In a recent conversation with President and CEO, Colin Connolly, we discussed the practical application of a corporate philosophy, their recent effort to pay their civic rent here in Atlanta and how concepts like ESG are merely the latest label for an on-going commitment to good governance and positive impacts in the lives of people and the planet.
A Conversation on ESG: Actions Beyond the Acronym
Founded in 1958 by Tom Cousins, few realize how many thousands of people have benefited from Cousins Properties long-held corporate philosophy “doing what’s right when others aren’t looking.” This simple phrase guides company-wide strategic investments as well as the daily culture of this now multi-billion-dollar public company and preeminent commercial property company across the sunbelt.
In a recent conversation with President and CEO, Colin Connolly, we discussed the practical application of this corporate philosophy and how concepts like ESG are merely the latest label for an on-going commitment to good governance and positive impacts in the lives of people and the planet.
“Do what is right when others aren’t looking.” How has this simple corporate philosophy guided decision-making for you personally and for the company?
Early in my career at Cousins, a review of a massive closing document revealed that our counterpart had made a significant mistake. It was a multi-million-dollar error on their part and we alerted our counterpart to it. The Cousins culture is to “do what is right when others aren’t looking” and we always want people to know they can trust us.
Fast-forward to 2020 when the pandemic was just hitting, this corporate philosophy once again had serious implications for the business. We realized that our customers were going to feel a tremendous amount of uncertainty and anxiety about the future. As small business owners, they had no idea when they were going to be able to open again. So, we went to all of our customers and told…
Read the full article here