More With Less Podcast with Venkata and Jaideep

Venkata Gandikota and Jaideep Prabhu
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How do businesses balance financial growth with sustainability and impact? Join hosts Venkata Gandikota - a frugal innovation and impact investing evangelist - and Prof Jaideep Prabhu - Professor of Marketing at Cambridge University’s Judge Business School and co-author of an award-winning book on frugal innovation - to understand the global challenges of sustainable growth and potential solutions to them. Our podcast features conversations with leading business leaders, consultants, entrepreneurs, investors, climate activists, and social impact activists. Join us every week for a new episode and learn about how to do more with less!

Episodes

  1. Ep 10 - Conversation with Andrew Winston (Co-Author, Net Positive)

    09/07/2022

    Ep 10 - Conversation with Andrew Winston (Co-Author, Net Positive)

    In this episode, Venkata and Jaideep ask some pertinent questions to Andrew about his latest book, Net Positive, that he co-authored with former Unilever CEO Paul Polman. Andrew explains the core thesis of his new book Net Positive and about Unilever's sustainability journey. He then gives his take on the Private equity ownership of Kraft Heinz and their attempted takeover of Unilever and how eventually that takeover failed. We then hear Andrew's take on Danone's CEO Emmanuel Faber getting ousted and on short-term vs long-term views at companies regarding investment and sustainability. The interview then goes towards the growth vs consumption dilemma, big companies' climate goals, and his views on greenwashing. The discussion then takes a turn towards why leadership, culture, and values matter in a company towards achieving Net Positive status. Building partnerships is identified as key to achieving climate goals.  Guest BioAndrew Winston is a globally-recognized expert on megatrends and how to build companies that thrive by serving the world. He is one of the most widely read writers on sustainable business in the world, with regular columns in Harvard Business Review and MIT Sloan Management Review. Andrew’s latest book, Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More than They Take (co-authored with renowned CEO Paul Polman), is one of Financial Times’ Best Business Books of the Year. Andrew was selected for Thinkers50 list of the top management thinkers in the world. Key moments timestamps[00:40]- Andrew’s sustainability journey[02:46]- On the core thesis of his new book Net Positive[04:55]- On Unilever's sustainability journey[07:26]- On Kraft Heinz and the attempted takeover of Unilever[10:51]- Andrew's take on Danone's CEO Emmanuel Faber getting ousted[12:53]- On short-term vs long-term views at companies regarding investment and sustainability[16:22]- On growth vs consumption dilemma[20:05]- On big companies' climate goals and views on greenwashing[23:41]- On why leadership matters for companies in achieving climate goals[25:49]- The role of culture and values in a company towards achieving Net Positive[28:50]- The elephants in the room to tackle for achieving a Net positive future [31:15]- Building partnerships to achieve climate goals[33:51]- If businesses are ready to tackle climate goals on their own Check out the full episode transcription at: https://https://morewithlesspodcast.com/           Quotes“Once we call something "sustainability", it gets this extra burden of proving it this quarter or we're not gonna do it, 'cos it must be anti-business. It's just this assumption that it's anti-business which we're breaking down. I think I've been trying to break this down for 20 years, but I think it's finally happening. There's a broader view of the benefit of all this.”  - Andrew Winston  "Part of this neoliberal model is we should not only maximize profits by selling things at the highest margin we can, we should squeeze government taxation down to nearly nothing, so we deliver the most to shareholders. But what does that do in the long run? ...... So that disconnect is a huge problem and I think transparency is part of the solution and those disconnects are being called out increasingly by NGOs and by employees.” - Andrew Winston   About UsVenkata Gandikota is a frugal innovation and impact investing evangelist and Prof Jaideep Prabhu is a Professor of Marketing at Cambridge University’s Judge Business School and co-author of an award-winning book on frugal innovation. If you have questions or feedback on this episode or our series, reach out to us. Twitter: https://twitter.com/morewithlesspodLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/more-with-less-podcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/morewithlesspodcastYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_hymDe_ez7RbRko0PLsFkwWebsite: https://morewithlesspodcast.com

    39 min
  2. Ep 9 - Conversation with Justin DeKoszmovszky (Founder, Archipel&Co)

