‘Trust, reputation, brand and culture can no longer sit outside the financial conversation’ – Derek Blair

“Trust, reputation, brand and culture can no longer sit outside the financial conversation,” said Derek Blair, President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, during a recent panel discussion hosted by the Malta Business Network.

“The companies that survive disruption are those whose values are lived, not stated,” he added.

During the event, Brand & The Bottom Line, held at Xara Lodge, speakers emphasised that brand equity and organisational culture should be tracked alongside revenue, liquidity, and profit margins.

The panel called for boards to introduce key performance indicators (KPIs) that monitor brand, culture, and reputation as part of formal business oversight.

They noted that tangible metrics – such as customer loyalty, employee retention, and media sentiment – can now make brand performance quantifiable. Tracking factors like Net Promoter Scores, attrition rates, and pricing power can give companies a data-driven view of how brand strength contributes to long-term financial resilience.

Meanwhile, Peter Jan Grech, CEO of BRND WGN, underscored the intrinsic link between culture and brand. “Your people are your brand,” he said. “When culture is strong and values are real, employees stay, customers stay, and the company has a foundation that can weather storms far better than competitors who only compete on price.”

The discussion highlighted how brand can directly influence pricing power, customer loyalty, and the ability to recover quickly from crises – all measurable indicators of enterprise value.

That is why, added Zampa Partners’ Kris Bartolo, organisations “must treat band as an asset class – something to invest in, measure and protect just like any other core component of enterprise value.”

Mark Wirth, also a Partner at Zampa Partners further noted that “when the market tightens, reputations are tested, or a business undergoes some form of transition, it becomes obvious who has equity in the bank. Resilient brands recover faster, retain more of their customer base, and preserve pricing power.”

The event, moderated by PR consultancy PRSS WRKS Founder Ivan Martin, brought together business leaders and finance professionals to explore the growing recognition of brand as a financial asset rather than a discretionary cost.

It was hosted by the Malta Business Network in collaboration with advisory firm Zampa Partners.