Amélie Rouvin has 16 years of professional experience in Marketing/Communication and the Environment. Amélie also wrote a book on coaching. She joined Veolia in 2005 where she currently is Environmental Project Manager, focusing on circular economy - in the Sustainability Department. Veolia is the global leader in optimized resource management, helping to preserve and develop access to resources and to replenish them. 179,000 employees design and provide water, waste and energy management solutions that contribute to the sustainable development of communities and industries.
Your thoughts on Sustainable Development:
“Since 2004, I have personally seen sustainability progressing slowly but surely. Sustainability is an economic development that makes sense for the planet, the people, and the communities. It creates value not only for businesses but also for their stakeholders and for society as a whole. I strongly believe that the sustainable development we want to see in the world starts with us, in our personal and our professional lives. It is becoming vital for competitiveness and durability.”
What were the reasons for joining the WBCSD Leadership Program?
“This program is a unique opportunity to work and learn from other companies across the world and exchange views and practices on sustainability. The mix between sessions from academics, NGOs, government officials, businesses, as well as both individual and group projects, spread over a ten-month period, is a great chance to pause from our rushed every-day life and get new perspectives.“
Why is this year’s topic important?
“Innovation is a key towards a more sustainable world; it is not only technological but also social, behavioral, a way of working collectively, in a more complex and rapidly changing world. It can help integrate sustainability into decision-making processes as SD practices should be part of the way business is done.”
How did the Program help in achieving your objectives?
“Even though I am a sustainability professional, attending sessions with top-level business experts or professors (e.g. Yale) - on topics such as finance, innovation or social value- gave me highly valuable insights that I can bring back to my company. It is a great place for open debates and engaged discussions on challenges we are all facing within our organizations. I’ve gain so many takeaways, ideas and concrete solutions.”
Your personal comments on the Program:
“What I personally enjoy the most is the diversity of students coming from many countries across the world, different industries and various departments (sustainability, HR, procurement, finance, consulting, etc.). We learn a lot from each other and from the speakers and I’ve met great and inspiring people. The Program is very well organized, very professional and it makes it easy for us to follow it. We work hard but we work better when we have fun… and we did! The WBCSD Leadership Program will help you make a difference within your company. It is an accelerator for change and it might lead you to even more…”
