Tag: 3BL

Originally published by FedEx on August 28, 2023

MEMPHIS, Tenn., October 23, 2023 /3BL/ – FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) recently announced that five drivers representing the global transportation company were recognized with top honors at the 2023 National Truck Driving Championships and National Step Van Driving Championships (NTDC/NSVDC).

The competition, which took place Aug. 16-19 in Columbus, Ohio, is hosted each year by the American Trucking Associations and has a long history dating back to 1937, when it was known as the National Truck “Roadeo.”

Drivers who won their respective classes include:

David Coffel (Phoenix, Ariz.) won the Straight Truck National Championship in his third appearance at the NTDC. A FedEx Express team member for 14 years, including 11 as a driver, David has logged more than 600,000 miles without ever having an accident.John Greene (Goshen, Conn.) won the 5-Axle National Championship. A professional driver for 32 years and the 2015 Connecticut Rookie of the Year, John has accumulated more than 1.45 million safe-driving miles during his career. He has been a FedEx Freight team member in New Haven, Conn., for 13 years.JC de la Cruz (Anchorage, Ak.) won the Step Van National Championship. This was the third-straight NSVDC appearance for JC, who finished third at the championships in 2022. A FedEx Express team member for more than 22 years, JC has spent the better part of 18 years behind the wheel as a courier and has logged more than 290,000 safe-driving miles.Robert Fair (Sanbornton, N.H.) won the Twins National Championship. Robert, this year’s New Hampshire Grand Champion, has logged more than 2.3 million safe-driving miles during his 24 years as a professional driver. He is a member of the FedEx Freight team in Belmont, N.H.Roland Bolduc (East Longmeadow, Mass.) won the Sleeper Berth National Championship. This year marked the 18th NTDC appearance for Roland, who earned the National Grand Champion award in 2017 and 2022. Based in Windsor, Conn., Roland has worked for FedEx Express for more than 29 years and has accumulated more than 2.6 million miles without an accident during his 39-year professional driving career.

FedEx has established a reputation for excellence at the NTDC. This year, FedEx had the privilege of sending a total of 156 drivers from across the country to the NTDC. With five national titles won in 2023, FedEx drivers have now earned 71 National Champion, seven National Grand Champion, and 10 National Rookie of the Year titles in the past 19 years.
In addition to five national champions, nine drivers were top finishers in their respective driving class at this year’s championships:

Adam Heim, FedEx Freight (Rathdrum, Idaho), 3rd Place, 4-AxleAlex Lofgren, FedEx Express (St. Paul, Minn.), 3rd Place, Step VanBill Colantuone, FedEx Express (Raynham, Mass.), 2nd Place, Straight TruckGreg Long, FedEx Express (Frederick, Md.), 2nd Place, Step VanJamie Sowder, FedEx Freight (Toone, Tenn.), 3rd Place, FlatbedJim Kohr, FedEx Express (North Chili, N.Y.), 3rd Place, Straight TruckRitch Fundell, FedEx Freight (Tonica, Ill.), 3rd Place, 3-AxleTodd Flippin, FedEx Freight (Lamar, Colo.), 3rd Place, TwinsTyler Rogers, FedEx Freight (Fruita, Colo.), 3rd Place, Sleeper Berth

Four drivers from FedEx received the Highest Score on the Written Exam:

David Comings, FedEx Freight (Wahpeton, N.D.), 4-AxleDavid Mogler, FedEx Freight (Brighton, Colo.), Tank TruckMike Bills, FedEx Express (Fuquay-Varina, N.C.), Straight TruckTodd Flippin, FedEx Freight (Lamar, Colo.), Twins

A driver representing FedEx received the Vehicle Condition Award for the best pre-trip inspection:

Tim Blair, FedEx Freight (Alcoa, Tenn.), 5-Axle

Also, three drivers from FedEx were members of Connecticut’s Team Champions:

John Greene, FedEx Freight (Goshen, Conn.), 5-AxleJohn Sanchez, FedEx Express (Windsor Locks, Conn.), Step VanRoland Bolduc, FedEx Express (East Longmeadow, Mass.), Sleeper Berth

About FedEx Corp.

FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenue of $90 billion, the company offers integrated business solutions through operating companies competing collectively, operating collaboratively and innovating digitally as one FedEx. Consistently ranked among the world’s most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its 530,000 employees to remain focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. FedEx is committed to connecting people and possibilities around the world responsibly and resourcefully, with a goal to achieve carbon-neutral operations by 2040. To learn more, please visit fedex.com/about.

