Steward-ownership is a business form in which control and economic ownership are separated, allowing a company to focus on its purpose.
Steward-ownership is based on two core principles:
Self-governance
Control lies in the hands of stewards - people who are connected to the company and its mission. Control cannot be sold.
The principle of ’self-governance’ means that the controlling voting rights rests with stewards and cannot be sold or inherited. At some steward-owned companies, self-governance takes shape by allowing only employees to serve as stewards. At others, it is expressed through the involvement of primarily independent stewards.
Profit serves purpose
Profit is a means, not an end in itself. It serves the company’s mission and development and is reinvested or donated in alignment with that mission. Investors, founders, and other stakeholders are fairly compensated.
The principle of profit serves purpose means in practice that compensation to capital providers is limited in duration, amount, and/or influence - and that profit can never be distributed at the expense of the company.
These principles are legally secured and form the core of steward-ownership. They can be implemented in various ways. The simplest approach is to have a foundation hold all the company’s shares, with the foundation’s board members acting as stewards. The board members are not owners but fulfill the responsibilities of shareholders. The foundation’s statutes define what is expected of them.
These and other ways of implementing steward-ownership are always grounded in its core principles. In practice, this means that control and economic ownership are separated.
The term steward-ownership has existed since 2015, but the principles have been applied for more than a century at companies such as Carlsberg and Zeiss. The founders of the German organization Purpose coined the term steward-ownership. On the Purpose website, you can find a detailed explanation of the definition.
Steward-owned companies
In 2025, the Netherlands has more than 150 steward-owned companies. This website provides insight into how several pioneering organizations have applied the principles of steward-ownership.
