NEWS

New hire set to enhance Sambro’s sustainability commitment

Published on: 21st April 2022

Lisa Longley will drive Sambro’s sustainability programme as the company strengthens its sustainability and ethical compliance.

Lisa comes to Sambro with over 10 years’ experience in the manufacturing industry to oversee the implementation of a new sustainability programme and manage the ethical compliance of the company’s supply base.

In a newly created role of Ethical and Sustainability manager, Lisa will work closely with suppliers and vendors to ensure that Sambro’s ethical sourcing requirements are met, and that all factories meet the needs of Sambro, its customers and licensors.

Lisa’s experience working with Far East suppliers in an ethical sourcing and factory auditing capacity means that she is well versed in the requirements and challenges this can involve. Her first job has been to create an ESG committee and draw up a policy with clear objectives which she will ensure are met.

These include responsible sourcing and supply chain management, safeguarding the health, wellbeing and safety of Sambro employees, proactive management of consumption of resources and energy and sourcing goods and services which generate a positive impact with customers.

Lisa will also take responsibility for overseeing the prevention of discrimination and the promotion of diversity and inclusion in the workplace as well as the companies anti-corruption and anti-bribery measures.

Paul Blackaby, CEO, Sambro said: “Our ESG strategy is a pillar of our growth & value enhancement initiative and Lisa’s appointment as Ethical Sustainability manager will help drive forward our ESG ambitions and commitments across our business and wider supply chain.”

Lisa will undertake a review of Sambro’s ethical compliance requirements, comparing them to each licensor to ensure all factories are meeting the correct standards. All vendors will also need to declare their manufacturing sites to allow full visibility of the supply chain.

Sambro recently expanded its European 3PL warehouse model to support sales growth in the EU and so this will also fall into Lisa’s remit for sustainability and ethical compliance as part of the supply chain.

She has already started to look at factory on boarding processes to ensure that they are up the standard that Sambro and its licensors expect. Her remit will extend to the company’s own portfolio of brands.

Sambro has unrivalled, long-term relationships with some of the world’s largest FMCG retailers, toy specialists, grocers and distributors, and Lisa will also undertake audits of these retailers’ policies and systems.

With a keen interest in sustainability on both a personal and professional level, Lisa is excited to be pushing Sambro forward in this field. “Managing the products we create, how they are packaged and the impact they have on the environment should be key considerations for all of us at Sambro,” she commented. “I will be working with my colleagues across the business to initiate new ways of working, new product developments and other ‘green’ changes to how our business is run.”

Sambro, which grew its turnover by 38% in 2021 to £52m, is confident it will achieve similar growth targets in its silver anniversary year. The company says this growth will be driven by continued transformation; a focus on customer relationships, product development and partnerships, as well as growing the team and strengthening every area of the business.

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