organic?” you don’t have to shout, “Next question!” and sprint out of the room. • Clear accountability and reporting structures for ESG goals – so someone actually owns the results, not just the slide deck. • Strong hiring and ethics policies that help you attract employees who are both high-performing and high-integrity. You know, the kind of folks who don’t ghost you after three onboarding emails. Good governance means great culture. It’s part of the secret sauce. Good governance doesn’t just protect you but also creates a place where people want to work. Top performers are drawn to companies with clarity, integrity and structure. A well-governed company is one where employees understand how decisions are made, how they’re evaluated and how to speak up if something is wrong. It’s where people trust leadership because leadership is transparent, consistent and accountable. And in an industry known for crazy-tight deadlines and logistical acrobatics, a solid governance framework is the calm in the chaos. It’s the reason your best employees don’t burn out or bail. It’s why they stay, grow and help build something better. But how do you show governance? There are plenty of ways to make governance visible: Try including governance wins in your impact reports, such as new oversight mechanisms, policy updates or leadership changes that support ESG. Track and publish metrics like team and leadership diversity, ethics training completion or supplier compliance rates. And tell stories! Did your risk process help you avoid a product recall? Did your values guide a tough but principled decision? Share it. That’s governance in action. This G stuff isn’t glamorous, but it is powerful. In the end, governance is what gives your company its backbone. It ensures your sustainability journey has structure, your culture has consistency and your team has trust in the system. It’s not the headline, but it’s the reason the headline is good news. So next time you review your ESG strategy, give governance a seat at the grown-up table. Buy it a coffee. Maybe even let it speak first. You might be surprised what happens when the quiet one leads the meeting. Wimbush is the director of sustainability and responsibility at PPAI. PPAI • SEPTEMBER 2025 • 23 Responsibility | Voices
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