Insights from industry leaders, Volume 9: Stefanie Sahmel, Head of Sustainability, Abel & Cole
Stefanie started her career in aerospace after an MSc in Technology and Innovation Management. She fell in love with Abel & Cole as a customer and joined in 2005 as Keith Abel’s (Founder) Personal Assistant, quickly moving through the ranks and taking on additional projects. In 2015 Stefanie proposed a dedicated Sustainability function and in 2019 a dedicated Sustainability team was founded. She became Head of Sustainability and has been growing the team since. Abel & Cole operates a closed-loop, delivery model, they don’t outsource deliveries. Owning a fleet of 120 vans means they can have complete control over the quality, service, and take-back services.
What do you want people to understand about sustainability at Abel & Cole?
The biggie always comes back to our delivery model, it’s quite unorthodox, customers aren’t allowed to choose a day or time. If you are in Mayfair, we will tell you we deliver there every Tuesday. Most of our customers don’t see their drivers. They start early so they can get as many deliveries done before rush hour. Our London drivers complete 80/90 deliveries a day, some of the big supermarkets only manage 30! So for every 1 of our vans, there are 2 or 3 vans of theirs on the road. We maintain this delivery model even when customers want different days. There is a reason we have stuck to this; it’s the most fuel-efficient way of delivering. Whilst it seems inconvenient, it keeps our emissions down.
What are your biggest challenges?
I can understand why we need to make a business case commercially for any investment in sustainability but occasionally I think that it’s concerning the Health & Safety of our planet and few need to make a business case for not injuring a colleague, to put it bluntly. So, the biggest challenge is justifying any investments although we’re hearing more and more frequently that “the cost of inaction is greater than the cost of action”. It’s difficult, for example, if only one retailer starts selling less meat and the others continue as before, then the one taking positive action will potentially lose out. In other words, we will all need to act together so that being sustainable does not become a competitive disadvantage.
What are your biggest challenges? I can understand why we need to make a business case commercially for any investment in sustainability but occasionally I think that it’s concerning the Health & Safety of our planet and few need to make a business case for not injuring a colleague, to put it bluntly. So, the biggest challenge is justifying any investments although we’re hearing more and more frequently that “the cost of inaction is greater than the cost of action”. It’s difficult, for example, if only one retailer starts selling less meat and the others continue as before, then the one taking positive action will potentially lose out. In other words, we will all need to act together so that being sustainable does not become a competitive disadvantage.
What advice has stuck with you?
One of our farmers said, “With engagement comes opportunity, get out there and start talking to others.” There are so many opportunities, you have to open your mind and see what is available. Be willing to learn!
“Principles are not principles until they cost you money.”
It’s easy to have a long list of principles as long as your arm, as long as they don’t cost you anything. Until you are required to invest in your principles, you must question whether they are your principles.
MORE SUSTAINABILITY SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEWS
You can read our previous spotlight interview with Elisabeth Rochford from Virgin Media, here.
If you would like to be featured in one of our insight leader spotlights please contact Charlotte.Hutchinson@iac-recruit.com or Alyssa.Walsh@iac-recruit.com.