In addition to the sustainability team, the Circular Business Team, led by Elske Schotte, also plays an important role in our efforts to become the forerunner in sustainable packaging and a driver of sustainability in Europe. Elske and her team, consisting of three project leaders, focus on setting up, developing and selling circular business models in which reusable products can be traced using RFID or QR.

Both teams support the organisation with a focus on knowledge sharing and expertise. By providing training and developing tools, we encourage all employees to put sustainability at the heart of their own work. Executing our strategy is therefore a shared responsibility of the entire organisation, to which everyone contributes.

Responsibility for sustainability is established at various levels within our organisation. CMO and representative of the family, Lyanne Paardekooper, has sustainability in her portfolio at the director level. Sustainability is embedded in the strategic building blocks of the organisation, and Lyanne monitors its implementation. She brings sustainability to the attention of the directors and the Supervisory Board. She also manages our Group Manager Sustainability, Susan van Kruijsbergen, and Group Manager Circular Business, Elske Schotte.

Susan is responsible for the implementation of the sustainability strategy within the organisation, for example by developing it into programmes and projects. Where relevant, Susan participates in the Division Management Teams (DMTs) to discuss projects. She heads the sustainability team, which consists of two sustainability advisors, both responsible for one of the divisions, Horti and FRIS. These internal advisors act as a point of contact for employees; they support employees in their own division with sustainability issues towards customers, as well as participate in projects at group level.