2024
Annual report
Building trustthrough performance
Achieving purpose-driven success
A company with a purpose makes employees feel motivated and connected to their work, fostering a shared commitment to meaningful goals. Chief Innovation and Sustainability Officer Annick De Poorter and Head of Innovation Project Management, Kathryn Blewett discuss the reasons behind the adult care team being collectively recognized as P.R.I.D.E. Champion.
Annick: Congratulations, Kathryn, for being part of such a great team. In 2024, the adult care team has managed probably one of the most complex and transformative projects. As the project manager, you led this ambitious project in which we redesigned the majority of our adult care product platforms. This effort significantly contributed to making our product portfolio less complex. These types of projects have an end-to-end impact, so they require focus and alignment across the value chain, from internal stakeholders to customers and suppliers.
Kathryn: Thank you, Annick. It always helps to go the extra mile when you know the company you work for has a purpose you can contribute to. Not only purely business-wise, but also by doing business that is good for our people and our planet. By making our portfolio less complex, we make the entire value chain more agile, which contributes to keeping our products affordable and increases our supply reliability, while also reducing CO 2 and waste. It’s a journey, but it makes us proud to take steps forward, together.
Annick: You sum up very well what we are trying to achieve as an organization. In fact, it’s exactly what we have tried to express in our sustainability strategy: ‘Here for you. Here for the better.’ This is about creating a safe and respectful place to work, innovating to reduce our impact on the planet, and being ethical and transparent in what we do. But this is something we cannot achieve on our own. Ontex’s entire ecosystem is part of that purpose.
Kathryn: Exactly, it takes collaboration across business units, and with suppliers and customers. Speaking of reducing our impact, I was also glad to experience and be part of this year’s Sustainability Week. It was inspiring, and a good reminder that we all can contribute to sustainability, and that being good for the planet does not have to be directed from the top, but can originate from anyone within the organization.
