Maryne LemvikCEO, Skanem Group
Maryne Lemvik, CEO, Skanem Group, is an international top executive with 30 years of leadership experience across various process industries. She has a passion for capturing business opportunities, leading people, and driving improvements. Maryne sits on the board of Desert Control, a company specializing in climate-smart agri-tech solutions.
ORGANIZATION STRATEGY/ KEY CHALLENGES
1. To what extent does Skanem prioritize its sustainability agenda, and what are the primary sustainability initiatives the company is currently pursuing?
More important than ever! We have an ambition to take an active role in sustainable packaging going forward and we have an ambition to grow our business. We strongly believe that growth and sustainability are closely related. We have been running sustainability initiatives both internally, and together with customers over many years. We have also been sharing openly our performance on platforms such as Ecovadis, Sedex and Cemasys since 2014. We are now focusing on embedding sustainability in our culture.
2. To what extent does Skanem prioritize its sustainability agenda, and what are the primary sustainability initiatives the company is currently pursuing?
In many cases, sustainability and cost go hand in hand. For example, we are continuously chasing material waste in our operations through technology and process improvements. Reducing waste translates directly in a cost reduction. The same applies for energy effective technology where we can not only reduce the CO2 emissions, but reduce operational costs. There are of course, cases when a more sustainable solution comes at a higher immediate cost It might still be the right thing to do if it supports strategic goals and enables a positive change.
3. What are the major hurdles encountered when implementing ESG initiatives at Skanem?
I would say keeping up with the legislative environment which is complex and ever changing. I would also mention the lack of standardized framework which makes it difficult to benchmark own performance with others. But none of those prevent us from moving forward
DOMAIN SECTOR (TO CAPTURE CURRENT SECTORAL TRENDS DEVELOPMENTS CHALLENGES)
4. Could you provide an example of an exemplary ESG practice implemented by Skanem?
I am always immensely proud and happy to support the local communities where we operate. I participated in one initiative that I remember vividly. We visited a technical college dedicated to women, next to our Baddi factory in the north of India. Having the opportunity to interact with them was extremely rewarding.
PEOPLE ASPECT
5. How do Skanem’s customers react to the company’s dedication to sustainability?
It is on the agenda of most customers, so the response is, incredibly positive. We experience both a pull and a push effect. In some instances, customers have their own specific agenda, and we are helping them to reach their goals by running joint activities. In other instances, we bring sustainable alternatives to the table. They might relate to the choice of material, the design, the logistical set-up, or the recycling loop.