In-person summit | Amsterdam, Netherlands — June 4–5, 2024
EHS Summit Europe 2024
Shaping the EHS Function of Tomorrow: From Strategic Roadmap to Technology Adoption
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About the EHS Summit Europe 2024
Achieving excellence in environment, health and safety (EHS) is a multifaceted challenge. Practitioners must grapple with escalating demands for reporting, navigate intricate regulatory requirements, keep employees healthy, ensure operations are safe and sustainable, and undertake the formidable task of digitizing and streamlining processes.
EHS performance is also under increasing scrutiny as it is being more closely monitored by company boards often with an environment, social and governance (ESG) focus. As well, employees, investors, customers, and supply chain partners are also assessing performance, each with their unique expectations regarding what constitutes EHS success.
To help the European EHS community respond to these complex challenges, the Verdantix EHS Summit Europe is coming to Amsterdam, Netherlands on the 4th and 5th of June.
Why Join
The Verdantix EHS Summit Europe helps organizations improve EHS performance by guiding practitioners on:
Navigating the evolving landscape of EHS in the context of ESG.
The technological, regional, and sectoral EHS trends across Europe.
Who can help you harness the power of EHS software, data, and artificial intelligence effectively.
How to engage the C-Suite and strategic partners on EHS issues.
Exercising control over both internal and external EHS performance.
Implementing novel theories, approaches, and technologies to effectively manage EHS risks.
Join us in Amsterdam where you will be able to:
Optimise your EHS practice by gaining specific industry and regional EHS insights through bespoke workshops.
Guarantee meetings with EHS subject matter experts with facilitated 1-1 networking.
Robustly benchmark your EHS strategy and technology choices through meeting Verdantix’s independent analysts.
Network with the most innovative EHS leaders and their organisations as recognised at Verdantix EHS Innovation Excellence Awards Europe 2024.
Learn CPD accredited new approaches to EHS.
This Year's Speakers
Isidora Díaz Heredia
Chief Sustainability and HSE Officer
Parques Reunidos Group
Rens Duisters
Vice President Safety
Wieland Group
Andresa Hernandes
Vice President Safety
Siemens AG
Kris Westhovens
Director EHS Data Management
Stanley Black & Decker
Katherine Mächler Better
Senior Director HSEE (Health & Safety, Environment and Energy)
adidas
Özer Ergül
Chief Procurement Officer
Aquila Capital
Marieke Bleyenbergh
Global Director Health, Safety, Environment & Security
AkzoNobel
Marieta Yordanova
Group Health & Safety Director
Asahi Europe & International
Edwin van Hagen
Global Director EHS&AMS
Almatis
Alicia Olo Martinez
Corporate Director Health & Safety
Japan Tobacco International
Thierry Ziegler
Global Project Director, Corporate Safety & Environment Group
Arkema
Ruth Denyer
Senior Director, Production Health and Safety
Netflix
Andreas Scholz
Vice President QHSE
Vynova Group
Małgorzata Furtak
Occupational Health, Safety & Wellbeing Director
Santander Bank Polska
Callum Irvine
VP Global Safety & Security
IHG Hotels & Resorts
Carlos Gallego
Workplace Health and Safety Lead
Amazon
Roberta Anzano
Head of Health, Safety & Environment
METRO Italia
Peter Temesvary
Safety and Compliance Director
Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (BUD)
David Clark
Global Head of HSSE
Worldwide Flight Services (WFS)
Ana Ferreira Tavares
Systems and Governance Global Director for Environment, Health & Safety and Sustainability
Aptiv
David Revitt
Director, EHS & Sustainability
Vertex Pharmaceuticals (Europe)
Marieke van Weerden
Director of Health, Safety and Security
Catholic Relief Services
Fernando Burgo
EHS, ESG & Security Director
GE HealthCare Pharmaceutical Diagnostics – Ireland
Denis La Licata
Director Health, Safety and Process Safety BA Heat
Vattenfall
Guido Chiogna
HSE & Sustainability Director
METLAC Group
Fuad Mahmood
Director Global EHS
Grünenthal Group
Jonathan Lilien
HSER Director - Eastern Mediterranean
Chevron
Weili Zang
Global Head of Sustainability Audit & Systems
Vitesco Technologies
Krishnen Mootien
Global Health & Safety Director
