Business Success with Purpose

In this June 2021 interview, Uwe Schulte speaks with Geraldine Matchett, former Co-CEO and CFO of Royal DSM, about integrating sustainability into business strategy. Matchett shares her journey from geography to finance, emphasizing the importance of environmental and social considerations in business. She describes DSM’s transformation from a coal mining company to a leader in nutrition, health, and biosciences. DSM focuses on triple bottom-line accounting: people, planet, and profit, and has committed to ambitious sustainability goals. Matchett highlights the necessity of embedding sustainability into business processes and decision-making, advocating for a meaningful carbon pricing strategy. She underscores the role of purpose in driving corporate success and outlines DSM’s alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to maximize positive impact. Finally, Matchett advises companies on becoming more sustainable by redefining success, embedding ambitions in daily operations, and focusing on areas where they can make a significant impact.