October 23, 2023 /3BL/ – The Cintas Rental location in Union, N.J. is filled with employee-partners who make communication an inclusive and sometimes creative endeavor.

No one knows that more than its four deaf partners – Bobby S., John B., Encarnación P. and Millissa R. – have fostered community-building while excelling in their roles. From American Sign Language (ASL) and lip reading to writing down messages, the quartet has multiple avenues to feel heard and valued.

“I feel that people here are helpful,” Millissa said through an ASL interpreter who also serves as the location’s job coach. “Communication isn’t an issue. Whether you’re hearing or deaf, people are just here for you.”

Cintas is dedicated to diversity and inclusion and is committed to maintaining a culture where everyone can thrive and contribute to the company’s success. This dedication and commitment are why the company observes International Week of Deaf People each September and National Disability Awareness Month every October.

John, a loader, has been a partner for 19 years; Millissa, a heat sealer, has been a partner for 10 years. Bobby, an unloader, and Encarnación, a hanger, have been with Cintas for six years. They credit their tenure with Cintas to feeling valued professionally because of a welcoming environment and partners’ willingness to go the extra mile to communicate.

Production Supervisor Todd Hatchett said Cintas prioritizes safety and training to ensure that every deaf partner has access to and an understanding of work-related information. Hatchett made a point to learn the American Sign Language alphabet and has expanded that skill set with help from hard-of-hearing partners.

Not only does his effort help bridge communication, but it fosters trust.

“Once partners can see that you’re applying yourself, it shows them that you care. Then they open up to you a little more and show you that they care, and it develops the relationship,” Hatchett said.

Bobby said gestures are helpful in his position as an unloader. For example, partners make hand motions – like “c” for cotton – to ensure everyone is on the same page. With directives down pat, he has more opportunities to bond with his partners.

“We always are joking around a little bit and having fun. We continue to work, but I never feel isolated. It’s always having a good discussion or communication and we’ll joke together, discuss things,” Bobby said through a sign language interpreter.

Bobby started at Cintas as a hanger and became a folder before assuming his current role as an unloader. He would love to see an even bigger deaf community at Cintas due to the growth opportunities he has seen firsthand.

Encarnación hears well in one ear and wears a hearing aid but relies mainly on sign language and lip reading. A native of Spain, she’s especially proficient in lip reading Spanish, a helpful skill in a location where many partners speak the language.

“I’m able to understand them and have more friends and we’re able to work well together,” Encarnación said.

Teamwork and socialization also suit Millissa’s personality. She said through a sign language interpreter that being deaf sometimes requires a little patience when engaging in a conversation. She has no hearing in one ear and little hearing in the other.

“But once you start working with someone, you start helping them understand what your name is and how to work with them,” Millissa said.

She especially enjoys the depth of Cintas’ culture, from celebrations for Halloween and Christmas to recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Partner bonding events augment her workplace satisfaction.

John’s knowledge and commitment to Cintas are evident in his nearly two decades with the company. Known for being strong and humble, he’s skilled at loading clothes on trucks – a practice he has practically perfected throughout his career.

General Manager Andrew Daniello said Cintas builds pride through diversity and inclusivity and Hatchett agreed, adding that the culture is strengthened by the removal of limits and the celebration of differences.

“We’ve stopped allowing language barriers and we find a way to communicate,” Hatchett said.

And communication, Encarnación said, is a big reason she enjoys her Cintas career.

“My favorite part of working here at Cintas is the teamwork,” Encarnación said. “I always feel good when I’m working with my team.”

Originally published in Alkermes September 2023 Corporate Responsibility Report

Alkermes’ mission is to research, develop and commercialize important new medicines for patients suffering from complex medical conditions, including those who are often unfairly marginalized or stigmatized because of their illness. We also recognize that we are part of a global community facing serious and evolving challenges that threaten our society and our planet. In addition to our medicines and research efforts, we see ourselves having a responsibility and opportunity to contribute more broadly and serve as a positive example for others.

As we publish this sixth report outlining our commitment to, and progress in, advancing corporate responsibility and sustainability, it is with pride that we share and reflect on our ongoing efforts to live up to our company’s purpose and values.