    08/31/2022

    Ep 9 - Conversation with Justin DeKoszmovszky (Founder, Archipel&Co)

    In this episode, we talk to Justin DeKoszmovszky, Founder and Managing Partner of Archipel&Co’s UK office. Justin has been working at the interface of strategy, innovation, and sustainability for over 20 years. We start by talking about Justin’s sustainability journey and what sustainability means to him. We then explore Justin’s role at CISL (Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership), League of Intrapreneurs, and Archipel&Co. Justin then explains the sustainability trends in businesses and how the role of purpose in large listed companies is taking prominence. We then ask Justin about the challenges faced by large, listed companies trying to balance sustainability and impact with financial returns and the issue of Sustainability vs CSR in these big companies. Justin talks about the blurring of boundaries between profit and social purpose and how the frameworks and evaluation and measurement of impact take place in these big organizations. The conversation then goes towards balancing inequality, environment, and technology and Justin’s thoughts on what the future holds for sustainable businesses. Guest BioJustin DeKoszmovszky has been working at the interface of strategy, innovation, and sustainability for over 20 years, fuelled by the challenge of answering the next generation’s inevitable question: “what did you do to make it better?”   As the Founder and Managing Partner of Archipel&Co’s UK office, Justin is committed to the transition to an inclusive economy. Justin previously led corporate sustainability strategy at SC Johnson, PUMA and OVO Energy. He is a co-founder and non-executive director of INBONIS, a financial technology firm and Europe’s first SME-focused credit rating agency. Justin is also a Senior Associate of the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. Justin holds a BSc and an MBA from Cornell University.  Key moments timestamps[00:25]- Justin’s sustainability journey[03:19]- On what sustainability means to him[04:47]- Justin’s role at Cambridge’s CISL, League of Intrapreneurs, and Archipel&Co[07:15]- Sustainability trends in businesses[09:37]- Role of purpose in large listed companies[12:50]- Challenges faced by large, listed companies[15:02]- Sustainability vs CSR[17:45]- Blurring of boundaries between profit and social purpose[21:14]- Evaluation and measurement of impact and related metrics[24:23]- Example of evaluation and measurement[26:42]- On balancing inequality, environment, and technology [30:19]- Justin on what the future holds Check out the full episode transcription at: https://https://morewithlesspodcast.com/           Quotes“We're actually rarely now working with a pure sustainability team or a CSR team, whereas that used to be quite common. And now we're more often than not working with a brand team or a product team, or even commercial teams who are in charge of selling impactful products, impactful services.”  - Justin DeKoszmovszky  “The key is to start with what is already being measured to measure what is going to really make a difference from a decisional perspective, not necessarily what's going to be nice. And we're less focused on measures that are purely for the public reports. We're really more focused on measures and evaluation frameworks that are going to help make better decisions.” - Justin DeKoszmovszky  About UsVenkata Gandikota is a frugal innovation and impact investing evangelist and Prof Jaideep Prabhu is a Professor of Marketing at Cambridge University’s Judge Business School and co-author of an award-winning book on frugal innovation. If you have questions or feedback on this episode or our series, reach out to us. Twitter: https://twitter.com/morewithlesspodLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/more-with-less-podcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/morewithlesspodcastYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_hymDe_ez7RbRko0PLsFkwWebsite: https://morewithlesspodcast.com

    9 sec
  3. Ep 8 - Conversation with Gianluca Pandolfo ( Sales Director EMEA, Patagonia)

    08/24/2022

    Ep 8 - Conversation with Gianluca Pandolfo ( Sales Director EMEA, Patagonia)

