Focus on comprehensive ESG strategy: GEALAN strengthens commitment with its own sustainability team

GEALAN underlines its great ambitions in terms of environmental protection and resource efficiency and has built up its own sustainability team in recent months. With this team of experts from various disciplines, GEALAN wants to meet the constantly growing demands and challenges facing companies.  

The newly created Sustainability team not only provides selective support in this regard, but also strives for a so-called holistic sustainability approach that covers all ESG (environmental, social, governance) topics. With the help of the experts, GEALAN will take a comprehensive and integrated approach to environmental, social and corporate governance issues. This approach ensures that sustainability is not considered in isolation, but is anchored in all business areas and decision-making processes. 

You here form the new sustainability team at GEALAN, which contributes its passions and expertise to the further development of sustainable strategies and products: 

Dr. Michel Sieffert, who has been with GEALAN since 2005, heads the sustainability team as Head of Materials Development and Sustainability. Born in France, he studied chemistry in Strasbourg and earned his doctorate at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz, Germany, and has many years of experience in materials development. Prior to joining GEALAN, he was Head of Innovation at a German-French company, where he deepened his expertise in the development of plastic formulations and the introduction of sustainable materials. At GEALAN, he is responsible for the further development of plastic formulations and the strategic orientation in terms of sustainability. 

Vera Lahme has been Head of Sustainability at GEALAN since January 2024 and is responsible for the sustainability strategy and corporate transformation. Previously, she gained experience at Tetra Pak and the British research and advisory company Eunomia in the areas of circular economy, sustainable design and sustainable business management. Vera Lahme discovered her special passion for sustainability in 2016, after which she decided to realign her career and complete a master's degree in Sustainability, Entrepreneurship and Design at Brunel University in London. Prior to that, she held various commercial positions at the BMW Group in Singapore and the UK. 

Emre Karakoc, who has been part of the team as a sustainability officer since August 2023, brings in-depth technical and analytical skills. With a master's degree in mechanical engineering, specialising in energy technology, as well as several years of experience as a consultant in the field of energy and sustainability, he is responsible for the topics of CO2 and life cycle assessment and the preparation of environmental product declarations (EPDs) at GEALAN, among other things. He also passes on his expertise in training courses on DGNB, QNG and ISCC Plus certifications.  

Florian Rayhrer has been working as a working student in the GEALAN sustainability team since May 2024 and is studying for a Master's degree in Sustainable Water Management and Engineering at Hof University of Applied Sciences at the same time. He is currently providing targeted support to the team in CO2 and life cycle assessment as well as the strategic orientation of the company. 

Challenges and goals of the new sustainability team

The sustainability team at GEALAN is faced with the challenging task of developing a comprehensive sustainability strategy that incorporates both internal and external perspectives and interests. The aim is to find the right balance between the three pillars of "People, Planet and Profit" – a complex process that requires both innovative approaches and strategic tact. A central goal of the team is to anchor the idea of sustainability deeply in the corporate structure. 

The GEALAN Sustainability Team underpins its commitment to sustainable action with transparency and measurability, while actively building up a detailed database and robust reporting. Among other things, this is intended to make the CO2 balance at company level, the CO2 footprint for individual products, but also life cycle assessments and EPDs for products available in a permanent and traceable manner. The team is working closely with the sustainability department of the parent company, the Laumann Group, to comply with the reporting obligations under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and to develop a detailed database for the design of their strategy and action plan. 

Challenges arise in particular from country-specific regulations and cultural differences in the importance of sustainability. These differences require adapted approaches and flexible strategies to meet sustainability demands in different markets. The GEALAN sustainability team must therefore not only be able to meet complex technical requirements, but also demonstrate a high degree of intercultural competence and adaptability. 

More on the topic of sustainability at GEALAN: https://www.gealan.de/en/about-gealan/sustainability/