An interview with Paolo Taticchi

We sat down with Sustainability expert Paolo Taticchi to ask him a few questions about his involvement with Consilient Health’s sustainability journey and his hopes for the future.

Can you please briefly explain your background?

I am a Professor of Strategy and Sustainability at UCL School of Management. My research focuses on several aspects of corporate sustainability, including: measuring and reporting sustainability performance, the design of sustainability strategies and governance mechanisms for sustainable supply chain management. At UCL, as well as at other top international universities, I teach postgraduate and executive courses on sustainability and competitive advantage. I advise on this topic several organisations in different countries and industries. Starting from February 2020, I have been acting as Sustainability Advisor to CH’s CEO and Sustainability Team.

What interested you in getting involved with this project?

I was (and still am) impressed by the vision of the CEO and his genuine desire to lead a sustainable organisation creating value for a plurality of stakeholders, not just the shareholders. It is often hard to discuss sustainability in the pharma sector, and unfortunately many companies (yet today!) do not take this topic seriously. I truly enjoy working with CH as I think they are developing innovative and sustainable practices which will boost their financial performance in the years coming and will make an impact in the entire industry.

What do you hope to achieve with this project?

The ambition of this project is very clear: to be soon recognised as a Sustainability Leader in the SME segment in the UK pharma sector. By looking at what CH has achieved in the past years, and the ambition of the sustainability agenda developed, I have no doubts CH will make news.

What companies do you think are doing this well and why?

I have investigated intensely the pharma sector in the UK, and if you look at SMEs you can’t really recognise organisations standing for their sustainability performance. What you see, is that many firms are starting to look into this now and I’m sure more will follow in the years coming.

What trends do you think we need to be embracing?

All companies in the sector are looking into digital transformation and sustainability. If they are not, I guess they will start struggling in the market very soon. Today, many stakeholders are pushing organisations in the industry to become more sustainable. You have big clients such as the NHS, you have the big manufactures, and now employees and investors too.

What do you see as success with establishing Consilient Health’s sustainability strategy?

CH has made the effort to define clearly the business case and has designed a sustainability strategy fully integrated into the business strategy. That is key for success (and rare in the industry).

What are the key barriers and how might they be overcome?

Key barriers include competing priorities and educating everyone in the organisation. However, I am confident CH is well placed to overcome these barriers. The firm, by approving a new ambitious sustainability strategy in the middle of a pandemic crisis, demonstrates great commitment and visionary executives and board members.