    In this episode, we talk to Gianluca Pandolfo, Sales Director, EMEA region at Patagonia, the American clothing company. Gianluca spent 10 years in The North Face before joining Patagonia seven years ago. He starts by talking about his sustainability journey and then about Patagonia’s mission leading to its current status as a B Corp taking us along on Patagonia's sustainability initiatives. Gianluca then talks about the importance of their customers and how they take consumers along the sustainability journey. The conversation then moves to Issues regarding repairing clothes and moving away from make -> waste culture to a sustainable lifecycle for their products and how it helps in a strong customer relationship. Gianluca then talks about Patagonia’s unique relationship with its employees, who are supported to be socially active in their own geographies. Then Patagonia and its partners' relationships are explored and how Patagonia's lead in social and environmental justice movements and having high standards can bring press scrutiny. The podcast episode ends with Gianlucas’s thoughts on what Patagonia’s future looks like. Guest BioGianluca Pandolfo is responsible for the strategic management and sales (Retail & Wholesale) and business development operations within the EMEA Markets including distribution and channel strategy, market competitiveness, leading teams and individuals, and improving processes. Key moments timestamps[00:25]- Gianluca’s sustainability journey[02:31]- About Patagonia’s mission[04:21]- On Patagonia becoming a B corp and B Corp vs Benefit Corp[06:49]- Patagonia's sustainability initiatives[09:02]- Taking consumers along the sustainability journey[10:24]- Issues regarding repairing clothes[12:04]- Patagonia and its customers’ relationship[14:21]- Patagonia and its employees' relationship[18:24]- The joy of literally hugging trees[19:10]- Patagonia and its partners' relationship[21:17]- On social justice vs environmental justice[24:53]- On having high standards and dealing with press scrutiny[26:58]- Gianlucas’s thoughts on Patagonia’s future Check out the full episode transcription at: https://https://morewithlesspodcast.com/           Quotes“Patagonia is committed to transparency, accountability, and fixing problems with honesty, whenever they come to light. So that is the starting point. And we do mistakes, but this is, there is also the positive side of doing mistakes because it's showing to everyone that no one can do everything right and then if you wanna be a pioneer in anything, or if you wanna do something it's inevitable that you will do mistake. What is important is to admit those mistakes and take action. So the mistake is a problem itself, but how you deal with the problem is what is making a difference.”  - Gianluca Pandolfo  “So whatever you wanna repair - a shirt, a jacket, a competitor jacket, doesn't matter. We are there to repair them and to make you happy. Because everyone has a product and we need to understand “product is memories”. So we need to keep that product alive as long as possible. And we are responsible of that product, not only when we buy and we use it, but also when we are going to dismiss it.” - Gianluca Pandolfo  About UsVenkata Gandikota is a frugal innovation and impact investing evangelist and Prof Jaideep Prabhu is a Professor of Marketing at Cambridge University’s Judge Business School and co-author of an award-winning book on frugal innovation. If you have questions or feedback on this episode or our series, reach out to us. Twitter: https://twitter.com/morewithlesspodLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/more-with-less-podcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/morewithlesspodcastYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_hymDe_ez7RbRko0PLsFkwWebsite: https://morewithlesspodcast.com

    23 sec
  4. Ep 7 - Conversation with Andy Wales (Managing Director, Accenture. Previously CSO, British Telecom)

    08/17/2022

    Ep 7 - Conversation with Andy Wales (Managing Director, Accenture. Previously CSO, British Telecom)

