You work in corporate responsibility, but you say you have an engineer's heart. What does it mean?
I prefer to approach things rationally and through facts. Beyond mere theorising, it is important for me to find solutions through trial and error. But there is an underlying emotion in what I do. Successes and failures affect me.
What is the purpose of your job?
To find sustainable fuels and renewable materials as we need new solutions. My job is to assess the sustainability, environmental impact and responsibility of these solutions, also from a social perspective. The aim is to avoid dependence on fossil raw materials and to avoid over-consumption of renewable resources.
What kind of positive change are you making at work?
For the past few decades, the world has been trying to find concrete solutions to the excessive use of fossil fuels and the increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Hasty political decisions have been taken in the hope to find "the" solution. But there is no single solution. It is made up of different streams. In my own team, we look at a wide range of solutions and consider what raw materials could be used to produce renewable biofuels and bio-based materials in a sustainable way.
What responsibilities do you have in your job? What are your concerns?
I am constantly assessing whether we are going in the right direction and doing it responsibly. As we work on new things, we have to think about how to make them profitable and whether they fit into UPM's strategy. No single company can implement all the right solutions. I am responsible for ensuring that the work is done in line with the strategy, from a sustainability perspective.
