Sustainability Talks

In this episode of 'Sustainability Talks' our managing partner Rob Genieser talks to Håkan Nordkvist, former Head of Sustainability Innovation at IKEA. With 25 years experience across supply chain and sustainability, Håkan was one of the early champions of the need to build a leading sustainable corporation. He led sustainable innovation to transform IKEA and create value for its customers by identifying positive sustainably driven business solutions. Håkan discusses his experiences and insight as the leading visionary in transforming global retail through innovation and how retailers can embed sustainability throughout their business around the world.About HåkanHåkan Nordkvist is the Former Head of Sustainability Innovation for the IKEA Group. An exceptionally talented leader with a human-centric vision, he is known for his innovative solutions and has played an integral role in developing many of IKEA’s sustainability services. Talented and courageous, Håkan is gifted at setting bold futuristic goals and ambitions and then successfully implementing those goals through innovative initiatives, road maps and creative businesses and solutions for a better future.Holding an MSc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Lulea Tekniska, Håkan joined IKEA as a Quality Manager in 2001. Over the course of his career, he has been heavily involved in many innovative projects for IKEA. Leading the sustainability and innovation team for 11 years, Håkan combined cutting-edge innovation with sustainability to build new businesses for IKEA. His team was responsible for building IKEA’s clean energy service which now operates in 13 countries around the globe. Today it is one of the largest clean energy businesses.Another project Håkan directed was food innovation. He introduced plant-based protein and new dishes to the IKEA restaurant and utilised urban/vertical farming to locally produce lettuce and herbs, in addition to creating efficient food waste initiatives. Håkan played a fundamental role in implementing IKEA’s circular business agenda. This involved developing new innovative business models like Furniture as A Service, IKEA Second Hand and IKEA Take Back and Repair. This was followed by a local production set-up with 3D printing, collaborative robotics, and generative design.Outside IKEA, Håkan is one of the founders and chairman of Launch Nordic, a creative platform which was created with Nike, NASA, USAID and Novozymes. Moreover, Håkan served on the board of BoKlok a company which specialises in building affordable sustainable housing. As a speaker, Håkan is highly articulate on the topics of innovation, sustainability, intrepreneurship, circularity and leadership.Follow Håkan Nordkvist on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3WhcmEw Find out more about ETF Partners here: etfpartners.capitalFollow ETF Partners: ⁠Website⁠ /⁠ LinkedIn⁠ /⁠ Medium⁠ And don’t forget to subscribe to the Sustainability Talks podcast on your favourite podcast platform here: SUBSCRIBE

In this episode of Sustainability Talks our founder and managing partner Patrick Sheehan sits down with Philipp Rose, Managing Director of Robert Bosch Venture Capital GmbH (RBVC), the corporate venture company of Robert Bosch GmbH, one of the largest private companies worldwide with more than 70 billion Euros of sales. Founded in 1886, Bosch is a leading global supplier of automotive, industrial technology, consumer goods and building technology. Philipp is responsible for all commercial aspects of RBVC besides being one of the investment partners of RBVC. Focus areas for him are Portfolio Management, Funds investments, financial / legal / tax issues and coordination with the Bosch Group.  Prior to joining RBVC in 2014 Philipp held various General Manager or CFO positions in different Bosch subsidiaries. He joined Bosch in 2003 after gaining many years of extensive experience in M&A execution at Credit Suisse and J.P. Morgan, both in Frankfurt and London. Philipp holds a diploma degree in business administration from the University of Regensburg, Germany. Patrick snd Philipp discuss how RBVC is supporting start-ups around the world whose technologies have the potential to improve quality of life and conserve natural resources. We also discuss Robert Bosch itself and its ambitions and achievements in becoming carbon neutral.  Find out more about Robert Bosch Venture Capital here: rbvc.com  Find out more about ETF Partners here: etfpartners.capital Follow ETF Partners: ⁠Website⁠ /⁠ LinkedIn⁠ /⁠ Medium⁠ And don’t forget to subscribe to the Sustainability Talks podcast on your favourite podcast platform here: SUBSCRIBE