We take seriously our responsibility of environmental stewardship. Our enterprise-wide Environmental, Health, Safety and Security (EHSS) risk management strategy is designed to mitigate or reduce risk, protect employee health and safety, ensure regulatory compliance, minimize our environmental impacts and enhance the sustainability of our operations. In 2022, we engaged a third-party to support our efforts to enhance our measurement and reporting of key metrics in these areas, as we continually seek to improve our environmental performance across our value-chain.

Woven throughout our work is our ongoing commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging. In 2022, we advanced our Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (DIB) strategy and increased our DIB-related education, awareness and training programs for employees. We partnered with our employeeled Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to enhance these offerings to both increase participation and develop and retain diverse talent. In 2022, we saw more ERG engagement from our employees than ever before and a more diverse pool of job applicants.

By supporting and keeping our commitments to our employees, we are better able to deliver for the patients we serve. We are proud to have earned notable external recognitions in the past year, including being named a 2022 Healthiest Employer of Ohio and a 2022 Best Place for Working Parents among Massachusetts businesses – our two U.S. hubs. In addition, our culture, benefits, compliance with key policies and holistic wellness programs earned us a 2022 Platinum Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health, the highest recognition granted by Mental Health America.

Our commercial products are focused on the treatment of serious mental illnesses and addiction. Their impact is significant and growing. LYBALVI®, VIVITROL® and the ARISTADA® product family, collectively, were used to treat more than 180,000 people in the U.S. in 2022.

Our research and development efforts are focused on advancing new medicines to address real-world patient needs. Our support of non-profit organizations that share our mission, and of scientific investigators undertaking important, mentor-supported research to help advance the field of neuroscience exemplifies and amplifies our contributions.

We invite you to continue reading to learn more about our efforts, our performance and our commitment to environmental sustainability, good governance practices and giving back to our local communities.

We look forward to continuing this important work as we pursue great science that makes a real impact for patients, families and communities.

Richard F. Pops

Chief Executive Officer

Read more

Originally published on TriplePundit

Someone once discovered that certain kinds of sand, melted at a high temperature, can become glass. That initial discovery opened the window for continuing innovation that has made glass one of the most important materials in modern life. At Owens Corning, our aspiration is to continue finding new and exciting ways to deploy the properties of glass to make the world a better place.

One way we advance this aspiration is by using recycled glass. In 2022, Owens Corning used 1.4 billion pounds of recycled glass in our manufacturing. In fact, our pink fiberglass insulation contains anywhere from 53 percent to 73 percent recycled content, depending on the specific product.

Glass can be stronger and lighter than steel, and it doesn’t corrode or rot. And through innovations like ours, it can replace traditional materials in surprising ways. Using fiberglass mat under roofing shingles provides better water resistance. Glass-reinforced concrete helps bridges last, and because it is light, it is also easy to transport and install. Used in wind turbine blades, glass reinforcements make the blades long, strong and light, which makes the turbines efficient — and wind energy may be less costly. And fiberglass insulation products help conserve energy while improving acoustics and fire resistance in the places where we work, live and play.

Glass can also be recycled over and over without losing quality, making it a great foundation material for the circular economy. But the supply of crushed post-consumer glass — also known as cullet — is at risk.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, only 31.3 percent of all glass containers were recycled in 2018, the last year for which data have been published. In addition, many U.S. municipalities have removed glass from their curbside recycling programs, further threatening cullet supply.

This is concerning because the benefits and use cases for recycled glass are vast and well understood. Using recycled glass as a raw material decreases community landfill waste. For Owens Corning, it also lowers our energy use associated with manufacturing insulation since starting with raw materials such as sand requires more energy. The Glass Packaging Institute (GPI) reports that energy costs drop by about 2 to 3 percent for each additional 10 percent of cullet used in manufacturing. In addition, our commitment to glass recycling can help reduce our reliance on sand in the production of fiberglass insulation.

To help counteract the supply constraints for post-consumer glass, Owens Corning works with other companies and organizations to support the glass recycling industry and the glass recycling supply chain.

The Glass Recycling Coalition (GRC) and the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA) are two of our key partners; and in conjunction with these groups, we are focused on promoting glass recycling in several regions throughout the U.S.

We’ve also worked with NAIMA to form a glass cullet task force that aims to improve communication on end-use of glass containers, increase glass container recycling rates, improve glass cullet quality, and safeguard current recycling programs at the state and local levels.

