Day 1 Highlights from IntegrityNext Xplore: ESG Supply Chain Reimagined

Kick-off with CEO keynote

Martin Berr-Sorokin, CEO of IntegrityNext, kicked off Xplore with an inspiring keynote speech. After reflecting on the company's humble beginnings, he provided an overview of the key trends shaping the future of global supply chains. He highlighted the critical role of AI in addressing ESG challenges and outlined how IntegrityNext is already harnessing the potential of AI in its solutions today.

He was joined on stage by long-time IntegrityNext partners Ann Rosenberg, Member of the IntegrityNext Advisory Board, Maximilian Schnippering, Head of Sustainability at Siemens Gamesa, and Janina Bauer, Global Head of Sustainability at Celonis. They shared their insights on current ESG developments and discussed how the IntegrityNext platform can help companies address the most pressing sustainability challenges.

Three thematic tracks in the afternoon

Following a keynote speech by Marta Muñoz, Senior Director Analyst at Gartner, who provided guidance on how companies can navigate the sustainability maze, the afternoon sessions focused on three overarching themes in different tracks: Supply Chain Due Diligence, Supply Chain Decarbonization, and Action and Collaboration.

• In the Supply Chain Due Diligence track, speakers from both business and politics highlighted the significant challenges of implementing due diligence practices. They emphasized the importance of cross-departmental collaboration within organizations and strong, transparent engagement with suppliers as essential for success.
  
  
• The Decarbonization track highlighted that, in many industries, the greatest potential for reducing carbon footprints lies in Scope 3 emissions within the supply chain. Providing suppliers with the right tools and support was seen as critical to obtaining accurate data.
  
  
• Finally, the Action and Collaboration track emphasized that success in sustainability can only be achieved through collective efforts. Equipping corporate sustainability teams with sufficient human and financial resources, as well as establishing a clear ESG governance framework, are essential to this end.

In all three tracks, IntegrityNext experts demonstrated how the IntegrityNext platform can support compliance with various sustainability requirements—whether related to the CSDDD, the German Supply Chain Act, or CBAM. Attendees interested in seeing the IntegrityNext solutions in action or seeking additional information could visit dedicated booths for further insights.

First-hand industry insights and the role of stakeholder engagement

In the afternoon, the program resumed on the main stage with Jacob Biemond, Director of Procurement at Damen Shipyards, who explained how his company integrates sustainability into its procurement strategy and how their supplier network aligns with and supports its long-term business vision.

The last item on the agenda before dinner was a panel discussion on effective stakeholder engagement in corporate sustainability. The panel consisted of Anne Heijnk, Team Lead External Affairs at IntegrityNext, Anne Reiner, Lead Sustainable Supply Chains at Save the Children Germany, Bart Devos, Vice President Public Policy at the Responsible Business Alliance, and Filippo Spiezia, Senior Project Manager at CSR Europe.

All panelists emphasized that stakeholder engagement is an ongoing journey and that it is in a company's best interest to actively engage stakeholders in high-risk countries and industries. In particular, Anne Reiner and Filippo Spiezia highlighted the important role of NGOs in facilitating dialogue and serving as valuable partners throughout the stakeholder engagement process.

The IntegrityNext awards ceremony

After a flying dinner buffet, a special highlight awaited participants at the end of the first day. Nick Heine, Chief Customer Officer of IntegrityNext, and Kathrin Ostheimer, Head of Partner Management, honored several of our customers across six categories for their outstanding commitment to sustainability.

• Climate Action Award: The winner, Harting, demonstrates exemplary commitment to tracking its corporate carbon footprint and engaging its suppliers to ensure the streamlined collection of emissions data.
• Innovation Award: The winner, Acciona, demonstrates its dedication to innovation with impressive results - quadrupling its purchasing volume, tripling the number of suppliers, and onboarding tens of thousands of new suppliers each year.
• Social Impact Award: Through rigorous annual and ad-hoc risk analyses in line with their Human Rights Policy, the winner, Infineon, showcases a strong commitment to upholding human rights throughout its supply chain.
• Sustainable Supply Chain Champion: The winner, DB Schenker, manages an extensive network of more than 100,000 suppliers worldwide in an exemplary manner, driving sustainability throughout its supply chain.
• Collaboration Award: The winner, Vorwerk, excels in working with a wide range of stakeholders. Their purchasing and sustainability departments work closely together, they engage their suppliers in multiple languages, and they seamlessly integrate the IntegrityNext platform into their daily operations.
• Partner Award: The winner, Celonis, uniquely combines its transactional data and process mining solutions with IntegrityNext’s sustainability data to provide a comprehensive, holistic solution that delivers value to customers.

The awards ceremony was followed by lively music and drinks, providing a perfect end to the first day of Xplore.