Coffee in Good Company with Andrea Illy, illycaffè

Coffee in Good Company is a series of 30 minute sessions on how we can achieve better business in Europe through stakeholder governance – organized by B Lab Europe’s Interdependence Coalition.

In this session, we had the pleasure to host Andrea Illy. Andrea Illy is the Chairman of illycaffè, an over 85 year old company.

He is the third generation to lead this world renowned family business. illycaffè certified as a B Corp in April 2021, which sealed its long standing commitment to lead the company in the interests of all stakeholders throughout its development. illycaffè, has been recognized as one of the 2021 World’s Most Ethical Companies. Read more about illycaffè here.

In our conversation over coffee, Andrea Illy talked to Katie Hill from B Lab Europe to demystify what stakeholder governance means in practice. We heard about how illycaffé builds relationships with its growers and suppliers, and how the interests of all its stakeholders impact board room decisions. As a backdrop we also reflected on the importance of the Italian government’s adoption of the Societá Benefit legal form in creating a community around this concept of stakeholder governance.