Do good and talk about it: Sustainability
In the words of this year’s expert speaker, Mr. Ruediger Senft of Commerzbank’s Corporate Responsibility Group, the challenge is to “Do Good – Avoid Bad – and don’t be the Ugly Employer”. Speaking from a user’s perspective, Mr. Senft gave an inside look at how Commerzbank manages sustainability holistically, on three levels: as an attractive employer, as a good corporate citizen, and as a socially and environmentally conscious global player.
Mr. Senft’s contribution was an integral part of the two-day conference focused on key management topics, such as competence of auditors, employees, and executives. From Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) to ISO 26000, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Carbon Footprint (CO2) and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the offices of DQS Group are ready to help customers benefit from their implementation and certification
This year’s meeting was also an opportunity to share news from the world of standards and accreditation, and to look back on the last eight months when “revision ruled”. Since the publication of ISO 9001 and 14001 in their 2015 versions, customers and auditors have had to adjust to many new or changed requirements. This was also the time to prepare the group for the upcoming revision of TS 16949, and the corresponding auditor qualification needs.
With its 2 500 auditors and experts, DQS Group performed 103 000 audit days in 2015, at 57 500 locations, achieving a revenue in excess of € 120 million. As in the years before, the managing directors in the plenum were happy to see a continued high level of customer satisfaction. Corporate internal audits conducted worldwide confirmed an equally high level of compliance and fulfillment of both accreditation and internal requirements.
At the end of two tightly-packed days full of information and communication, the MDs from 60 offices in DQS Group summarized their feelings in the farewell motto of: inspired, open to new ideas – and full of things to do!