From foundation to fast-track: Fossflakes’ sustainability agenda under new leadership
The transition from one CEO to another often prompts questions about direction and commitment. As Adam Foss hands over the top job to Nicolaj Løve Hansen they both offer insights into Fossflakes’ sustainability journey and the path ahead.
Reflections with Adam
How did the sustainability programme evolve at Fossflakes?
“For a few years we had been undertaking small sustainability projects, but we didn’t have a sufficient overview of where we stood or what issues to prioritise. So we went through a strategy process and agreed upon a set of objectives and actions that gave us the direction we needed.
“I’m happy we are on the journey. There has been lots of data to collect and it’s been a challenge to get everyone involved and see the value from their perspective. But as soon as we created our first sustainability report and got acknowledgement externally everyone bought into it.
“It's been a lot of work, and we couldn’t have done it without the help of the consultants from Magnetize, but we now have sustainability as a perspective when doing our jobs.”
It sounds like a significant transformation. Were there any unexpected challenges or pleasant surprises during this journey?
“It was a great relief to discover that we’re not as bad as we thought we were. There’s a lot of plastic shaming so we were surprised to learn that our cotton shells have a higher environmental impact than the filling, that we were already doing some of the right things like buying green electricity and that the sustainability mentality is not that far from our own.
“On the downside, we discovered how little visibility there is in the cotton industry, how long it takes to gather data, and how big a challenge product disposal is.”
Stakeholders' responses often shape a company's direction. How have Fossflakes’ stakeholders received the sustainability programme?
“The board of directors supported it immediately. Some customers take it for granted but our new ones have been really impressed with our sustainability report, it puts them at ease. In South Africa, Canada and the US they seem to really care about sustainability, less in Asia and the Far East, but that may change. Our employees are proud of what we’re doing.”
That's encouraging feedback. Can you share any tangible benefits Fossflakes has experienced due to its focus on sustainability?
“The fact that we’re not as bad as we thought and we’re working systematically on raising our performance means we stand a bit taller than before.
“And the company culture has changed. Sustainability has given us a narrower frame to work in and enabled us to be more creative in terms of materials and how we operate. We are more prepared to act and react to new sustainability challenges.
“Sustainability also helped us attract Nicolaj to joining us. He’s a true professional and the report resonated with him and his ambitions.”
Given this strong foundation and your continued involvement, what are you personally looking forward to with the sustainability programme?
“Having enough data to be in the offensive, to being able to measure everything and improve the performance of our filling and shells. It would be a dream to find a business case for collecting and upcycling worn out products.”
Looking ahead with Nicolaj
Nicolaj, as you take the helm, how do you perceive the role of sustainability in shaping Fossflakes' future?
“Fossflakes has big international growth potential and I’m also inspired by the brand, the unique Danish factory, and the attention to sustainability.
“I’d like us to increase our focus on creating sustainable products because that’s how we can differentiate ourselves in the market. There’s a big supply of animal-based products in the market but not so many good alternatives to down apart from the products we provide. That’s a big opportunity for us.”
Could you shed some light on your approach to sustainability based on your previous experiences?
“My approach is shaped by my experience of being on the CSR board of Ecco back in 2007-2009. The focus there was to make things right rather than see sustainability as a numbers game or PR opportunity.
“While other multinationals would compensate for their power use and figure out how they could talk about it, our approach was to actually make things better in real life, like ensuring workers had three months training before they started work or treating the waste water before it left the factory.
“This approach matches very well with Fossflakes, where people want to do things right, and sustainability is one of the key competitive advantages we want to bring to the table.”
Given this foundation and your vision, what enhancements or shifts do you plan for the sustainability programme?
“I want us to be more structured in the product roadmap and implement sustainability better in production, such as manufacturing with biodegradable material. I want us to move faster in terms of sustainable products, work closer with our partners to ensure they develop what we want, and even work with competitors on industry-wide issues.”
As leaders, collaboration is key. How do you plan to work alongside Adam to push the sustainability programme forward?
“Adam is still a key member of the sustainability team but where I will contribute is from a daily implementation perspective and providing new angles. The programme needs both of us to get it moving at a faster pace. Our commitment to sustainability remains unwavering.”