What the Project Is
Yellow Edge is a Canberra-based company that gets straight to the point when it comes to helping individuals, teams, and organisations reach greater levels of performance. Born in 2002 when its four founding directors left a multinational corporation disillusioned by questionable business practices and poor treatment of people, Yellow Edge has always been about doing things differently. The company is privately owned and firmly grounded in client-centred values. Its focus on building high performance is paired with an unwavering belief that every person and every team can be developed over time. From human potential consulting to professional coaching and a wealth of capability development initiatives, the story of Yellow Edge is one of evolution, persistence, and a genuine commitment to making a positive impact.
Main Benefit
Key Figures and Facts:
- Founded in 2002 by four visionary leaders.
- Operates as a local, privately owned company in Canberra.
- Delivers services spanning consulting, coaching, and leadership development.
- Successfully transitioned to a B Corp with a score of 86.5.
- Achieved Climate Active Certification as a Climate Active Certified company in 2023.
- Transitioned to a Co-CEO leadership model in 2022, embracing joint and inclusive leadership.
- Certified as a Carbon Neutral Organisation in early 2024 by the Australian Government through kelp reforestation project offsets.
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Yellow Edge offers a broad portfolio that covers an impressive range of business streams. These include human potential consulting like organisational alignment, executive cohesion, workforce planning, and business planning. The company also undertakes organisational reviews, lessons learned processes, and design and performance management. Not to mention, their work in citizen and stakeholder engagement is about building solid engagement strategies and conducting processes with citizens, communities, and business stakeholders alike. With a focus that spans executive and professional coaching, leadership development, and capability development in areas such as change management and conflict management, the company’s service offering feels both expansive and integrated. It’s like having all the tools neatly arranged for a high-performance makeover.
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The evolution of Yellow Edge is marked by several bold moves that speak to its commitment to innovation and ethical leadership. Once acquired by a large Australian advertising company, and later becoming part of a global marketing and communications company listed on the New York Stock Exchange, the narrative took an interesting twist in 2019 when CEO Andrew Simon executed his personal moonshot. He bought the company back, believing that private ownership was the key to a more meaningful impact on leaders and the people they lead. This willingness to break away from tradition is visible in every facet of the organization, from leadership development to the innovative use of tools that empower clients to flourish and grow.
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While embracing change, Yellow Edge has also shown a strong commitment to social progress. The company has made significant strides in championing the progress of women. Progressive policies such as paying all women staff 2% more superannuation – recognising how child-rearing and caring responsibilities can disrupt earning capacity – underscore this commitment. Additionally, an internal Research, Sustainability and Social Impact function now drives efforts to make a net positive impact on the environment and local communities. This function not only supports sustainability ambitions but also looks into research to continuously explore ways to support and develop leaders. There is a genuine belief here that performance is highly collaborative and that every part of the process counts.
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Innovation is at the heart of Yellow Edge. Recent years have seen the company set its sights on ambitious “moonshots.” Besides reaching B Corp status in 2021 and achieving Climate Active Certification in 2023, another daring goal was the restructuring of CEO leadership into a model where leadership is jointly shared by two people. This Co-CEO approach is rebelling against the traditional single-person model by leading generatively, jointly, and inclusively. More recently, the company has been embarking on a journey with AI and its applications. This new venture is designed to unlock people’s potential and to create fresh, experiential learning opportunities – essentially, helping people learn and develop in ways that keep pace with a rapidly changing world.
Project Impact
- SDG 5: Gender Equality – Demonstrated commitment by implementing progressive policies for women.
- SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth – Enhancing skills and fostering organisational growth through innovative coaching and consulting.
- SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure – Embracing AI applications to reshape learning and leadership development.
- SDG 13: Climate Action – Achieving Climate Active Certification and operating as a Carbon Neutral Organisation.
- SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals – Strengthening community and stakeholder engagement while promoting ethical business practices.
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At its core, Yellow Edge champions the belief that individual talents can be nurtured and built over time. The company’s approach is about integrating diverse strengths to create a culture of inclusion, where no single aspect is isolated from the other. With a journey that began over two decades ago and evolving through multiple transformations, Yellow Edge now stands tall as an organisation that is as much about mindset as it is about measurable performance. It shapes human potential by exploring new ideas, facilitating deep learning experiences, and igniting meaningful conversations. These efforts leave a compelling legacy – inspiring, reassuring, and valuing every interaction in the pursuit of high performance. In doing so, Yellow Edge not only drives change within organisations but also leaves a positive imprint on society and the environment…
