At Leadership & Sustainability, we are very proud of our continually growing team and would love to introduce our newest member, our new sustainability director and strategy team leader – Stefanie, who strives to incorporate her knowledge and experience into our business.
Meet our Sustainability Director and Strategy Team Leader
Stefanie Rieder-Haas joined us thi
s April as our new Sustainability Director and Strategy Team Leader. Stefanie holds a Bachelor’s degree in American Studies, Spanish, and German from the University of Regensburg (2010) and an MBA in Sports Management from the University of Bayreuth (2017), focusing on sustainability.
With over 20 years of experience across the USA, Mexico, Australia, and Germany, Stefanie brings a wealth of intercultural understanding and expertise in sustainability strategy, project management, and leadership. Previously, as Head of CSR and Chief Supply Chain Officer at Ortovox, Stefanie spearheaded the company’s first comprehensive sustainability strategy, achieving significant progress in areas such as carbon reduction, ethical procurement, and stakeholder engagement. Her experience includes overseeing emissions calculations and social audits, and providing deep insights into sustainability challenges across the textile supply chain.
Want to know more about Stefanie? Keep reading!
What sparked your interest and made you decide to work in the textile industry?
It was more of a coincidence that turned into a passion. I wanted to work in an environment with people I could relate to. That’s why my primary goal was to work in the outdoor sports industry. After I had achieved that, I learned about the textile industry and was really surprised by the complexity that lies behind every single piece of garment. About the hours of work that are invested into the creation and moreover about the real people behind the work. It really touched me, when I participated in my first audits in the supply chain. Clothes and textiles are something that every single person in the world needs and uses. However, there is so little that we as consumers know about the creation process of the things we use on a daily basis, especially as consumers in the Western world. The ability to positively impact the conditions under which textiles are created, while also empowering customers to make better choices, is what makes the textile sector a most intriguing place for me to work.
What would you say are your proudest achievements, either on a professional basis or a personal basis?
I think I am in a very lucky and privileged position to have choices. And from my point of view, I am proud of the choices I have made so far. From a professional point of view, I would say, the deliberate choice to specialize in sustainability about 10 years ago is one of the choices I am the proudest of. The topic wasn’t “en vogue” back then and I do not come from a background where that played any role. In my MBA thesis I then focused on Developing a Sustainability strategy for the outdoor sports brand Ortovox which was very successfully implemented and played a big role in the development of the brand.
From a personal point of view, I can say that the choice to have a big family – my husband and I have 4 kids – is something that I am very proud of. Proud because I get the chance to construct a progressive family model with equal responsibilities for me and my partner and because I love the hustle and bustle. It’s not always easy but I hope I and we can be a role model for others.
You will be taking on the position of Sustainability Director and Strategy Team Leader at Leadership & Sustainability, can you tell me how you plan to shape this position to generate value for L&S and its customers?
Through the continuous growth in the last few years of L&S this amazing opportunity has opened up for me. The combination of supply chain work and sustainability strategy in addition to the awareness that it needs real leadership for change, is a unique quality for a consultancy in the textile sector. My plan is to continue to help the company exhibit its values on a daily basis. With my contributions I want to be able to serve an even broader base of clients. This means, to only name 2 things, I want to provide excellent, high-quality service and be responsive to our clients’ needs. For our customers,I can add a brand perspective. I will continue to, together with the team, tailor the best solution based on each clients needs. This opens up the possibility for C-Suite members to be able to get advice on an eye-to-eye level. The Leadership & Sustainability team can provide our customers with highly useful advice on how to include sustainability into their transformation process. I am very pleased to be a part of that process. Regarding the team, I am impressed by their commitment to the work. I want to help people develop in their and the company’s best interests. We are already sharpening our focus on different sustainability aspects to always be able to deliver the best answers to our client’s questions.
Throughout your career what have been the most difficult challenges you have had to face and what would you say to people dealing with similar challenges?
(laughs) To keep my ability of resilience high. The textile industry is not only characterized by its complex supply chain, but also by the many relationships between people on different levels. There are so many stakeholders involved, that sometimes it feels like a huge mountain which you will never be able to climb. With so many people involved, the relationships are sometimes not direct, the mindsets are so different, and intercultural challenges come along. What sounds so exhausting, however, makes it also so interesting. The more diverse the team is, the better the outcome will likely be. So, I would say: After having gotten a first glance at the map that leads to the summit (e.g. in the form of a materiality assessment), look back at your feet and trust that every single step will bring you closer to reaching your destination.
What are you most looking forward to accomplishing within your new position at Leadership & Sustainability?
I am excited about the possibility of supporting many other companies on their way to be more successful and sustainable. By deciding to invest in sustainability and choosing practices that will nurture the environment and that focus on the well-being of the workforce, those clients will not only do good from an ethical perspective but in my opinion also become more resilient and more successful businesses as the legal environment continues to evolve.
From your professional point of view what would you say is the most crucial step that companies should be taking to improve their sustainability?
I would like to again use the metaphor of a mountain. As I mentioned before, it is important to get an idea of the terrain that you will be moving in when you try to climb to the summit. This means that you should know where your path, i.e. your impacts, your risks and your opportunities lie. Measuring sustainability will become a common practice in not too long. Therefore, quite simply: To know your terrain, get a map. To translate it: Get your materiality analysis ready to understand where the opportunities are for your business in order to turn sustainability efforts into a market advantage. We at L&S are more than happy to offer our support.
We at Leadership & Sustainability are very happy to have Stefanie in our team and hope you enjoyed our interview with her – if so, feel free to leave a Like!
Best wishes,
Karin & the team
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