In this episode of Sustainability Talks, our founder and managing partner Patrick Sheehan sits down with Simon Mundy, the author of 'Race for Tomorrow', a book about the global fight to respond to climate change. Simon spent two years travelling through six continents to tell the stories of the diverse cast of characters locked in this historic struggle to combat climate change – from communities hit by extreme physical shifts, to business leaders grappling with the implications for the world economy. Born in the UK, Simon has reported for the Financial Times since 2010, and was recently appointed Moral Money Editor – covering the push for a cleaner and more sustainable world economy for the award-winning Moral Money platform and across the wider FT. Simon started his career in Johannesburg, where he joined the FT to cover Southern Africa. After a stint as a corporate reporter in London he spent seven years in Asia, heading the FT bureaux in Seoul and then Mumbai. In this conversation Patrick and Simon discuss Simon's experience as a leading voice at the crossroads of sustainability, finance and innovation and dig into to some of the examples of entrepreneurs across Europe delivering sustainability through innovation. They also discuss Simon's broader experience writing about environmental issues and his first hand experiences that inspired his book 'Race for Tomorrow'.  'Race for Tomorrow' is now on sale in 40 countries. Find out more here: https://www.simonmundy.com/book  Find out more about ETF Partners here: etfpartners.capital Follow ETF Partners: ⁠Website⁠ /⁠ LinkedIn⁠ /⁠ Medium⁠ And don’t forget to subscribe to the Sustainability Talks podcast on your favourite podcast platform here: https://smarturl.it/SustainabilityTalks 

In this episode of Sustainability Talks, recorded in December 2021, we talk to Shell’s then Executive Vice President of Strategy and Portfolio and now their Strategy, Sustainability and Corporate Relations Director, Ed Daniels. The global context has obviously changed significantly in the relatively short time since recording this episode but the conversation still contains many important insights.  Ed is uniquely placed to talk with us about change in the energy industry. We discuss the rapidly accelerating pace of change and aim to answer some key questions including… Can the global energy incumbents be leaders in the transition to clean energy? Do they really want to be? Will their ownership of historic assets actually become a disadvantage? How can they possibly get to net zero? Is energy simply going electric? This was a fascinating discussion with Ed and we hope you enjoy listening. Leading this conversation with Ed are our managing partners Patrick Sheehan and Rob Genieser. About Ed Daniels Ed joined Shell in 1988 and has held roles in Shell’s Upstream, Integrated Gas, Downstream and Projects & Technology businesses. He previously served as Shell’s UK Country Chair, and in his most recent role as Executive Vice President Strategy, Portfolio & Sustainability, he led the development of the company’s ‘Powering Progress’ strategy to drive the decarbonisation of the energy system and achieve net zero emissions by 2050. A British national, Ed grew up in Wales and is married with three daughters. Outside of Shell, he has served as the Technical Vice President for the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), is a Fellow at both the IChemE and the UK Royal Academy of Engineering, and has an honorary doctorate from his alma mater, Imperial College London. In 2022, Ed Daniels was appointed Strategy, Sustainability and Corporate Relations Director. Find out more about Shell’s sustainability division here: Sustainability at Shell   Find out more about ETF Partners here: etfpartners.capital Follow ETF Partners: ⁠Website⁠ /⁠ LinkedIn⁠ /⁠ Medium⁠ And don’t forget to subscribe to the Sustainability Talks podcast on your favourite podcast platform here: SUBSCRIBE

In this episode of Sustainability Talks, we’re talking to Mark Zanoli, the Global Chairman of Technology Banking at Barclays Corporate & Investment Bank. Mark has over 25 years of experience within tech banking in Silicon Valley. We talk to Mark about the banner year 2021 was for tech companies, how digital technologies are enabling and driving change across a wide range of industries at increasing speed, and the need for sustainability that has also been driving this rapid change. Leading this conversation with Mark are our managing partner Rob Genieser and our partner Remy de Tonnac. About Mark Zanoli Mark Zanoli has over 25 years of technology investment banking experience. He started his investment banking career in 1993 at Hambrecht & Quist (H&Q), one of the original boutique banks focused on technology public offerings and M&A. After H&Q was acquired by JP Morgan (Chase) in 2000, Mark went on to lead the company's technology banking practice. In 2010 Mark left JP Morgan to restart UBS’s technology banking effort. Mark has led a number of notable M&A transactions, including; HP’s $14 billion acquisition of EDS, Photonics sale to Ouster, RideOS sale to goPuff, Netscreen’s $4 billion acquisition by Juniper and Silicon Spice’s $1.2 billion sale to Broadcom. He has been a Financial Advisor in Public Debut (De-Spac) of Ouster, to Gores Guggenheim in the acquisition of Polestar, in the Public Debut (De-Spac) of Lilium and has led a number of important IPOs and Debt offerings for companies such as Airbnb, Apple, Cisco, Citrix, Pinterest, F5 Networks, Rivian, zScaler, Google and Service Now.  Mark joined Barclays Investment Bank in 2018 as Vice Chairman of Technology Banking and in 2021 was appointed as Global Chairman. Find out more about Barclays Investment Bank here: www.cib.barclays Find out more about ETF Partners here: etfpartners.capital Follow ETF Partners: ⁠Website⁠ /⁠ LinkedIn⁠ /⁠ Medium⁠ And don’t forget to subscribe to the Sustainability Talks podcast on your favourite podcast platform here: SUBSCRIBE

