Winne Benschop
Senior Consultant
My focus is on building support among employees and guiding organizations toward a sustainable future that is both ambitious and achievable.
“What we’re going to discuss is important for every organization and young professional.”
In this article, Winne Benschop, one of the driving forces behind KIEM, discusses this new boost program for young professionals. We’ll talk about the importance of the program and how it supports both young professionals and their organizations in bringing about sustainable change.
KIEM was recently launched. How did the idea for this program come about?
As a consulting firm, we’re right in the heart of the business world, with a diverse group of clients across a wide range of industries. This gives us a clear understanding of all the developments taking place. What stands out to us is the growing importance of sustainability within organizations, and we certainly welcome that. Companies are truly active in this area; they’re developing strategies and communicating about them — sometimes out of their own initiative and sometimes due to regulations.
This growing focus is also reflected in a larger number of internal employees involved in sustainability. Whereas in the past there was often just one sustainability manager or director, we now see sustainability teams growing or project teams being formed with professionals from various departments. Young professionals often play a key role in this, for example, in implementing sustainability plans. Through KIEM,” we focus specifically on these young professionals, helping them become valuable contributors to their organization’s sustainability transition by taking a step forward in this process.
Taking a step forward — that seems like quite a challenge for a young professional, doesn’t it?
That’s exactly right. Implementing sustainability involves quite a bit of complexity. It spans all departments of a company and requires identifying sustainability opportunities as well as understanding their impact across various areas. It also revolves around the ability to connect these aspects and play a central role within the organization. And sometimes, far-reaching changes are met with resistance. All of this can be quite a challenge for a young professional. That can also make taking on a leadership role exciting. It’s essential that you know what you’re talking about, what you’re doing, and that you’re fully committed to your goals in order to bring about the transition within your organization.
As a young professional, you still have a lot to learn, and that’s normal. Fortunately, I strongly believe that our program helps with that. It offers practical, real-world knowledge and teaches you how to view issues from a broader sustainability perspective. We paint the bigger picture. It’s also great that you’re doing this alongside other young professionals with whom you can share experiences — sometimes from completely different sectors, which can further broaden your perspective.
So, could you say that KIEM helps bridge the gap between academic knowledge and practical requirements?
Certainly, that’s exactly what we help with at KIEM. When it comes to sustainability, knowledge and skills are often not made concrete enough — a gap we aim to bridge with KIEM. Moreover, the field of sustainability is constantly evolving, with new legislation and developments emerging every month. Our team works daily to keep up with these developments, and our experience across various sectors gives us unique insight. And no matter how different companies in all those sectors may be, they are all working on the same things: developing sustainability strategies, implementing legislation, developing circular strategies, creating sustainable products and portfolios, measuring carbon footprints, and drawing up related reduction plans.
We apply all this knowledge at KIEM. This allows us to consistently provide the program with up-to-date facts needed to place certain aspects within the broader context of sustainability, and we make the learning experience highly practical by drawing on concrete examples we encounter in our work. To this end, we also collaborate with experienced sustainability managers and directors — experts from the business world with whom we have formed partnerships.
And that’s quite an impressive list of names, isn’t it?
We’ve brought some truly fantastic people on board for our program, including the sustainability directors from Royal Swinkels, Auping, Avebe, and Crisp — to name just a few. These sustainability managers have built up a wealth of experience and expertise in areas such as circular strategies, CO₂ reduction, and stakeholder management. They share their experiences and offer practical insights into the obstacles they’ve encountered, how they overcame them, and what factors are key to success. Another great thing is that the experts come from diverse sectors, ranging from food to insurance. This creates a very broad, multisectoral perspective, allowing us to highlight different viewpoints and offer a comprehensive perspective on sustainability issues.
I imagine this is of interest not only to the participants of KIEM themselves, but also to the organizations they work for?
Certainly, the program isn’t called “KIEM” for nothing — you have to think of it as planting a seed, expecting it to grow quickly and bear fruit. Participants in KIEM gain in-depth knowledge and learn to apply it immediately in practice. The fresh ideas and new perspectives that participants gain can lead to innovative solutions.
In addition, we guide participants in setting up and implementing a sustainability initiative within their own organization, resulting in a tangible step toward more sustainable business operations. We always ensure close coordination between us as the KIEM, the participant, and the organization, so that not only personal goals but also organizational goals are achieved. The KIEM program is therefore a valuable investment that is sure to pay for itself.
Suppose someone is still unsure — then you say…
Call me right away! Our program is truly unique — and I don’t say that lightly. What we cover and discuss is crucial for every organization, whether it’s about CO₂ reduction, employee engagement, circularity, or supply chain responsibility. We’re always up to date on the latest developments and at the forefront of current trends. Our strength lies primarily in making these insights practical — with the help of internal and external experts — so you can actually put them into action yourself.
Our goal is very clear: we want to make an impact and collaborate with people who share our vision and ambition. We’re happy to help each other move forward.
To learn more about KIEM: download the brochure from our .
Written by
