Head of Sustainability

Name: Benjamin Teufel
Degree: Master of Arts UZH in Wirtschaftswissenschaften (Management and Economics)
Profession: Head of Sustainability
Employer: Ernst & Young

What does a Head of Sustainability do?

In my role, I am responsible for developing new solutions, further developing the team, addressing customers and providing our support services. At the same time, I am responsible for integrating different aspects of sustainability into our existing service portfolio. All of this leads to raising our customers' awareness of sustainability and recognising the opportunities it offers.

How did you come to this position?

Thanks to my ability to have already successfully built up new subject areas and teams in other positions within EY - be it in the energy sector or as part of our climate consultancy EYCarbon.

What strategic priorities do you see for the next few years?

Companies need to adapt their business model and make it sustainable. In order to be able to offer sustainable products and services, energy procurement and use must be addressed, for example in the production of materials or in the supply chain. At the same time, we need to rethink the way we deal with suppliers, customers, employees, investors and ultimately the planet. The necessary transformation is fundamental, as it affects all areas and ecosystems of a company.

Why is it important for companies to invest in sustainability?

In the future, companies with a sustainable setup will be able to gain a competitive advantage that pays off both financially and socially - not to mention environmentally. Companies that do not embrace this change will lose market share in the long term. Our society and our planet will only have a future if sustainability has a future. The challenge is that the current generation has to implement a change that will probably only benefit future generations. Humans must now prove that they are or can be social beings. This long-term goal should characterise our short-term actions - because to secure the future, we must act today!

As of June 2022