Opus Technology’s B Corp status has already created a talking point among its customers, its Marketing Director said as she opened up on its near three-year quest to gain the accreditation.
The Surrey-based 8×8, Microsoft, Gamma and Mitel partner this week became one of the largest UK MSPs yet to convert to B Corp status.
Evaluating social and environmental performance across the five “key impact areas” of governance, workers, community, environment and customers, B Corp is designed to recognise companies who balance profits with purpose.
Opus boasts around 150 staff, revenues of over £37m and around 900 clients, making the accreditation process trickier than for some smaller peers, Marketing Director Nikki Laker said.
It began its B Corp journey in 2023, with Laker acknowledging that completing the process was “a lot harder that we thought it would be”. The project was managed from start to finish by its Head of People and Sustainability and Community Impact Manager.
“There’s a huge list of all the [verticals] you can’t work with, including gambling, firearms, fossil fuels, pharmaceuticals, zoos. We had to profile our entire existing client base to see where they sat,” Laker said.
“It was very intense.
“The other thing that was particularly hard sometimes was the speed of processing. With each stage you go through, you have to submit, and then it takes a certain amount of time for them to approve.
“That said, I think our business is in a lot better place for going through this process.”
Who’s bagged B Corp?
Opus joins a community of around 2,700 B Corps that also includes the likes of The Guardian Media Group, Jamie Oliver Group and JoJo Maman Bebe.
Having the accreditation has opened up a potential new customer base for Opus, Laker said.
“Our customers know what B Corp means. They’re either focused on achieving it themselves, or they want to work with a reputable business and one that’s sustainable,” she said.
“It’s hugely beneficial for us to hold it.”
The B Corp movement is gathering pace in the MSP space, with Hampshire-based Nustream and Kent-based MVW Technology also gaining B Corp status this month, and Emerge Digital and CYAN Solutions bagging it in February and January, respectively.
Alongside the likes of Natilik, Zenzero, UBDS, Utilize, OryxAlign, Redsquid, Computeam, Opus is one of the larger MSPs to gain B Corp status so far. York-based VAR boxxe would have been the largest, but opted not to proceed with it.
Managed IT, contact centre, managed telephony, business mobile and managed print specialist Opus saw revenues vault 35% to £37.4m in its fiscal 2025.
Opus CEO Michael O’Donnell’s commitment to sustainability goes “much deeper” than B Corp, Laker said.
Opus employees must do at least one day’s volunteering each year, while the company has funded a three-year fellowship at non-profit Polar Bears International.
“It all stems from the CEO’s deep passion to support the environment. B Corp goes hand in hand with that,” Laker said.
Doug Woodburn is editor of IT Channel Oxygen
