Aaron Reid is Group Manager for Social Sustainability at Ventia, one of the largest essential services providers in Australia and New Zealand.
With extensive experience across both the public and private sectors, he has been a driving force in embedding Social Value into business practice in the UK and now in Australia.
In this conversation, he shares his personal inspirations for his career, explains how Social Value has developed as a practice, and explores Ventia’s work building capability and driving collaboration to create a lasting social impact.
Watch the full conversation below:
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What first inspired your interest in social sustainability, and what keeps it alive today?
I’d say it started with noticing that fairness wasn’t guaranteed. I saw first-hand, in my own family and my own community, that some people had talent but not the same shot at opportunity.
That lit the fire. What keeps it burning is seeing that we can actually fix some of that imbalance in practical, measurable ways that improve people’s lives. The outcomes that Social Value deliver are not only good for individuals, but also for society, communities, the economy, and organisations that gain talent through this.
The awesome power of procurement, especially public procurement, to influence behaviour has always fascinated me. When used intentionally it can incentivise supply chains to compete on delivering more good for society.
That’s what drives me—the idea that contracts can become levers for fairness, inclusion, sustainability, and long-term community benefit. It’s a system that rewards better choices, lifts standards, and turns Social Value into a source of competitive advantage.
What do you think has stayed consistent, and what's changed, in how Social Value is delivered?
What’s stayed consistent is the power of procurement. When organisations use procurement as a lever to influence broader social outcomes beyond just price, good things tend to happen.
What’s less consistent is how well this is done. Many organisations attempt it, some do it well, but few apply it consistently.
The real step forward is aligning contracts with the evidenced needs of local communities – using local needs analysis to shape tender requirements, assessing bids against those priorities, and then holding suppliers accountable through contract management. That link between evidence, procurement, and delivery is where I’ve seen Social Value delivered best.
The biggest change I’ve seen is in the private sector. Initially, companies came to this because they had to – it was a contractual requirement. But once they started doing it, they realised there are other reasons: it has a positive effect on culture, retention, attraction, productivity, diversity of thought, and innovation.
When that happens, it becomes authentic. It’s no longer the minimum needed to win a contract; it reflects their values. Increasingly, private organisations see this not just as compliance, but as part of good procurement, good management, and good leadership – because it’s good for business.
When it comes to measurement, how do you balance the need for data with the need for trust and human connection?
I see them as two sides of the same coin. Data proves whether what you’re doing is working, and it allows you to demonstrate the effect to stakeholders. But none of that matters if you’re not measuring the right things.
At Ventia, we focus on fairness, inclusion, and respect in how we relate to our people, customers, supply chain, and communities. If we’re not having a positive effect on those groups, then what we’re doing isn’t working. So measurement only takes us so far. We need to refine what we measure so it reflects truth, without letting measurement become an industry in itself. In some areas of sustainability, counting has become more important than doing, which isn’t right.
I hope that from the social perspective, we focus more on the things that change people’s experiences rather than just measuring them.
What does social sustainability look like in action at Ventia?
At Ventia, social sustainability is about choices – choosing to prioritise local people and businesses because we’re part of the communities we serve. That’s why 91% of our workforce and 72% of our supply chain are local, and 99% of our spend stays in Australia and New Zealand.
It’s also about action: creating a fair, inclusive and respectful culture, investing in graduates and apprentices, and supporting local communities through grants. We collaborate widely, chairing the Australian Social Value Taskforce to adapt the TOM System and make it freely available, and partnering in the Supply Chain Sustainability School with DEI Corp, John Holland and BlueScope to provide free learning that lifts supplier capability.
And at the heart of it all are our people, whose commitment to each other, our customers, and their own communities is what makes social sustainability real at Ventia.
How can we unlock more meaningful Social Value through procurement?
The first step is recognising the power of procurement – especially public procurement. Wider adoption of models like the TOM System, which integrate social sustainability into procurement processes, would deliver more outcomes for people, communities, and the economy. When a requirement is embedded into procurement, organisations line up to comply. That’s the power of procurement.
The other thing is strong contract management. Too often, commitments made at the bidding stage aren’t delivered because accountability isn’t enforced. That’s a lost opportunity for taxpayers and society.
So the trifecta is:
- Recognise and embed social sustainability into procurement.
- Tailor requirements to local needs for maximum impact.
- Hold suppliers accountable through contract management.
When all three are in place, we can unlock much greater value and deliver better outcomes for society.
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