We raise the bar on sustainability – with increased focus and competence

Circular economy. Environmental footprint. Zero waste. Sustainability is an increasingly critical area, and the buzzwords are many. But in the end, it comes down to making conscious decisions - balancing social, economic, and environmental factors to ensure we manage resources in a sustainable way.

To further enhance our ability to make these conscious decisions we are now increasing our focus and competence in sustainability. Earlier this year we welcomed Lena Westerholm, Vice President of Sustainability at Westermo. In this interview Lena shares her thoughts on Westermo and our future sustainability initiatives.

A month has passed since you began your role as Vice President of Sustainability at Westermo. What are your thoughts so far?
I'm so glad to be here! It has been an exciting first month with lots of engaging meetings and conversations. I have learned a lot about the organization, the products, and the technology at Westermo. Simply put, I have joined a fantastic company - both in terms of what we do and how we do it. I see sustainability in Westermo's entire offering to the market and customers: long-lasting, energy-efficient, and high-quality products that enable secure and reliable network solutions.

Together with all our competent and dedicated colleagues at Westermo, I really look forward to driving and develop our different sustainability initiatives even further. Additionally, I also have my role as Group Head of Sustainability at Ependion and I am very excited to learn from and work together with all my colleagues at Ependion and Beijer Electronics. 

What is the key to Westermo succeeding in its sustainability work going forward?
All employees' commitment and knowledge are essential to the success of sustainability work. I think that is the key, to include all employees. Furthermore, sustainability work should be fully integrated into the company's overall strategy. Those who work closest to the risks and opportunities usually also have wise ideas on how to address them in the best way.
It is also important to note that sustainability has such a wide scope. This means that a close dialogue with customers and other stakeholders is fundamental to ensure that the right areas are prioritized.

What do you believe will be Westermo's most significant sustainability initiative in the coming years?
Sustainability has several dimensions, but considering the "green" dimension, the circular economy, which is very broad in and of itself, is an area in which I see that we can continue to contribute significantly. Managing resources efficiently is the essence of circular economy, and I have seen so many good examples on our expertise and competence in this area already. By doing this, we strengthen the competitiveness of both our customers and our company.

 
About Lena Westerholm 

Lena Westerholm comes most recently from the role of Sustainability Manager for ABB Sweden and Global Sustainability Manager for the business area Robotics and Discrete Automation ABB Ltd. Lena has a master’s degree in environmental science from Umeå University and has worked for 23 years in the ABB Group in many different roles within sustainability and business development. She is also a senior advisor in sustainability in several different forums.

Lena has a shared role, Vice President of Sustainability at Westermo and Group Head of Sustainability at Ependion and started on 22 May 2023. With her deep and broad experience from driving sustainability issues in industrial context she will contribute to raising focus and competence in the area within the whole group.