    In this episode, we talk to Andy Wales who was Chief Digital Impact and Sustainable Officer at British Telecom when we did this interview. Andy has had a long career in sustainability, having worked in this space in manufacturing (Interface Inc.), utilities (Severn Trent), FMCG (ABInBev and SABMiller), and telecoms and tech (BT). He begins by telling us what sustainability means to him and what his role at BT involves. He goes on to tell us what sustainability has involved in the different sectors he has worked in. Andy then discusses the drivers of and impediments to businesses becoming more sustainable in what they do, both operationally and strategically. He ends with his thoughts on the pros and cons of technology and what the future of sustainability looks like. Guest BioAndy Wales is currently Managing Director at Accenture, leading their new global sustainability assets and offerings. Previously Andy was Chief Digital Impact and Sustainable Officer at British Telecom. He is Non Exec Director at Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor, which has helped 25m+ people get access to clean water and sanitation across 12 emerging market cities. He is also a former board committee member/senior advisor to WWF UK, Sainsbury’s, Global Innovation Fund, and Mayor of London. Andy believes in driving growth through (genuinely) purpose led business strategy and has done so across telecoms and tech (BT), FMCG (ABInBev and SABMiller), utilities (Severn Trent) and manufacturing (Interface Inc). He is a tech for good angel investor and investment fund advisor and is convinced of the power of big business and start ups/scale ups working together to address the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Key moments timestamps[00:25]- Andy’s current role, personal and professional journey[01:36]- What sustainability means to Andy[02:08]- About the  role of the Chief digital impact and sustainability officer at British Telecom[04:49]- On whether the CSO role is more strategic or operational[05:24]- If the sustainability roles at various career points in Andy’s professional life are similar or not[07:36]- The drivers of sustainability and potential link to strategy and branding[10:40]- Building business consortiums and coalitions to tackle climate issues[13:47]- On dealing with shareholders and other short-term financial pressures [15:51]- Examples of programs that have components of environmental and social impact[18:11]- Awareness campaigns for digital skilling[19:23]- Andy’s journey and evolution in sustainability[21:18]- The links between inequality, environment, and technology[24:37]- On any particular sectors taking the lead on sustainability[26:45]- On any particular businesses taking the lead on sustainability[28:53]- Andy’s thoughts on the future and the ability of businesses to rise to the occasion Check out the full episode transcription at: https://https://morewithlesspodcast.com/           Quotes“I think there's a strong link between digital and sustainability because the sector will enable a better quality of life, better economic productivity, better business models at dramatically lower emissions.”  - Andy Wales  About UsVenkata Gandikota is a frugal innovation and impact investing evangelist and Prof Jaideep Prabhu is a Professor of Marketing at Cambridge University’s Judge Business School and co-author of an award-winning book on frugal innovation. If you have questions or feedback on this episode or our series, reach out to us. Twitter: https://twitter.com/morewithlesspodLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/more-with-less-podcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/morewithlesspodcastYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_hymDe_ez7RbRko0PLsFkwWebsite: https://morewithlesspodcast.com

    31 min
  5. Ep 6 - Conversation with Hervé Duteil (Chief Sustainability Officer at BNP Paribas Americas)

    08/10/2022

    Ep 6 - Conversation with Hervé Duteil (Chief Sustainability Officer at BNP Paribas Americas)

    In this week’s episode, we talk to Hervé Duteil, the Chief Sustainability Officer for BNP Paribas in the Americas. As part of his role, Hervé leads the Bank’s regional strategy for Sustainable Finance, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Company Engagement. Herve begins by telling us why everyone is talking about sustainability these days. He goes on to discuss the difference between a sustainable investing approach and sustainable finance and expands on the role of finance in driving sustainability and the ESG movement. He ends with thoughts on the transition from ESG to net zero, the various activities in these areas that BNP Paribas has been engaged with, and what he believes the future holds for sustainability in finance and business more generally. Guest BioHervé Duteil created the first position of Chief Sustainability Officer for BNP Paribas in the Americas in 2014. In this role, he leads the Bank’s regional strategy for Sustainable Finance, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Company Engagement. In 2018, Euromoney selected him as one of the 10 “champions of global impact banking”. More recently, he led BNP Paribas’ efforts to close its first Social Impact Bond for the benefit of the State of Connecticut, followed by a second one with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Hervé holds a Master in Business Administration with distinction from the Harvard Business School, a Master of Science from the University of Cambridge, and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics & Physics from the University of Paris. Formerly a professional concert musician, he received various certificates from the Juilliard School of Music in New York. Key moments timestamps[00:25]- Hervé’s personal and professional journey[02:47]- Hervé’s insights on sustainability[04:35]- Whether sustainable finance has the potential to save us from climate change[08:20]- About ESG and current drivers behind ESG[11:27]- Data as an enabler and Herve’s thoughts on greenwashing[15:20]- The goal of net zero transition[17:43]- The role of banks in achieving net zero transition [19:22]- The importance of sustainability at BNP Paribas and the role of the Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) [24:25]- The future of sustainable finance and leadership Check out the full episode transcription at: https://https://morewithlesspodcast.com/           Quotes“Greenwashing starts when the tree starts to hide the forest and when a bond, let's say with a very legitimate green bond or social bond is hiding the rest of its impacts. The one bond is only a tiny portion of a balance sheet. And if you start taking a page in some media, press newspaper bragging about the latest transactions you've done, you start portraying a picture that's not close to reality.”  - Hervé Duteil  “What I'm fearing is complacency. Greenwashing in a way is intentional by those who overly exploit the benefits of what they do. Complacency is more insidious because we're not aware of it.”  - Hervé Duteil     About UsVenkata Gandikota is a frugal innovation and impact investing evangelist and Prof Jaideep Prabhu is a Professor of Marketing at Cambridge University’s Judge Business School and co-author of an award-winning book on frugal innovation. If you have questions or feedback on this episode or our series, reach out to us. Twitter: https://twitter.com/morewithlesspodLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/more-with-less-podcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/morewithlesspodcastYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_hymDe_ez7RbRko0PLsFkwWebsite: https://morewithlesspodcast.com

