when I served on that faculty. This is the preeminent team you want on your side."
Andrea Larson, Ph.D.
Professor of Business Administration, University of Virginia Darden Graduate School of Business