Reckitt
Sebastien Chaigneau
Sebastien Chaigneau, Group HSE Director
BMI Group
Simon Whitehead
Head of HSES
National Physical Laboratory (NPL)
Jade Voice
Director of Health, Safety and Environment
Omni Group
Remy Wierenga
Group Safety Director
Refresco
Abouzar Yousefi
Head of Safety and Occupational Health
CEPSA Chemicals
Griff Bromfield-Jenkins
Senior Strategy Manager, Environment Health Safety
Transport For London
Monique Klug
H&S and ESG Manager
Rexel Ireland
Aslak Svindland
Head of Safety for Europe, Middle East and Africa & Global Cocoa
ofi
More speakers to join… if interested, contact Moses Makin, [email protected]
Revolutionizing the Environment, Health & Safety Function for 2024 and Beyond
With increasing pressures from the regulators and company boards, the complications caused by rising inflation, and the corporate focus on ESG, environment, health and safety leaders are reevaluating what to prioritize, where to focus their efforts and what to put their budgets towards.
This keynote address will preface and explain what the EHS function’s purpose will be for the foreseeable future.
Engaging the C-Suite on EHS: A Seat at the Executive Table
- Isidora Díaz Heredia, Chief Sustainability and HSE Officer, Parques Reunidos Group
- Rens Duisters, Vice President Safety, Wieland Group
- Özer Ergül, Chief Procurement Officer, Aquila Capital
Environment, health and safety is an increasing concern for almost all business operations, placing it firmly on the C-Suite's agenda. In this session, we explore how to engage the C-Suite effectively in the EHS domain. Our discussion encompasses:
- How to influence the C-Suite on organising the placement and sizing of the EHS department to improve performance.
- Embracing a business-focused mindset to effectively communicate EHS concerns with the C-Suite.
- Harnessing the influence of top executives to drive EHS engagement across the organization.
- Establishing partnerships with leaders from other functions (e.g. procurement, sustainability, finance) to advance EHS strategies.
Innovation Trailblazers
Lost in Translation: Enhancing the Safety of Working Environments Across Countries
- Determining to what risks can be caused when health and safety risk assessments, standards and reports are lost in translation.
- Leveraging the full capabilities of AI, ML and analytics to cost-effectively enhance the capabilities of your health and safety strategy implementation across cultures and languages.
Tools to Help You Get Prepared for Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive
- How to address gaps in your reporting by improving your existing data collection processes.
- Leveraging software to improve your publishing process of your datasets to ensure compliance.
Innovation Trailblazers
Best Practice for Predicting Future Hazards
- Tools that can be used to create predictive safety measures to identify new risks.
- How to monitor EHS performance through both lagging and leading data sets.
To Build or To Buy…a Digital Application for EHS? That is the Question!
- How to make the business case for digitalisation.
- Determining how the use case and organisational capabilities will influence whether it makes sense to build or buy digital systems.
- What an easy-to-use digital application could look like – what to expect from in-house vs outsourced solutions.
Networking Break
Supporting EHS Reporting Through Strong Data Governance
- Sebastien Chaigneau, Group HSE Director, BMI Group
- Kris Westhovens, Director EHS Data Management, Stanley Black & Decker
- David Clark, Global Head of HSSE, Worldwide Flight Services
EHS reporting is critical for compliance, sustainability tracking and safety management - and the quality of the data used determines its success. Yet, managing high-quality datasets presents its own set of challenges. Our expert panel engages in a thoughtful discussion centred on best practices, addressing key aspects such as:
- Meeting immediate reporting needs by implementing methods to swiftly attain good data.
- Tackling organizational, technical, and regulatory obstacles to gathering and integrating datasets.
- Ensuring that a governance framework is effectively managing the veracity and ownership of EHS data.
- How to make certain data gathered is reliable and credible.