    29 min
  6. Ep 5 - Conversation with Anne Larilahti (Previously VP Sustainability, Finnair)

    08/03/2022

    Ep 5 - Conversation with Anne Larilahti (Previously VP Sustainability, Finnair)

    Join us in this week’s episode where we speak with Anne Larilahti, who recently exited her role as Vice President of Sustainability with Finnair. Anne shares her insights from her recent leadership roles in sustainability in the aviation sector (Finnair), and in the telecom sector (Telia, Nokia). She talks about the social and environmental impacts, for example how transportation's social benefits include global trade for people learning and quite frankly, peace and living together but on the other hand is still based on fossil fuels while the telecom sector has bought digitalization and made distances insignificant by bringing people together instantly.  Anne tells us that there is a historic opportunity regarding climate change and realizing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the financial aspect to make them feasible and she says " I think most large companies understand it and if they don't the market will make them understand." The conversation then goes towards biofuels, solar, electric, and other renewable opportunities for the aviation sector, the role of CEOs, and industry collaboration platforms. Anne also takes us into the world of social, and environmental KPIs and examples of direct metrics and proxies that are used in the industry. She sees positive change happening regarding sustainability and business, where companies are really starting to understand the value of sustainability not just as a license to operate, but also as a business driver.   Guest Bio Anne Larilahti, previously Vice President of Sustainability with Finnair and held executive roles in Sustainability at Telia and Nokia. Anne is currently on the Advisory Board of Elite Alfred Berg, an investment company, and also serves as a board member Veikkaus, the Finnish state gambling monopoly.  Key moments timestamps [01:13]- Anne’s personal and professional journey [02:30]- How Anne compares the aviation and telecom sectors, where she had her most recent leadership roles in sustainability [04:18]- Role of Covid and climate change on the aviation industry [06:49]- Affect on sustainability leadership in publicly listed companies while balancing financial returns [09:09]- Balancing short term vs long-term regarding moving from fossil fuels to renewables [12:14]- Collaboration for sustainable development between industries and the executives that lead them.  [14:13]- Balancing financial pressures with sustainability and the role of KPIs  [17:18]- Examples of the impact metrics used in companies from Anne’s career  [18:25]- Examples of any particular sector leading the sustainability torch based on Anne’s experience  [20:21]- Importance of working with not just companies that are sustainability leaders but also laggards [23:11]- The future of sustainability leadership and Anne’s own future path Check out the full episode transcription at: https://https://morewithlesspodcast.com/           Quotes “So I don't even see that there's a huge balance between being sustainable or being financially sound because, maybe there was, but they're coming very close. And I think most large companies understand it and if they don't the market will make them understand.” - Anne Larilahti            About Us Venkata Gandikota is a frugal innovation and impact investing evangelist and Prof Jaideep Prabhu is a Professor of Marketing at Cambridge University’s Judge Business School and co-author of an award-winning book on frugal innovation. If you have questions or feedback on this episode or our series, reach out to us. Twitter: https://twitter.com/morewithlesspodLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/more-with-less-podcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/morewithlesspodcastYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_hymDe_ez7RbRko0PLsFkwWebsite: https://morewithlesspodcast.com

    26 min
  7. Ep 4 - Conversation with Nira Johri ( VP of Global Inclusion and Sustainability at Rich Products Corp)

    07/27/2022

    Ep 4 - Conversation with Nira Johri ( VP of Global Inclusion and Sustainability at Rich Products Corp)

