Valoo is taking a leap in its ESG journey with Sofigate
The challenge
In December 2022, Valoo, a fiber optic cabling company, recognised its multilevel need to incorporate ESG into its growth strategy.
Having secured its position in the market and with major growth plans for the future, Valoo realised the importance of intergrating ESG topics into their growth journey.
This timing, after establishing the basic business operations, was perfect to consolidate existing initiatives and find a structured approach to lead ESG. Valoo’s capital investor fully supported this initiative, aiming to enhance the sustainability of its portfolio companies.
The outcome
Valoo’s management team had a clear vision of the level Valoo should aspire to in its ESG journey. Valoo aims to be a leader in its field, making a significant, sustainable impact on society.
With this well-defined level, Valoo’s sustainability vision was crafted, directing the existing business towards a sustainable future. The vision encompasses four key areas, each with development roadmaps closely aligned with Valoo’s business operations.
The results
Valoo now has a clear understanding of how to progress its business from an ESG perspective. With a sustainability vision and a detailed roadmap, including specific initiatives, Valoo is adapting its business incrementally, without compromising its growth targets.
Both Valoo’s management and Board of Directors are in sync with the strategy and fully support it. The management team now has a broader understanding of ESG and its impact on Valoo’s business from investor profitability to customer experience. Valoo’s personnel has played a vital role in this effort, with the entire organization committed to the ESG journey.
A defined ESG roadmap and designated responsibilities facilitate Valoo’s next steps in actualising its ESG vision.
In 2022, Valoo expanded its business. With basic business operations underway, in December 2022, Valoo identified the need to more structurally embed ESG into its business. Previously, some initiatives had been implemented sporadically, but not under a cohesive sustainability framework.
In early 2023, Sofigate partnered with Valoo. Given the broad scope of ESG, it was crucial to first understand Valoo’s current position in its journey and its aspirations. Thus, a project to create an ESG Vision started.
The vision project involved multiple aspects: understanding the existing business, its strategy, growth objectives, and identifying current challenges. Simultaneously, it was important to begin engaging stakeholders early in the ESG agenda.
The ESG vision, roadmap for achieving goals, and associated responsibilities were collaboratively developed with the organization. The goal was to create a vision that supports the business’s growth agenda and enhances it. The vision now consists of four sections, each outlining key topics and an action plan for progress.
In a few months, Valoo made significant strides in ESG and is now fully on its path to becoming a sustainable forerunner in its field. The management team has gained valuable insights on how ESG can benefit its business and is committed, along with the organisation, to take meaningful actions towards a more sustainable business model, furthering their leadership aspirations.
Valoo’s Head of People and Culture, Minna Laine – what were your thoughts on the project?
“ESG Business Design really helped our organisation’s understanding and culture around ESG. In just a few months, we saw a noticeable increase in learning and implementation of ESG across all business aspects. We are now aligned in our approach to integrating ESG into our business strategy and have a concrete action plan for coming years. Sofigate helped us to both focus on the most relevant topics for us and embedding ESG into the foundation of our company culture – a challenging feat in this fast-paced environment!”
Minna Laine
Head of People and Culture, Valoo
“The initial phase was challenging, given the business’s pace, which is the fastest I have ever witnessed. Valoo is building its infrastructure, with major projects underway, and employees are deeply engaged in their tasks,“ says Katariina Kekkonen, Sustainability Lead on the project.
“We had to start from scratch. ESG means different things to different people, and for some, it was a new concept. This presented an opportunity to engage the organisation in the agenda while educating on ESG basics. We wanted to make this project inclusive from the start, involving representatives from all stakeholder groups,” says Katariina.
Despite limited time and resources, the project successfully created an inclusive, strategy-aligned ESG vision with a roadmap. Key initiatives are now distributed among business owners, progress monitored quarterly. A major advancement has been in CO2 data management, where Valoo is currently assessing its emission levels. The ambitions are high, necessitating prioritisation.
“The key was to understand the business, the organisation, and ask the right questions. Valoo could have opted to meet just the legislative minimum regarding ESG, but they aspired for more. This ambition shaped our bold vision, closely linked to Valoo’s business strategy. We succeeded because of the organisation’s commitment, and I’m thrilled to see Valoo’s next steps!” – Katariina
With Sofigate, Valoo embarked on its ESG journey. Sustainability is now integral to both the strategic and operational levels, with the organisation committed to this path.
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