At ustwo studios, every employee is an owner. We call them Partners. As partners, our employees collectively act as entrepreneurs to focus on growth.
In 2022, our founders John “Sinx” Sinclair and Matthew “Mills” Miller transferred the majority of their equity in our two studios to employees. This was made possible by an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) as a mechanism to transfer the majority of equity from owners to current and future employees. The innovative legal framework was established by the UK Finance Act 2014, and more than 1,000 companies have become employee-owned since its creation. An EOT is unique because it allows shareholders to sell their equity from day one, but the company pays it back gradually through future earnings and growth.
The future growth and direction of ustwo studios now rests with “ustwobies” as majority owners. Our founders bet on “ustwobies” and, in doing so, laid the foundation for all “ustwobies” to have a business mindset focused on growth. In our transition to being a majority employee-owned company, we have seen this mindset manifest through greater collaboration, a culture of contribution, and commercial awareness.
Greater collaboration: unleashing collective genius
Sinx and Mills first crafted the concept of “unleashing the collective genius” with the two studios' manifesto in 2014. The concept describes the importance of collaboration in a rapidly changing world—it's impossible for one person to keep up. with all the knowledge; We have to collaborate to avoid becoming redundant, to be at the forefront of the market.
Employee ownership is an extension of this ethos. We are unleashing collective genius, but as owners. Owners think differently. They think short-term and long-term. They think external and internal. They think less about the individual and more about the collective. They think equally about profit, people, and planet. The future growth of ustwo studios is not thought of by one owner, but by over one hundred owners, each with a diverse set of skills, backgrounds, and experiences. Applying that collective genius to growth is powerful for both of us and our clients. It allows us to change at pace to continue imagining and launching innovative digital products for our clients, bringing collective energy and expertise to each client’s challenges.
Contribution culture: empowerment through ownership
Owners care deeply about their companies, their employees, their customers, and their communities, which means they typically go above and beyond for any of them. This is no different for “ustwobies” in their capacity as owners, who constantly try to raise the bar for their clients, colleagues and communities. They do this through a culture of contribution.
Contribution culture is about incorporating the owner's mentality into your roles. This empowerment allows “ustwobies” to channel their deep attention into actions that significantly impact the strategic objectives of the business. Whether developing BCorp initiatives, recruiting top talent, designing impact measurement frameworks, or experimenting with AI, these contributions together drive significant momentum for ustwo's growth.
Business Awareness: Sharing Financial Success
As a majority employee-owned company, employees share in profits. They are financially motivated to see the company do well because they know their efforts and impact directly benefit them and their colleagues. “Ustwobies” want to know how the company is doing financially and how they can influence the financial results.
Being employee-owned comes with a certain level of transparency. We have quarterly updates on how we are meeting financial goals and OKRs. Everyone becomes commercially aware of where the business is and where it needs to go. As owners, ustwobies can then consider how their daily decisions can align with the financial goals of the business.
Employee-owned businesses are redefining what “entrepreneurship” means to the employee. For many employee-owned businesses, including those in the technology and digital sector, it has become a catalyst for growth. It is very meaningful to us to be recognized on the E2E Tech 100 list and a recognition that all our employees can celebrate as owners.
To learn more about ustwo studios and how we help companies like Google, BlackRock and Peloton grow with innovative digital products, visit us at ustwo.com.