    In this episode, we speak with Nira Johri, Vice president of Global Inclusion and Sustainability for Rich Products Corporation, a privately held multinational food products company. Nira begins by discussing her professional journey. She started out in the public sector in the Obama administration where she helped shape foreign policy. She then went on to work with an NGO before entering the private sector and her current role with Rich Products Corporation. This journey has helped her understand how stakeholders in each of these sectors operate including what drives them and what motivates them. Nira makes a point about how we need to move from generic sustainability to regenerative models: i.e., how do we recreate and foster growth and prosperity in ways that give back to people and the planet. On working in a privately held company like Rich Products, which has more than 5 billion US dollars in revenue, Nira says food companies have to focus on climate. This means working on ingredients, packaging, water, and waste. She also talks about human rights, especially fair labor.  When talking about the drivers of sustainability, Nira discusses making it a table issue at her company. She also notes the importance of legislation and regulations that will help push the system along. She discusses some of the impediments to implementing sustainability and inclusion, pointing to issues like sustainable ingredients, sustainable packaging, payback time that may be 7 years instead of 3 years, etc.  Nira spends some time on the importance of social and environmental KPIs and how technology can be used to enable them. She concludes by noting that she is an eternal optimist about our future because this work cannot be done out of frustration. It is very important that everyone learns how to stay positive and stay energized.   Guest Bio Nira Johri is currently Vice president of Global Inclusion and Sustainability for Rich Products Corporation, a privately held multinational food products company. She has 18+ years of experience leading transformational global strategies across the public and private sectors. She is passionate about delivering impact for organizations where inclusion and sustainability are fundamental parts of doing business. Nira is adept at building relationships across cultural and political divides and creating mutually beneficial partnerships.   Key moments timestamps [00:36]- Nira's professional journey [01:57]- What does sustainability mean to Nira? [03:23]- What's the link between diversity, inclusion, and sustainability? [05:25]- How different is her current role compared to what she has done in the past?  [07:20]- On the difference between a private company vs a public company and the roles of financial performance vs long-term sustainability [09:09]-  What are the major drivers of sustainability in business and if Nira thinks businesses can solve the sustainability issue on their own.  [11:52]- What are the major impediments to businesses being more sustainable?  [14:12]- How exactly do sustainability and social impact issues get taken into account at her company Rich products?  [17:02]- Given that Rich Products is a privately held company, how do they report and how often do they report?  [17:58]- Personal stories on sustainability and social impact [19:47]- How are social, environmental, and technology issues connected? [21:51]- Sectors that are helping make progress on sustainability and ones that are holding us back. [23:42]- What does the future hold? Is Nira optimistic? Check out the full episode transcription at: https://https://morewithlesspodcast.com/            Quotes A huge part of any sustainability role is influencing without authority. So, understanding what your stakeholders want is really a key and instrumental part of success. - Nira Johri            About Us Venkata Gandikota is frugal innovation and impact investing evangelist and Prof Jaideep Prabhu is a Professor of Marketing at Cambridge University’s Judge Business School and co-author of an award-winning book on frugal innovation. If you have questions or feedback on this episode or our series, reach out to us. Twitter: https://twitter.com/morewithlesspodLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/more-with-less-podcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/morewithlesspodcastYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_hymDe_ez7RbRko0PLsFkwWebsite: https://morewithlesspodcast.com

    26 min
  8. Ep 3 - Conversation with world renowned sustainability leader, Mike Barry