In this episode of Sustainability Talks, we’re speaking with Kristian Rönn, CEO, and Co-Founder of our portfolio company Normative. Normative is the world's leading emissions accounting engine, helping businesses calculate their entire climate footprint and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Following his appearance at COP26, we sat down with Kristian to discuss the genesis and exponential growth of the business and how today Normative is partnering with the likes of Google to support organisations as they commit to achieving net-zero. Leading this conversation with Kristian are our Partner, Fabrice Bienfait and our Head of Investor Relations and Sustainability, Zoë VanderWolk. About Kristian Rönn Kristian Rönn is the CEO and co-founder of Normative.io, a software tool for measuring corporate sustainability. Kristian Rönn has a background in mathematics, philosophy, computer science and artificial intelligence. He is the founder of several NGOs and companies. Before he started Normative he worked at the University of Oxford’s Future of Humanity Institute on issues related to global catastrophic risks. Find out more about Normative here: normative.io Find out more about ETF Partners here: etfpartners.capital Follow ETF Partners: ⁠Website⁠ /⁠ LinkedIn⁠ /⁠ Medium⁠ And don’t forget to subscribe to the Sustainability Talks podcast on your favourite podcast platform here: SUBSCRIBE

In this episode of the Sustainability Talks podcast, Patrick Sheehan and Rob Genieser, ETF Managing Partners, speak to James Arbib Founder of RethinkX, an independent think tank and research organisation that analyses and forecasts the scope, speed and scale of technology-driven disruption and its implications across society. In a broad-ranging and thought-provoking discussion James, Patrick, and Rob cover everything from why James founded his company to why the world needs to change post COP26 and how quickly that change will come. We are delighted to bring James's insights directly to our followers because we believe the work of Rethink X is transformational and uniquely speaks to how technology will be the critical factor in solving many of the world's most pressing problems. It's a mission and a purpose with which we are closely aligned at ETF Partners. About James Arbib James Arbib is a London-based investor in technology. As well as being the founder of RethinkX, he is also the founder of Tellus Mater, an independent philanthropic foundation dedicated to exploring the impacts of disruptive technology, and its potential for solving some of the world’s most challenging problems. In addition, Jamie oversees a London-based family office with a diversified portfolio, across all asset classes and a focus on the risks and opportunities of technology disruption. A graduate in History from Trinity College, Cambridge, he has a Masters in Sustainability Leadership also from Cambridge. He is a qualified chartered accountant and worked as an investment analyst covering utilities. Find out more about Rethink X here: rethinkx.com Find out more about ETF Partners here: etfpartners.capital Follow ETF Partners: ⁠Website⁠ /⁠ LinkedIn⁠ /⁠ Medium⁠

