Sustainability Statement
Creating a culture of fairness and inclusivity
- Contact Ivo Hemelraad
- Chief Executive Officer
- [email protected]
- +41 22 888 06 83
Our Commitments to our Key Stakeholders
ZEDRA’s Integrated Sustainability Strategy establishes the framework through which we will create lasting value for our stakeholders, combining business performance and commercial success with positive outcomes that enrich our society and our planet.
It empowers the business to evolve, adapt and endure, unifying our approach to long-term financial return generation with our influence and control over environmental, social and governance matters. A combination of managerial practices and systems will enable implementation of this strategy.
Drawing on our long-held values of ‘Do More. Achieve More’, through a culture of integrity, fairness and belonging, we are committed to allocating appropriate resources to mapping, enhancing and managing key sustainability factors, with senior accountability and support as part of our core business operations.
Our People
Our people are our greatest asset. That’s why we’re committed to investing in and empowering each and every member of our team as we strive to make ZEDRA a great place to work.
Blessed with incredible talent, we encourage our people to own their work and inspire everyone around them, colleagues and clients alike. Because learning from each other is how we flourish. We only succeed if we grow together.
Our Communities
Our communities are home to our people and offices. We pledge to always behave in a fair and ethical way as we help our clients and partners deliver value to society.
We’re committed to minimising the environmental impact of our activities and enhancing our positive social impact by applying the highest governance standards to our decision-making and operations.
We wholeheartedly lend our support to causes and charities that make a difference in the communities where we operate, such as World Heart Beat Academy.
Our Clients
Our clients are the reason we exist. We always strive for reliability, agility and creativity in serving them. If they’re able to focus on what excites them, with the peace of mind that they’re supporting economic development with good governance, we’ve done our job successfully.
By actively listening to our clients, we understand the nuances of their business and their unique needs, and sharpen our ability to help them achieve their objectives.
However, unlocking new opportunities should not be achieved at any cost. We believe fairness, sustainability and inclusivity must guide our actions to balance performance with positive outcomes which enrich our society and our planet.
Our Investors, Lenders and Insurers
Our investors, lenders and insurers believe in us and challenge us to perform at our best. We establish governance procedures that drive transparent, responsive, and sustainable decision-making at all levels to meet their expectations.
Our Regulators
Our regulators are key partners for our business continuity. We are committed to complying with regulatory requirements and maintaining a robust and accountable governance framework which enables us to operate with integrity and transparency.
Our Material Issues and Goals
Building on our strong track record of growth and client success, we’re further strengthening our commitment to sustainability by supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) most closely aligned to our core activities.
Our focus is on the areas below, which we have identified as the most material to our business.
Financial
Key topics:
- Growth
- Operational excellence
Our core services support our clients’ efficient economic investment and growth. We are expanding across key locations and service lines, through strategic acquisitions and by meeting an ever-increasing range of our clients’ needs with excellence and efficiency. We complement our internal financial targets for revenue and margin growth with core performance indicators on operational excellence, client satisfaction, digital transformation and efficiencies.
Governance
- Integrity
- Fraud, corruption and transparency
- Regulatory compliance
Integrity, robust governance and compliance are at the heart of our value proposition. We embed these principles across our operations, from client onboarding, through our Know Your Client checks, to the services we offer, which are designed to help our clients meet the highest standards in these areas.
Integrity, transparency and compliance are at the heart of our value proposition, enabling clients to be confident in their operations. Our actions are guided by ZEDRA’s Compliance and Business Principles as well as ZEDRA’s Corporate Governance Charter, which promote ethical practices and set out our zero tolerance to fraud and corruption.
We have a strong governance framework in place, consisting of rules, policies, and practices that govern decision-making across all levels of seniority. This framework establishes clear lines of responsibility and accountability, ensuring effective risk management and compliance throughout our activities.
Our efforts range from establishing a diverse and accountable Executive Management structure and linking executive compensation to financial and non-financial metrics. We also conduct thorough Know Your Client checks during the client onboarding process and provide services to help our clients meet the highest governance and compliance standards.
This commitment is vital for creating enduring value, minimizing risks, and ensuring the overall sustainability of ZEDRA.
Social
- Culture and brand
- Staff development, health and wellbeing
- Diversity, equality and inclusion
- Social mobility
As a business which relies on people to deliver client excellence, these issues are critical for our success. We want to have access to the widest possible pool of talent, from all backgrounds, and retain great staff. At the same time, we want to ensure that we value and empower all our people and stakeholders. We believe this is the best way to build value together. We contribute to advancements in these areas directly, through our recruitment and people management practices, and also through our work with local communities, such as our support for the World Heartbeat Foundation.
From the start of our operations, we have cultivated a work environment that attracts and retains a diversified and talented group of people, where everyone can grow and all feel equally respected, valued and championed.
By actively seeking and embracing diversity, we strive to cultivate a workplace that fosters mutual understanding, empathy, and open dialogue, where no one is discriminated against or excluded based on their identities. We foster entrepreneurialism, encouraging our people to see beyond their specific roles and to participate in a wide range of opportunities as they see fit. This approach underpins everything we do and sets us apart from our peers.
Environment
- Climate Change
In addition to minimising our direct impact by reducing our energy usage and waste production, we also aim to support broader efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change. We also involve our employees in environmentally friendly daily practices within our offices and contribute to local environmental initiatives. We are in the process of assessing the most appropriate carbon foot printing tool for our business, to help us identify areas for improvement and inform energy use reduction targets for our operations.
Materiality assessment process
These issues have been identified through our first materiality assessment, which included a review of our business operations, including activities of key clients, interviews and workshops with senior management regarding stakeholder expectations and associated ESG risks and opportunities, and a desk-based competitor analysis. We are committed to updating this analysis in due course, as part of our management systems that underpin the execution of this strategy, expanding our consultation process as needed to ensure we are capturing our key stakeholder views and expectations.