    07/20/2022

    Ep 3 - Conversation with world renowned sustainability leader, Mike Barry

    Episode Summary In this episode, our guest Mike Barry shares his sustainability journey with us. Mike started his stint in consultancy initially and says he fortuitously joined M&S because of then Chief Financial Officer, Alison Reed. He then talks about Stuart Rose who came in as the new Chief Executive M&S in 2004 and asked "I want to be a leader on sustainability, how do I do it?" Mike says that was the inspiration for launching Plan A in 2007 because there is no Plan B for our planet. Talking about the role of businesses in sustainability where a real business case has eventually emerged beyond legal compliance, beyond reputation management, it's about existential business model disruption.  During his time as Director for Sustainability at Marks & Spencer and his role in balancing social impact and sustainability, Mike gives a few examples - (a) "shwopping", and (b) "marks and starts".  On the issue of technology and supply chains, Mike says the sustainability challenge is in some ways a data challenge.  Finally talking about what the future holds, he has seen optimism and courage amongst his kids' generation to do things differently and do it faster, Guest Bio We have an amazing guest on the show, Mike Barry, who currently has his own consulting firm,  mikebarryeco ltd. Mike is a leader in sustainable change. One of the pioneers of green business in the corporate world, he helped to develop, launch and implement Marks and Spencer’s ground-breaking sustainability programme, Plan A (because there is no Plan B for the one world we have). In ten years, Plan A delivered £750m of net business benefit and over the years won 230 awards.​His external leadership ensured that Plan A leadership and learning was leveraged into wider change throughout the global economy, including as an inaugural winner of the Guardian Sustainable Business Innovator of the year in 2011 after a public vote.  Key moments timestamps [00:25]- Mike Barry’s sustainability journey   [05:38]- What does sustainability mean to Mike  [07:38]- The role of business in the sustainability process [10:50]- The major drivers of sustainability in business [13:17]- The impediments for businesses to become more sustainable [16:14]- How sustainability and social impact are intertwined.  [19:05]- Personal stories [22:02]- The links between social inequality, the environment, and technology [26:31]- Does technology help address sustainability?  [29:42]- Any particular sectors that are in the lead when it comes to sustainability? [34:42]- Underrepresented sectors in the sustainability space [42:00]- What does the future hold? Is Mike optimistic? Check out the full episode transcription at: https://https://morewithlesspodcast.com/           Quotes My first big piece of learning on that (sustainability at Marks and Spencer) journey I would share with anybody is to surround yourself by good people. – Mike Barry. Sustainability is about making sure that we are preparing our kids for the future, leaving them with far more upside than currently on the table and where we are leaving the big problems, helping them with the solutions and helping build resilience into their lives individually, and collectively. - Mike BArry The sustainability challenge is one in some ways, of data. It's a challenge of data. – Mike Barry            About Us Venkata Gandikota is frugal innovation and impact investing evangelist and Prof Jaideep Prabhu is a Professor of Marketing at Cambridge University’s Judge Business School and co-author of an award-winning book on frugal innovation. If you have questions or feedback on this episode or our series, reach out to us. Twitter: https://twitter.com/morewithlesspodLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/more-with-less-podcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/morewithlesspodcastYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_hymDe_ez7RbRko0PLsFkwWebsite: https://morewithlesspodcast.com

    47 min
  9. Ep 2 - Conversation with Salla Ahonen (Neste) and Pia Tanskanen (Nokia)

    07/13/2022

    Ep 2 - Conversation with Salla Ahonen (Neste) and Pia Tanskanen (Nokia)