Best Practice Workshop
Technologies to Improve Training Experience
- Using technology to deliver training when needed – including “Just-In-Time” training for sporadic tasks.
- How digitalisation can improve diversity and inclusion in training.
- Leveraging products to create a positive engagement culture with EHS training.
Addressing Health & Safety Risks in Solitary Work
- Determining what safety hazards arise in a lone workplace.
- Experience using digital tools to address those unique challenges.
Networking & Lunch
How to Implement Organization-Wide EHS Training to Drive up EHS Performance
- Carlos Gallego, Workplace Health & Safety Lead, Amazon
- Marieta Yordanova, Group Health & Safety Director, Asahi Europe & International
In a 2022 Verdantix survey encompassing 302 senior EHS decision-makers, 88% of respondents underscored the significance of EHS training engagement as a matter of priority. In response to this imperative, this session is dedicated to providing EHS practitioners with the knowledge and strategies needed to craft and execute effective EHS training programmes by discussing how to:
- Ensure organization-wide EHS training is sustained and impactful.
- Craft bespoke and timely training initiatives that resonate with the workforce.
- Focus training efforts by identifying critical risks to prevent incidents.
- Enhance the training experience potential of e-learning, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).
Best Practice Workshop
Can Computer Vision, Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing Deliver for Environment, Health and Safety?
Computer Vision, Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing are types of artificial intelligence. This session:
- Delves into the problems that AI can address today, those on the horizon, and even those in the distant future.
- Covers the potential risks associated with using AI in the EHS domain, and how to mitigate them effectively.
Enacting a Cultural Shift in Mindset to Digitalization: Embracing the Digital Frontier in EHS
- Navigating the discourse surrounding "digital monitoring" and its perceived invasiveness.
- How to address organizational concerns about adopting digital health and safety solutions.
- Will attitudes improve given the amount of paperwork could be reduced?
Networking Break
What Does a Winning Safety Culture Look Like? Achieving Organization-Wide Engagement and Buy-In
- Jonathan Lilien, HSER Director - Eastern Mediterranean, Chevron
- Alicia Olo Martinez, Corporate Director Health & Safety, JTI (Japan Tobacco International)
- Denis La Licata, Director Health & Safety BA Heat, Vattenfall
The significance of culture cannot be overstated when it comes to the successful implementation of an EHS strategy. Culture shapes employee behaviour, engagement, accountability and risk perception. A positive EHS culture is the cornerstone for achieving compliance, effective communication and continuous improvement. It serves as a catalyst for enhancing safety, reducing resistance to change, and fortifying an organization's reputation. This session will cover:
- Best practices for consulting and engaging internal stakeholders to influence EHS culture positively.
- How to promote a positive culture around mental health and wellbeing.
- Overcoming geographical and linguistic challenges to help implement EHS strategy and best practices on a global scale.
- Addressing cultural challenges and navigating diverse priorities resulting from varying health and safety legislation across the world.
EHS Sector Trends
In these focus groups meet with EHS practitioners, vendors, consultancies and Verdantix analysts to discuss how EHS drivers, priorities and technology choices vary throughout different sectors. Some suggested points to discuss include:
- What priorities do EHS executives have in each sector?
- What does the safety culture look like for each sector?
- What EHS risks are more prominent in each sector?
- Which technologies can be applied in each sector to help manage EHS risk better?
The provisional discussion groups are:
1: Chemicals, Mining & Metals
Abouzar Yousefi, Head of Safety and Occupational Health, CEPSA Chemicals
2: Energy
3: Ports, Airports & Airlines
Péter Temesváry, Safety and Compliance Director, Budapest Airport
4: Public Spaces, Retail & Entertainment
5: Construction & Real Estate
6: Maritime, Public Transit and Logistics
Griff Bromfield-Jenkins, Senior Strategy Manager, Environment Health Safety, Transport For London
7: Manufacturing
8: Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Life Sciences & Healthcare
Simon Whitehead, Head of HSES, National Physical Laboratory (NPL)
9: Office & Homeworking Environments
10: Other Sectors
Each discussion group will involve around 8 to 12 people and will be hosted by a Verdantix analyst and/or a EHS practitioner and/or service provider. The hosts’ responsibilities will be to kickstart a discussion on the topic and involve the group participants in the discussion. There may be an opportunity for the host to feedback to the wider audience on what their group discussed if time permits and they are willing to do so.
