The past decades have thankfully provided increasing examples of organizations demonstrating that things can be done differently. Look at Whole Foods. Look at what global carpet tile manufacturer Interface has done. They are companies that focus on creating lasting value for all stakeholders.
Creating lasting value entails delivering value for employees, for customers, for shareholders and for society.
Welcome to the TSSS Series on Canadian Women in CSR. Learn about their journeys, discover what inspires them and explore how they’re making a difference through their careers in sustainability. Please follow the link to read about other exceptional Canadian Women in CSR.
Nadine Gudz: Director of Sustainability Strategy at Interface
TSSS: Briefly describe your role and responsibilities, and how many years you have been in the business.
Nadine Gudz: I joined Interface in December 2007 as Director, Sustainability Strategy after years of working in environmental policy, planning and education across academic, NGO and government sectors.. I serve on the management team of Interface’s Canadian business operations as well as the Interface Americas Sustainability Council. I drive the Interface Mission Zero journey to eliminate any negative impact the company might have on the environment by 2020 through strategic partnerships, thought leadership, organizational development, education and training.
We are at least 10 years into the corporate sustainability journey now, so what really significant changes have we achieved?
Perhaps the business world has focused on the wrong tasks? Could it be that, despite all the carbon neutrality claims, hundreds of Global Reporting Initiative [GRI] A+ reports and sustainability teams of ten or more people, companies have still not radically redesigned their core products and business models?
I believe that there has been far too much focus on companies wanting to look good, and not nearly enough attention paid to actually performing well.
Two types of memories stand out from GLOBE 2012, a renowned bi-annual Vancouver event: deeper connections forged with old friends and new connections established with others who we can now call new friends.
Those connections may have occurred while relaxing on a couch between sessions, sharing a bite over lunch, relaxing at a bar in the evening, debating after a seminar about the topics presented or even at the airport waiting to catch a plane home. GLOBE is about much more than the topics discussed or the people who attend; it’s about everything that comes together to make this a must-attend event for the sustainability professional.
It’s the culture that makes GLOBE something special.
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