    Episode Summary In this episode, our guests Pia Tanskanen and Salla Ahonen share their sustainability journey with us. They talk about their work in their respective fields and organizations to reduce negative environmental outcomes and increase overall productivity. The conversation then moves on to how sustainability is not just about the environment but actually includes four areas  - climate, biodiversity, human rights, and supply chains. They discuss how they see sustainability as not only being about preventing bad things from happening, but also maximizing the good stuff. This means having targets on minimizing their carbon footprint but also maximizing their carbon handprint meaning how they are helping other companies reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by using their products. Another important point that was emphasized was how digitalization is tied to going green and going circular for their companies with regards to carbon-neutral goals. At a company level, it is critical that what the sustainability team is doing  be seen in the context of working together with the R&D and innovation unit, the production lines, the strategy team, the HR team, the finance team and the communications team. Pia and Salla both feel optimistic about the future even when progress is slow, largely because the field of sustainability has changed dramatically in a positive way over the last 10 to 15 years.  Guest Bio We have two guests on the show, Pia Tanskanen, and Salla Ahonen.  Pia Tanskanen is Head of Environment at Nokia. Nokia is a Finnish multinational telecommunication, information technology, and consumer electronics company. Pia is responsible for Nokia's environmental programs. She has spent over 20 years working in global ICT, for both B2B and B2C. She is passionate about environmental topics, such as #zeroemissions, #tech4climate, #sustainability innovation and value creation, and recycling & circular economy. Salla Ahonen is Vice president of Sustainability at Neste. Neste is the world's leading producer of sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel. Salla's primary focus is on realigning the sustainability focus areas of Neste and ensuring they are fully integrated into the business strategy. Before joining Neste, over the course of more than two decades, Salla worked as a Senior Advisor at the Brussels office of the Confederation of Finnish Industries and as Director of Governmental Affairs at Microsoft. Prior to that she held several positions at Nokia, including being Director for Sustainability & Environmental Policy. Key moments timestamps [1:14]- Salla Ahonen’s Sustainability journey   [3:03]- Pia Tanskanen’s Sustainability journey  [5:07]- How the four main aspects of sustainability (climate, biodiversity, human rights, and supply chain) come together [11:23]- The relationship between industry groups that support climate issues [14:39]- Dealing with the detours that take you away from the core of your business to address systemic problems [16:47]- Is sustainability a new thing in business? [23:11]- How going green is tied to digitalization  [24:34]- Achieving carbon-neutral production in Neste [30:08]- Big obstacles to the transformations that go on in organizations [33:00]- Balancing priorities when it comes to decision making [35:00]- What does the future hold? Check out the full episode transcription at: https://https://morewithlesspodcast.com/           Takeaways We see more and more companies really having a purpose that is beyond making money and I think this is a big change in what we've seen as sustainability. – Salla Ahonen You can't change the world on your own. – Pia Tanskanen            About Us Venkata Gandikota is frugal innovation and impact investing evangelist and Prof Jaideep Prabhu is a Professor of Marketing at Cambridge University’s Judge Business School and co-author of an award-winning book on frugal innovation. If you have questions or feedback on this episode or our series, reach out to us Twitter: https://twitter.com/morewithlesspodLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/more-with-less-podcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/morewithlesspodcastYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_hymDe_ez7RbRko0PLsFkwWebsite: https://morewithlesspodcast.com

    37 min

  10. 07/04/2022

    More With Less Podcast - Intro and Season 1 expectations

    In this episode, Venkata and Jaideep discuss what listeners should expect as the podcast goes live. They both go into detail to discuss the why behind the podcast, the guest list, topics, business sectors, and regions that would be covered. They also give a sneak peek at a list of guests that will be interviewed on Season 1 of this podcast series. Key moments timestamps [1:00]--The global economy and what significant challenges we will be facing in the next few decades [2:02]- Businesses and their role in dealing with these challenges [3:27]- The “why” behind the podcast [5:13]- Business areas and regions the podcast will be focusing on [7:38]- Social Impact and its role in sustainability [8:37]- Sneak peek at our guest list for the season [9:45]- Various platforms where the podcast will be available [10:37]- Conclusion Takeaways The whole sustainability issue as I see it, obviously, I believe it's not just about environmental sustainability. There is a social angle, there's social impact, and an environmental impact. - Jaideep Prabhu                                                                                There are so many stories that need to be told from those places as well, particular sectors. we've been listening about how these oil companies such as Exxon, Shell with their shareholders and the board members being more activistic pushing their executive management teams to diversify into renewable energy. - Venkata Gandikota As a business school, Professor, I tend to focus on the role of companies and there are, of course the large companies and also startups but I think a really good place to start is to look at the world's largest companies because, in a sense, they're the ones who account for most of the economic activity. - Jaideep Prabhu Check out the full episode episode transcription at: https://https://morewithlesspodcast.com/ About Us Venkata Gandikota is frugal innovation and impact investing evangelist and Prof Jaideep Prabhu is a Professor of Marketing at Cambridge University’s Judge Business School and co-author of an award-winning book on frugal innovation. If you have questions or feedback on this episode or our series, reach out to us Twitter: https://twitter.com/morewithlesspod Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/more-with-less-podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morewithlesspodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_hymDe_ez7RbRko0PLsFkw Website: https://morewithlesspodcast.com

    12 min
  • 10 Episodes

About

How do businesses balance financial growth with sustainability and impact? Join hosts Venkata Gandikota - a frugal innovation and impact investing evangelist - and Prof Jaideep Prabhu - Professor of Marketing at Cambridge University’s Judge Business School and co-author of an award-winning book on frugal innovation - to understand the global challenges of sustainable growth and potential solutions to them. Our podcast features conversations with leading business leaders, consultants, entrepreneurs, investors, climate activists, and social impact activists. Join us every week for a new episode and learn about how to do more with less!

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