ESG professionals from KPMG support Philips in making their circular revenue framework future-proof
As an Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) professional at KPMG, you make a difference. You help organizations achieve their sustainability goals in a demonstrable way, actively contributing to a more sustainable world. In a close-knit, multidisciplinary team, you collaborate on innovative solutions that make the world a better place. Suzanne Kuiper and Carlijn van Dam share their experiences as ESG professionals at Philips.
About Suzanne and Carlijn
About Suzanne and Carlijn Suzanne Kuiper, Senior Manager Sustainability & Circular Solution Lead, has been working at KPMG for over 8 years. She began her career here after completing her Master's degree in Sustainable Business and Innovation at Utrecht University. "When I started here in 2014, KPMG was already at the forefront of sustainability. We had 35 sustainability consultants. Now we have 115 people in our team, and we're still growing. While in the early days we had to convince people, now everyone is lining up to work with us."
Carlijn van Dam, Manager ESG Advisory, joined KPMG in 2018 after completing her Bachelor's degree in Psychology at VU University and a Master's degree in Behavioral Economics at Sorbonne University in Paris. "Studying in Paris was fun, but after my education there, I decided to work in the Netherlands. I started with an internship at Tony's Chocolonely, where I worked on a strategy project at the intersection of sustainability and consultancy. At KPMG, I continued in that direction. The great thing is that you can see that KPMG has over 20 years of experience in this field."
Working in sustainability at KPMG?
Interested in ESG? In KPMG's sustainability team, you'll receive assignments where you can truly make an impact. You'll work in an open and informal culture with numerous international opportunities. You'll quickly gain significant responsibility and the freedom to develop yourself, both professionally and personally. Are you curious about a career in ESG?
Developing a circular revenue framework
Philips has ambitious circularity goals. To substantiate insights into circularity with data, Philips measures the revenue from circular products and services using a circular revenue framework. Philips asked KPMG to help make the methodology future-proof and aligned with external developments. Suzanne says, "This assignment was a celebration of familiarity. I know the client well because I have worked with Philips a lot in the past. And a few years ago, I co-developed a framework for measuring circularity with 30 multinational companies. That framework is now being used globally. Because we have built up so much expertise in measuring circularity, we are a sparring partner for Philips." Carlijn adds, "This assignment is a great combination of our client relationship, expertise in circularity, and strategic thinking. It is important for Philips that the framework fits into the strategy to optimize their contribution to the circular economy. We were also able to bring our experience in reporting and auditing." Read more about the case study here.
Making an impact as a team
As a senior manager, Suzanne has an overview of the entire project. Carlijn, as a manager, is responsible for client communication and team member coaching. Carlijn says, "Our team also includes a partner, consultant, and senior consultant, and on the client side, a project manager and a core team with whom we collaborate. Every Monday, we come together at Philips and work as one team. Together, we explore the appropriate solutions for the framework. In meetings, we discuss the decision points, weighing the pros and cons together. We truly engage in co-creation. It feels good to make an impact together."
Shared mission: making the world better
Working in a team is a major advantage for Suzanne and Carlijn at KPMG. And not just that. Carlijn says, "Every day, you learn something new here. We innovate together with the client to accelerate sustainability. Both Philips and we are involved in making the healthcare and life science sectors more sustainable. So, we can also share knowledge and learn from each other in that regard." Suzanne adds, "Another great thing about working at KPMG is that it can be very international. In the past few months, I've been to Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Helsinki, Seattle, and Japan. I work with people from at least 20 different nationalities in our team and have a global influence in the field of sustainability. And even though our team is very diverse, we all share the same mission: making the world a better place together."