When I stepped into the role of CFO in 2024, I immediately set to work on shaping our strategic plans for the years ahead. In 2024, we have further cemented our strategy by connecting our vision, mission and ambition with the Mid Term Plan, which is segmented into sub-projects.

At Royal Ahrend, we want to grow and realise our ambition of being the international leader in vitalising and sustainable workspaces by selling the right products in the right channels and markets through an effective and efficient organisation, along with the right team and spirit. This strategy is supported by embedding sustainability at the core of everything we do. 

All colleagues around the globe have been informed in detail on the Mid Term Plan and receive updates on the progress of the sub-projects every quarter. It was very exciting for me to see the energy that all the project owners, leaders and members of the teams have put into the strategic projects immediately from the start and we are already seeing the first fruits of our labour.

Examples of results from the strategic projects include the launch of the highly sustainable Ahrend Remode chair designed together with UN studio, the expansion through indirect channels like dealers and online platforms, the development and implementation of a renewed product lifecycle management process, the merger of Presikhaaf and Gispen as the specialist in education and reporting our Scope 3 emissions for the first time in preparation to be CSRD ready. In addition, we have made a big step towards the pillar of being one company by choosing a new ERP system (IFS) and starting the implementation process for all entities of Royal Ahrend in Europe.

In 2024, we also further shaped our four sustainability pillars (Sustainable Products, Circular Services, Climate Action and Social Fairness), connected them with our stakeholder input and have broken them down in tangible KPIs with clear targets attached to them, which need to be further integrated into the performance management system of Royal Ahrend. In terms of sustainability we have made significant steps by, for example, industrialising our refurbishment activities by setting up a refurbished chair assembly line at our factory and we initiated a Lifecycle Analysis for all product categories.

There are many global developments that are affecting our business sector at the moment, and through the European Omnibus Simplification all companies of our size have received some leeway when it comes to implementing the CSRD. Let me be clear: while the reporting may be lighter, our drive to achieve our sustainable ambitions remains just as strong.

I am proud to see what we have accomplished in terms of implementing our strategy and sustainability goals and I’m very excited to see them further rolled out in the coming years.

I would like to thank all colleagues for their unwavering energy and commitment to the implementation of our strategy and sustainability goals, while at the same time making sure the operational business keeps running smoothly. Onwards and upwards,

Claudia