OPINION1 February 2016

Reputation is all – a view from the city

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Finance Impact Opinion UK

A successful and sustainable company needs to look after all constituents for its stakeholders, employees and customers, and a good reputation for these translates into top-line and bottom-line growth, says Lorna Tilbian.

City crop

How do investors put a value on reputation? Reputation is genuinely priceless because it cannot be bought on the open market. It has to be earned the hard way, the long way, by never putting financial interests above values. 

In a corporate environment, this is embodied in the culture of a company, and underpinned by strong governance and strict adherence to compliance, regulation and risk. 

It is displayed by always looking after the interests of clients, shareholders and employees. It is never forgetting that without shareholders’ capital there is no company; without clients there is no business; and without employees there is no service. 

Companies can rebuild their reputation after once losing it – but it is a long climb back, and the management must be seen as a fool who has learned his lesson. 

Rolls-Royce, for example, went into administration in the 1970s, but over time recovered its reputation and standing and, today, ...