Perhaps surprisingly, this is one of the most uplifting and positive episodes of Game Changers and Transition Makers to date. If you’re wondering how that’s possible – when talking about death, bereavement and funerals – then you probably haven’t come across our guest, Poppy Mardall.

Poppy is the inspirational founder of Poppy’s Funerals in London. Since 2012, she’s made it her mission to offer Londoners more thoughtful, sustainable options that can be tailored to individual needs. In the episode, Poppy talks candidly about the lack of regulation in the funeral sector and her vision to change the industry from within by building quality services around customers’ preferences rather than sticking with traditional, outdated norms that are often impersonal, inflexible and unnecessarily harmful for the environment.

In conversation with Ashurst’s Lorraine Johnston, Poppy explains how staff engagement propelled her business to achieve and maintain B Corp Certification. And she explains why she doesn’t describe Poppy’s Funerals as ‘green’ funeral directors: “We consider ourselves to be a modern business that is prioritising sustainability in all ways. We want our business to exist in 50 years' time, and we want the planet to be in good shape in 50 years' time. It’s much more about just being responsible and being thoughtful, rather than any ‘gimmicky’ kind of branding.”

Listen to more episodes in the Game Changers mini-series – featuring an array of thought-provoking guests – by subscribing to ESG Matters @ Ashurst on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.