For our inaugural Spotlight On, we’re interviewing Patrick Shaw-Brown, Impactt’s Director of Global Delivery. With a career spanning private and NGO sectors at PwC, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and UK Youth, Patrick has experience of on-the-ground delivery as Board positions within these organisations. His experience includes accountancy and financial audit as well as consultancy and organisational leadership.
Patrick brings a wealth of experience, a clear strategic focus, and a strong business acumen to Impactt’s human rights consultancy services. His unique blend of expertise makes him a key leader in driving impactful and sustainable change for our clients.
Patrick, you have had such a varied career and interesting experience. Tell us a little about how this benefits Impactt’s clients
I began my career as a Chartered Accountant and financial auditor, which gave me a strong foundation in understanding the intricacies of running a business, particularly how companies manage their operations and mitigate risks. During those years, I gained invaluable insights into the mechanics of business, but I’ve always been driven by a desire to create positive change. I was determined to leave the safety and structure of PwC get closer to the impact of my work and so decided to take on a role as Head of Finance for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Bangladesh.
Working for a charity in a country like Bangladesh was a transformative experience—a true baptism of fire. It gave me firsthand exposure to the impact that can be achieved at the front line and reinforced my passion for work with a meaningful purpose. This commitment was further deepened during my six years with UK Youth here in the UK – firstly on the Board and subsequently as COO, where I contributed to creating lasting change for young people.
I later returned to PwC, this time focusing on sustainability management consulting. In this role, I advised some of the world’s largest companies on how to take meaningful action on sustainability. What stood out to me was how deeply this work tied back to my Chartered Accountant roots: understanding a company’s operations and business drivers was critical to crafting actionable and impactful sustainability strategies.
This blend of financial expertise, frontline humanitarian experience, and sustainability consulting allows me to bring a unique perspective to Impactt’s clients. I can combine a solid understanding of business mechanics with a passion for purpose-driven work to help our clients navigate challenges and achieve meaningful, sustainable outcomes.
What attracted you to Impactt and the work we do?
In two words: passion and belief.
First, my passion for social justice and progress is something that has defined my career, as seen in my experience working with charities. But alongside that is a deeply held belief, rooted in my frontline experience, that the most effective and sustainable way to drive real change is through the action of businesses.
In our world, the business case is paramount. To create meaningful change, we need to align action with the value it brings to a business, whether by protecting or creating it. If we want workers to lead better lives, we have to make it make sense financially for the companies involved. What excites me most about Impactt is that this challenge is at the heart of everything we do. Every day, we’re working on practical, impactful solutions that balance social outcomes with business realities.
Charities play a critical role in addressing societal issues, but I believe the real power to solve systemic problems lies in businesses. That’s why I’m so drawn to working with businesses to address these challenges. My understanding of business operations and drivers allows me to contribute in a way that maximises my personal impact—and Impactt, and the clients we work with, is the perfect place to make that happen.
What would you say to clients now navigating their human rights work as a result of changing human rights legislation?
There’s a way to approach these legislative changes as a simple compliance exercise, a box to tick and to be frank, neither I nor Impactt have any interest in that approach. More importantly, I truly believe this mindset isn’t in the long-term interests of businesses themselves.
To genuinely manage risk, you have to understand it and then address it. I would urge clients not to view this legislation as just another hurdle to clear but as an opportunity to take a deeper look at what these requirements aim to achieve. This isn’t just about compliance; it’s about building resilience and aligning with the broader goals of protecting workers, enhancing trust, and safeguarding your business’s value.
The key is to truly understand your risks – not through a glossy report or a well-crafted diagram that looks good in year one, but by getting to the heart of the matter. This means engaging directly with workers, understanding their perspectives, and identifying the systemic issues that may be hidden below the surface.
Yes, this approach requires more upfront investment, but the payoff is substantial. By going beyond tick-box compliance, you’re not only de-risking your business but also positioning it for long-term success in an increasingly transparent and conscientious global market. This is where real change—and real value—happens.
You are the Director of Global Delivery at Impactt and there isn’t a project that happens that you aren’t overseeing at some point. What common challenges and trends are you seeing across our work at Impactt?
Global supply chains are undergoing a significant transformation. Not only are sourcing locations shifting from traditional hubs, but the supply chains themselves are becoming far more complex. What used to feel linear now often resembles an inverted tree, with extensive branches involving more middlemen, agents, and players. This added complexity makes understanding and managing supply chains more challenging.
We’re also seeing increased activity driven by legislation, which is encouraging, but it’s creating a widening gap between leaders and laggards. As I mentioned earlier, true leadership goes beyond compliance—it requires proactive, meaningful action.
Another notable trend is a shift in focus. While we continue to address issues at specific supplier sites or with particular products, like tomatoes in Mexico or shoes in Cambodia, there’s a growing emphasis on systemic change. Companies are looking to overhaul management systems, addressing risks in a cohesive way rather than applying isolated, short-term fixes. There’s an increasing understanding that human rights risks are interconnected and require a holistic, strategic approach to effectively manage and mitigate them.
Finally, we’re seeing a significant increase in our work with investors and private equity firms. While there’s been growing awareness around ESG, much of the focus historically has been on environmental issues. The “S” in ESG has often been limited to health and safety or community and philanthropic initiatives. However, there’s now a clear paradigm shift. Investors are beginning to recognise that human rights is the missing—and critical—component of the social element in ESG. This evolving understanding marks an important step toward addressing the broader scope of social responsibility.
And finally, Patrick, if you could leave our readers with three key requests regarding their approach to human rights, what would they be?
- Engage with Workers:
When developing your human rights due diligence (HRDD) strategies and responding to legislative requirements, make sure you’re listening to workers. Their perspective often highlights critical blind spots and provides invaluable insights into the realities on the ground.
- Collaborate Broadly:
Human rights challenges are complex and rarely solvable by one organisation alone. Collaborate with your suppliers, peers, and industry stakeholders. Engage with experts (like us!) to leverage shared knowledge and advise you on how to tackle these issues more effectively.
- Invest in Solutions:
Identifying risks is just the beginning. While it might feel like an accomplishment to map out your risks, don’t stop there. The real value lies in addressing and resolving those issues. Focus your efforts and resources on meaningful, lasting solutions—this is where real impact happens.
By following these principles, you’ll not only strengthen your human rights approach but also build a more resilient and responsible business.