In this episode of ‘Sustainability Talks’ host Patrick Sheehan (Founder & Managing Partner, ETF Partners) is joined by special guests Uli Grabenwarter (Deputy Director, Equity Investments, EIF) & Christian Motzfeldt (former CEO of Vaekstfonden) to explore how we can achieve "A new, greener Europe?" This discussion was originally recorded on 18th November 2020 as part of ETF Partners' 2nd Annual Investor Meeting. Uli Grabenwarter is Deputy Director - Equity Investments at European Investment Fund (EIF). In this capacity he oversees EIF’s activities in Venture Capital, Impact Investing, and Technology Transfer, with EIF being Europe’s biggest Fund-of-Funds Investment platform in these markets. Previously he was responsible for EIF’s strategic development in the equity space and in this context has led the build-up of the Social Impact Accelerator, the first pan-European social impact investing fund-of-funds. From 2010 to 2012 he conducted a 20 months research project on impact investing in collaboration with IESE University of Navarra in Barcelona and the Family Office Circle Foundation based in Switzerland, analysing best-market-practices for impact investing in the private equity and venture capital space. He is a visiting Professor for Private Equity and Venture Capital at IESE University and is an angel investor in life sciences companies. Since 2018 he is a Trustees of the Global Steering Group for Impact Investment and serves on the Board of several asset management companies and family office structures. He regularly publishes articles and white papers on venture capital and impact investing. Uli is also member of several expert groups on impact investing and impact metrics across Europe. Uli holds a Master’s degree in Business and Finance of the University of Graz. Christian Motzfeldt is an investor and board member in young growth companies in finance, tech and green transition. Through two decades he built and ran the Danish Growth Fund and took a central role in growing the Danish ecosystem of entrepreneurship. His has held previous positions in private banking, the Central Bank of Denmark, the Danish Government and the EU Commission. Christian is an Economist by education and a firm believer in science based and entrepreneur driven solutions to the major challenges of human life. ETF Partners (The Environmental Technologies Fund), is a venture capital & private equity firm that uses venture capital techniques to address real-world problems -particularly within the realm of environment and sustainability. ETF was one of the first companies to do this in Europe, and as such, change has always been the core of our DNA. ETF invest in change, and the founders we back are the innovators working to drive positive change. Find out more about ETF Partners at https://etfpartners.capital/ Follow ETF Partners on: LinkedIn/ Twitter / Medium

In this episode of ‘Sustainability Talks’ hosts Patrick Sheehan (Founder & Managing Partner, ETF Partners), Rob Genieser (Managing Partner, ETF Partners) and Remy de Tonnac (Partner, ETF Partners) are joined by special guest Vikram S. Gandhi to discuss "Investing: Risk, Reward, and Impact." This discussion was originally recorded on 18th November 2020 as part of ETF Partners' 2nd Annual Investor Meeting. Vikram S. Gandhi is a Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School where he teaches in the MBA and Executive Education Programs. He is the Founder of Asha Impact, is a Senior Advisor to the Canadian Pension Plan, and has 23 years of experience in investment banking at Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse. ETF Partners is a venture capital & private equity firm that uses venture capital techniques to address real-world problems -particularly within the realm of environment and sustainability. ETF was one of the first companies to do this in Europe, and as such, change has always been the core of our DNA. ETF invest in change, and the founders we back are the innovators working to drive positive change. Find out more about ETF Partners at etfpartners.capital Follow ETF Partners: ⁠Website⁠ /⁠ LinkedIn⁠ /⁠ Medium⁠

In this episode of ‘Sustainability Talks’ hosts Patrick Sheehan and Rob Genieser, Managing Partners at ETF Partners are joined by special guest Lord John Browne, ex CEO of BP to discuss the future of energy in a world going digital. This discussion was originally recorded on 19th November 2020 as part of ETF Partners' 2nd Annual Investor Meeting. ­Lord Browne is a Senior Advisor at General Atlantic on climate and Net Zero, providing strategic support and advice to the firm’s investment teams and portfolio companies. He served as Group Chief Executive of international energy company BP from 1995 to 2007, after having joined the company in 1966 as a university apprentice. He led the company through a period of significant growth and transformation, including BP’s merger with Amoco in 1998. His landmark speech at Stanford University in 1997 established BP as a global leader in the way it thought about and sought to address climate change. In 2007, Lord Browne joined Riverstone, where he was co-head of the world’s largest renewable energy private equity fund until 2015. He is currently Chairman of Wintershall Dea, Europe’s largest independent oil and gas company. He is independent co-Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Council on Science and Technology, Chairman of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, Chairman of the Courtauld Institute of Art, and a past President of the Royal Academy of Engineering. Lord Browne was the UK Government’s Lead Non-Executive Board Member from 2010 to 2015. He was knighted in 1998 and made a life peer in 2001. Lord Browne is a Fellow and Former President of The Royal Academy of Engineering, and Chairman of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Lord Browne is the author of five books. Patrick Sheehan is founder and managing partner of ETF Partners (The Environmental Technologies Fund), a venture capital & private equity firm that uses venture capital techniques to address real-world problems -particularly within the realm of environment and sustainability. ETF was one of the first companies to do this in Europe, and as such, change has always been the core of our DNA. ETF invest in change, and the founders we back are the innovators working to drive positive change. Follow ETF Partners: ⁠⁠Website⁠⁠ /⁠⁠ LinkedIn⁠⁠ /⁠⁠ Medium⁠⁠