Decisive, visible commitment by senior management: crucial for bolstering ESG in businesses
“It’s essential for senior management to be proactive and become a cornerstone of cultural change. To a great extent, we’ve concentrated our efforts on consolidating a leadership style for more people-oriented companies able to transform the business world and create a better society”, said Ana Sainz, director general of the SERES Foundation, during the lecture ‘Los ESG avanzan en la agenda de la alta dirección’ [ESGs move up the senior management agenda], organized by Esade and the SERES Foundation, in which the chief executives of ATREVIA in Spain, HP Iberia and NTT Data Spain analyzed how leaders can bolster ESG criteria in their companies. As regards the qualities of this new leadership, Sainz highlighted coherence and long-term outlook, commenting that “it must embrace both economic and intangible indicators, because failure to see their connection is no longer acceptable and means being less competitive.”
Ignasi Carreras, professor and director of NGO Management Training Programs at the Esade Institute for Social Innovation, was clear that the advancement of ESG criteria “creates a framework that conditions what a company does or does not do, showcases its strategies and defines its behavior.” Responsible leadership is essential during this process in order to guide the team towards the envisaged goals, and this, as Carreras pointed out, requires three factors: firstly, the ability to build a strategic vision based on ESGs; secondly, the integrity necessary to engender trust amongst stakeholders on the basis of transparency or diversity; and, finally, the transformation capacity of companies as a common value for the company and society.
Key factors in responsible leadership
“ESGs are already on the senior management agenda in many companies: an extraordinary paradigm shift. This is often driven by vocation, because we are both an economic and social actor, but also by obligation and regulatory or reputational pressure. However, we’re all moving forward and there’s no turning back,” declared Asun Soriano, CEO of ATREVIA in Spain. She also underlined the importance of these commitments being central to strategy, not peripheral. “It’s hugely important not to fetter our undertakings by the very technical constraints of reporting and compliance, to ensure they remain at our strategy’s core and help us connect and co-create with stakeholders, particularly current and future talent, in response to the global challenge of engagement.”
“We believe that all issues related to the environment, society and corporate governance constitute the foundations of corporate strategy. Today’s leaders must adopt an inclusive, active and engaged mindset that fosters the creation of sustainable ecosystems and involves everyone in a common goal,” said Inés Bermejo, director general of HP Iberia. “Creating a sustainable, long-lasting culture always requires a leader who values and prioritizes sustainability management and is able to adapt it to the business, even in highly competitive landscapes. The secret is to be a responsible leader who inspires and motivates everyone, everywhere.”
Finally, Sergi Biosca, CEO of NTT Data Spain, highlighted the link between financial returns and social returns. “We’re convinced that a value equation can only succeed if it features sustainability. Besides profits and returns, a new value proposition has emerged that is equally important to executives, customers, investors and regulators, i.e., to make a positive impact on people and the planet. In this respect, technology is an enabler that provides the speed and scale to help business and society achieve the goals on the 2030 agenda.”
The Esade - SERES Foundation Lecture Series has welcomed 130 speakers to more than 45 sessions since 2011, bringing future managers closer to trends, experiences and good business practices on the social front.
