“Sustainability goes far beyond targets or programs at work for me,” says Roy Werkman. “Of course those are important, but the real motivation is what we leave behind for the next generation. As the father of four, I feel that very strongly. I want my children to grow up in a world where nature, peace, and quality of life are still preserved.”
That conviction isn’t limited to the workplace. “Absolutely,” Roy continues. “I get a lot of energy from nature, the mountains, and simply being outdoors. Those are the moments that really make you realize how beautiful, but also how vulnerable, our environment is. It makes sustainability feel very tangible to me: not something abstract, but something that connects directly to how we live and the choices we make.”
“In my role as Global QEHS Manager, I also see it as my responsibility to take this program to the next level with clear direction, supporting our mission toward a greener planet through innovative engineering and operations, with sustainability embedded and recognized, through an EcoVadis Platinum-level ambition.”
In his work, Roy focuses on turning intent into action. “What motivates me most in my role is translating ambitious sustainability goals into practical improvements,” he explains. “Especially in Operations, even small changes can have a huge impact. That’s what I really enjoy: not just talking about sustainability, but making it tangible and measurable in daily operations.”
“And while I’m proud of what we achieve, I don’t want to claim other people’s results. My contribution as Operations Pillar lead has been to define the key themes on the road to CO₂-neutral operations, bring the right experts together, and enable them to analyze topics, identify improvement opportunities, make progress visible, and measure outcomes through KPIs.”
“Because of this pillar’s focus, we now have very concrete insights into VMI’s water and energy consumption. We also see a behavioral shift: employees are becoming more aware of the significant impact of air travel as well as the value of small actions,” says Roy.
What keeps him moving forward is the combination of responsibility and real-world results. “For me, it’s the idea that we’re not only working for today, but also for future generations,” Roy concludes. “If we can improve things step by step, both in business and in our personal lives, we can really make a difference.”