To ensure an open discussion, the discussion groups will take place under Chatham House Rules meaning that anyone who comes to a meeting is free to use information from the discussion but is not allowed to reveal who made any particular comment.
*Want to propose a discussion group? Contact Moses Makin [email protected] to discuss opportunities.
Networking Break
Maximizing Return On Investment For EHS Technologies And Services
- Tom Brown, Industry Analyst, Environment, Health & Safety, Verdantix
Making the right technology and services decisions is challenging given that practitioners are faced with a multitude of priorities: reducing serious injuries and fatalities, improving ESG performance, reducing the administrative burden of risk assessments, ensuring high quality reporting and more. It can be difficult to navigate how to allocate budget to procuring the best EHS products and services.
To help streamline EHS decision-making, this session matches EHS practitioner priorities with technologies and services available on the market. This session delves into evidence-based research, in which the team consulted over 400 heads of EHS, spanning 25 sectors and over 30 countries, and engaged with all the leading vendors of EHS products and services.
Considering Mental Health and Wellbeing to Make a Comprehensive EHS Strategy
- Małgorzata Furtak, Occupational Health, Safety & Wellbeing Director, Santander Bank Polska
- Marieke van Weerden, Director of Health, Safety and Security, Catholic Relief Services
- Fernando Burgo, EHS, ESG & Security Director, GE HealthCare Pharmaceutical Diagnostics – Ireland
Mental health and wellbeing can significantly impact individuals, EHS outcomes and more broadly whole organisation performance. This issue is ubiquitous and is significant throughout Europe as a quarter of the population reported suffering from at least one mental health condition in 2023. This panel considers key issues that are associated with this topic such as:
- Creating mental health and wellbeing KPIs to enable analysis of what variables and strategies significantly impact wellbeing and mental health.
- Ensuring robust risk management by controlling these variables to improve psychological safety.
- What a meaningful culture that addresses mental health and wellbeing positively, thereby improve EHS performance, can look like.
- Devising a comprehensive mental health and wellbeing strategy by accounting for the latest neurological research, increased hybrid working patterns, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Networking Drinks
Dinner and EHS Awards
Registration and Breakfast
The Rising Challenge of Climate Change: How Are EHS Leaders Getting Ready to Tackle It
- Thierry Ziegler, Global Project Director, Corporate Safety & Environment Group, Arkema
- Fuad Mahmood, Director Global EHS, Grünenthal Group
- Jade Voice, Director of Health, Safety and Environment, Omni Group
The 5th of June marks ‘World Environment Day’ - a day of increasing importance. The World Health Organisation COP24 Special Report described climate change as “the greatest health challenge of the 21st century, with major threats to life, health and well-being”.
While the field of EHS is traditionally concerned with protecting workers’ health and safety, the impacts of climate change are increasingly affecting occupational and environmental health. Through heat stress, death or injury from floods, wildfires, and storms, and through changes in the ranges of disease vectors, waterborne pathogens, water quality, air quality, and food availability and quality, climate change has the potential to affect human health in unprecedented ways.
In this session, our panellists will discuss how EHS professionals can prepare for the impacts of climate change and play a role in creating or revisiting contingency plans for organizations to ensure operations resiliency and staff safety and health.
Navigating EHS in an ESG Era
- Katherine Mächler Better, Senior Director HSEE (Health & Safety, Environment and Energy), adidas
- Andresa Hernandes, Vice President Safety, Siemens AG
- Ana Ferreira Tavares, Systems and Governance Global Director for Environment, Health & Safety and Sustainability, Aptiv
The heightened corporate emphasis on ESG considerations has prompted EHS leaders to reconsider their priorities and responsibilities. In this session, we explore the evolving landscape of EHS within the context of an organization's ESG strategy, by:
- Analysing how the ESG movement is reshaping EHS budgets, priorities and the roles of practitioners, uncovering the evolving responsibilities of EHS leaders.
