Demetrio Carceller Arce "we must continue to strengthen the contribution of business to the 2030 agenda"
This was highlighted by Damm's executive chairman at the #LíderesResponsables meeting, promoted by the SERES Foundation to reflect on the role of business in economic and social reconstruction.
The executive president of Damm, Demetrio Carceller Arce, participated in a new session of #LíderesResponsables, the SERES Foundation's Senior Management Dialogues, whose objective is to debate the role of business and senior management in economic and social reconstruction, which is key in a context of new gaps and disadvantaged groups in the aftermath of the pandemic.
Fernando Ruiz, President of Deloitte Spain and of the SERES Foundation, and Demetrio Carceller Arce discussed new models of responsible business, the role of a leader in the midst of economic and social recovery, and the great challenges set by the Agenda 2030.
"A commitment to sustainability is needed. 10 years ago, the commitment to sustainability was not on the agendas of the top executives of companies and now the Sustainable Development Goals are. We must not forget that close cooperation between government and business is essential to achieve this. I am optimistic about this, but we must continue to work to raise awareness of the importance of aligning our strategies to the SDGs," said Damm's CEO about the Agenda 2030.
Demetrio Carceller Arce insisted that "the evolution towards social responsibility is a natural process. At Damm, we have promoted actions such as replacing the plastic rings on our can packs with biodegradable cardboard, an initiative that has enabled us to remove 89 millions plastic rings from the market. In our case, we have reinforced these actions with communication campaigns focused on environmental responsibility".
Asked about the Damm Foundation's commitment and projects, he replied that "our usual work focuses on three pillars: patronage and philanthropy; the promotion of the values of sponsorship activities at an early age; and the recovery of collective memory through the Historical Archive. In the last two years, we have also added Damm's social actions focused on alleviating the effects of the pandemic".
Damm's executive president highlighted the company's efforts to support catering establishments, especially after the delicate situation generated by the pandemic. "At Damm, we work hand in hand with bars and restaurants to respond to their needs, improve the sector and promote its development. And we always do this through a firm commitment to innovation". In this sense, initiatives such as Bar Manager or the Horeca Challenge stand out.
In relation to the role of digitalization in a sector such as the beverage industry, Carceller Arce remarked that "it is the great ally to be able to grow in a responsible and sustainable way. At Damm, we have been tackling digital transformation with agile work methodologies since 2016, impacting the entire value chain and supporting the sector in this transformation. This has certainly allowed us to better respond to the pandemic crisis.
As for the future of the company, Carceller Arce referred to the growth of the organisation and the latest investments made and assured that "investments are not going to stop. We believe in the future and in what we are doing".
