Renee Henze, Chief Sustainability Officer at IFF (International Flavors and Fragrances) - Overcoming Organizational Resistance in Sustainable Practices

In our latest episode, we chat with Renee Henze, the Chief Sustainability Officer at IFF (International Flavors and Fragrances). Renee highlights the powerful intersection of work and personal passion. She describes her journey into sustainability as an unexpected opportunity to combine her professional expertise with her deep commitment to the environment. For example, she recounted her role at DuPont, where she was involved in creating sustainable practices for salmon farming. This role allowed her to pursue her passion for environmental sustainability while driving innovation in the industry​. Renee also discusses two of her biggest challenges as a Catalyst executive: pushing through organizational resistance and keeping up with market shifts. She emphasizes the importance of relying on data and customer-driven needs to advocate for change effectively. By understanding market dynamics and being adaptable, she has led her teams through significant transformations​​. Renee underscores the importance of empathy in leadership. She explains that focusing on the needs at every level of the business and bringing empathy into leadership makes one more effective. By understanding and addressing the human aspects of change, she has built trust and aligned team efforts toward common goals. Original music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lynz Floren⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.