- Unveiling best practices for how the EHS function can actively contribute to ESG and sustainability reporting.
- Discussing the reasons why health and safety have emerged as top-tier ESG priorities.
- Mastering non-financial reporting to ensure compliance.
Best Practice Workshop
Delivering Impactful Mental Health & Wellbeing Strategy: Tools, Training & Technical Solutions
The ramifications for firms that fail to adequately manage the mental health of their employees are great. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the global economy loses about $1 trillion per year in productivity due to depression and anxiety. This session what mental health and wellness issues are requiring increased attention and how to best deliver results.
How to Present Data to Inform Safety Strategy
- How effective presentation of data can elaborate on the effectiveness of corrective actions.
- The different approaches that can be used for presenting data in a way that transforms insights into actionable impacts on performance.
Networking Break and Coffee
Addressing Compliance, Safety and Sustainability Issues Caused by External Parties: Managing Third-Party EHS Risks
- Callum Irvine, VP Global Safety & Security, IHG Hotels & Resorts
- David Revitt, Director, EHS & Sustainability, Vertex Pharmaceuticals (Europe)
- Weili Zang, Global Head of Sustainability Audit & Systems, Vitesco Technologies
The role of EHS leaders has expanded beyond the boundaries of their own organizations, as they are increasingly held accountable for EHS risks originating from contractors, infrastructure providers, suppliers, investments, and mergers and acquisitions. This panel conversation delves into the best approaches for practitioners to effectively address this evolving landscape, discussing:
- Confronting the realities of working in a connected supply chain to identify prevalent EHS risks, such as Scope 3 emissions and modern-day slavery.
- Collaborating with partners to establish a shared understanding of acceptable levels of EHS risk, fostering responsible risk management across the network.
- Harnessing novel systems, processes and technologies to enhance transparency, data sharing, and accountability among partners.
- Following the necessary due diligence process for addressing EHS risks in mergers, acquisitions and investments.
Best Practice for EHS Software Consolidation and Integration
Historically, EHS processes have often been scattered across various software tools, paper forms, and Excel spreadsheets. In a recent Verdantix survey, 54% of EHS executives in corporate settings emphasized the urgent need for consolidating their enterprise software systems. This imperative arises from the desire to bolster EHS risk management, establish uniform data standards, and align with ESG strategies.
Join us for an enlightening session as we delve into the best practices for creating a compelling business case, devising a strategic plan, and executing a successful integration of EHS software.
5 Things EHS Practitioners Should Know Before Investing in Digital Solutions
- Stuart Neumann, VP, Advisory Services, Verdantix
EHS executives across the world accept the need and value of a robust data management strategy. Any stragglers still doubting this need have largely been eliminated with the emergence of mandatory ESG reporting requirements that demand investor-grade data, much of which comes from the EHS function. The challenge for many EHS executives is that digital strategy development is not a core skill and many have no experience of digital transformation projects and often incomplete understanding of the ESG agenda. In this session, we’ll share some of the mis-steps we’ve seen from firms over the past 15 years and highlight the five things every EHS exec needs to know before investing in digital solutions.
EHS Regional Trends
In these discussion groups, meet with EHS practitioners, vendors, consultancies and Verdantix analysts to discuss how EHS drivers, priorities and technology choices vary throughout Europe. Some suggested discussion points:
- What priorities do EHS executives have in each region?
- What does the safety culture look like for each region?
- How ready is each region for adopting next-generation EHS technologies?
- What environment, health and safety legislation are there to be aware of for each region?
The provisional discussion groups are:
1: Netherlands
2: France
Damien Ordronneau, HSSE Director, Ocean Winds
3: Belgium
4: DACH region (Germany, Austria & Switzerland)
Andreas Scholz, Vice President QHSE, Vynova Group
5: UK
6: Ireland
Monique Klug, H&S and ESG Manager, Rexel Ireland
7: Southern Europe (Spain, Portugal & Italy)
8: Nordics
9: Central & Eastern Europe
10: Southeast Europe
Each discussion group will involve around 8 to 12 people and will be hosted by a Verdantix analyst and/or a EHS practitioner/vendor. The moderators’ responsibilities will be to kickstart a discussion on the topic and involve the group participants in the discussion. There will be an opportunity for the moderator to feedback to the wider audience on what their group discussed if time permits and they are willing to do so.
To ensure an open discussion, the discussion groups will take place under Chatham House Rules meaning that anyone who comes to a meeting is free to use information from the discussion but is not allowed to reveal who made any particular comment.
*Want to propose a discussion group? Contact Moses Makin [email protected] to discuss opportunities.
Lunch & Networking
Putting Theory into Practice: New Approaches to Health and Safety
- Roberta Anzano, Head of Health, Safety & Environment, METRO Italia
- Remy D.J. Wierenga, Group Director Health & Safety, Refresco
- Marieke Bleyenbergh, Global Director Health, Safety, Environment & Security, AkzoNobel
Health and safety in the workplace has progressed from simply a blame game for when something goes wrong. New approaches – such as ‘Safety 2’, ‘Work as Imagined vs Work as Done’, ‘Behaviour-Based Safety’, ‘Human Factors Engineering’ – have been developed. This panel discusses the value and implementation of these theories by:
- Providing real-world examples of how these theories have been successfully implemented, showcasing their tangible impact.
- Simplifying these complex theories in straightforward terms, making them accessible and understandable for all.
- Driving the adoption of new theories by gaining support throughout the organization.
- Exploring how cutting-edge technologies can facilitate the implementation of these novel approaches to health and safety.
What You Need to Know About Risk Assessments and Management to Reduce Incidents and Serious Injuries and Fatalities
- Guido Chiogna, HSE & Sustainability Director, METLAC Group
- Aslak Svindland, Head of Safety for Europe, Middle East and Africa & Global Cocoa, ofi
- Edwin van Hagen, Global Director EHS & AMS, Almatis
This session is dedicated to ensuring that the foundational elements of EHS risk management are firmly in place. We will explore:
- Crucial legal obligations that should be on every EHS professional’s radar when conducting risk assessments.
- Strategies for acquiring specialized knowledge, honing essential skills and harnessing cutting-edge technologies to effectively manage specific and niche EHS hazards.
- Insights into increasing stakeholder engagement in the risk assessment process, fostering collaboration and buy-in from all necessary parties.
- Determining to what extent traditional risk assessments lack effectiveness and what can be improved.
Recruiting, Retaining and Developing EHS Talent
- Ruth Denyer, Senior Director, Production Health and Safety, Netflix
- Krishnen Mootien, Global Health & Safety Director, Reckitt
- Kay Doyle, Director of Health and Safety, Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail
In a competitive talent landscape, recruiting, retaining and nurturing EHS professionals is paramount. This session delves into the art of fostering a thriving EHS workforce, exploring:
- Strategies to identify and attract EHS talent in a market where the competition for skilled professionals is high.
- Insights into the significance of various EHS qualifications and certifications, helping organizations gauge their worth.
- Areas where technology can support the retainment, management and transfer of knowledge of EHS professionals.
- Strategies to enhance the digital literacy of EHS practitioners, enabling them to implement and execute effective EHS initiatives in an increasingly tech-driven world.
EHS Outlook and Conclusions from Summit
Want to get involved?
Do you have an amazing story or incredible insight? We'd love to have you speak at our events. Reach out to our Events Director, Layla Sienne, [email protected], for sponsorship and speaking opportunities.
Past Sponsors
Tickets
Practitioner Ticket
Available only to professionals who are only trying to improve the environment, health and/or safety performance of their own organisation.
€499/ £449
Vendor Ticket
Available to professionals who are providing or selling services, technologies or products to improve the environment, health and/or safety performance of organisations beyond their own.
€2499/ £2199
Unsure which ticket category you fall into? Contact [email protected] to enquire.
Sponsorship opportunities
Verdantix offers a range of sponsorship opportunities. Please contact Layla Sienne, [email protected] to find out more.