Owens Corning participates in several educational and informational workshops, including those conducted by the Closed Loop Fund and recycled glass processor Strategic Materials, to promote open dialogue and collaboration among stakeholders interested in glass recycling.

As we work to reduce our impact on the environment, we continue our efforts to increase our use of post-consumer bottle glass in North America despite ongoing recycling challenges in several communities across the U.S.

We believe the availability of high-quality recyclable glass is critical to the ongoing execution of our environmental ambitions and our overall growth strategy. Our primary focus is on promoting glass recycling at the state and local levels, as shipping recycled glass is expensive and can negate the energy and emissions benefits. Therefore, we support a range of glass recycling efforts with the promise of glass being recycled and with low contamination.

We encourage consumers who want to contribute to the supply of recycled glass to look for local options to recycle your glass and support glass recycling programs in your community. Together, we can reduce waste and leave the world a better place for the future.

Image credit: pjhpix/Adobe Stock

​The recruitment of professionals for sustainability roles in Asia’s nascent green financial technology, or fintech industry has been mostly “reactive”, and a knowledge gap has resulted in start-ups scrambling to “hire someone rather than the right people,” experts familiar with the talent shortage situation said.

Speaking on a panel discussion hosted by Eco-Business last Thursday, Paddy Balfour, Asia director for sustainable recruitment firm Acre, said that while he has noticed an uptick in demand for green fintech professionals in the region over the last 12 to 18 months, companies are struggling to find the right people to fill the required roles.

“The opportunities are probably running ahead of the [available] talent at the moment in sustainable finance and green fintech [in Asia],” said Ravi Chidambaram, founder of software-as-a-service start-up RIMM Sustainability and adjunct professor at Singapore’s Yale-NUS College, at the event at Rochester Commons in Singapore. It is part of an event series launched in partnership with Greenprint Hub, an initiative designed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), Singapore’s central bank, to help grow the country’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) fintech space.

For now, the roles of finance and investment professionals are being “repurposed” and given an “an extra ESG hat” to integrate ESG into their applications, which Chidambaram said is “not sustainable” in the long run.

Shoe-horning finance professionals into ESG roles is bubbling up the issue of “competence greenwash”, said Chidambaram, referring to a problem coined by academic Kim Schumacher, where underqualified candidates exaggerate their ESG credentials to get hired for in-demand, lucrative sustainable finance roles.

“Finding talent with both ESG and finance knowledge is not easy. We’re having to look in global talent pools to grow the industry,” said Chidambaram, referring specifically to the Singapore market, which is trying to position itself as Asia’s sustainable finance hub.

Sustainable finance is still a new industry in Asia, and green fintech is even newer, the industry emerging in the last few years off the back of growing appetite for greener financial products in the region.

According to a survey by banking software company Mambu in 2021, demand for greener financial products is higher in Asia Pacific than the global average as consumers look for more responsible ways to invest their money.

Of the respondents polled across Asia Pacific, 31 per cent indicated having knowingly banked with a sustainable finance institution or made use of a green banking product or service – higher than the global average of 29 per cent.

Skills crunch 
Claudia Marcusson, managing partner at Zero Emissions Fund, a Singapore-based seed-stage sustainability venture fund, said that while sustainability departments in Asia are being “parked” in various corporate functions in response to regulatory or legal requirements, there is a need for more specialists with the requisite skills to drive sustainability progress in corporate Asia.

“People may have read articles about sustainability or read about Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, but they are not specialists. Going forward, we will need more specialists,” she said.

As corporate sustainability evolves in Asia, ultimately every member of staff will have ESG-related key performance indicators (KPIs) to fulfil, she said, and the “soft skills” in sustainability roles are often missing.

In a recent interview with Eco-Business, Anita Neville, the chief sustainability and communications officer for palm oil company Golden Agri-Resources, pointed out that the art of persuasion is fundamental to her role in driving progress internally.

A forgiving industry 
Chidambaram pointed out that, until recently, sustainable finance has been a “very forgiving industry”, with a dearth of standards that seriously police what is defined as a sustainable finance product or service.

“Anything could be deemed sustainable, anyone could give you an ESG rating, and anything could be marketed as sustainable,” he said. “Almost any sustainable financial product right now is unregulated.”

But this is changing, as central banks in some jurisdictions, for instance in the European Union, start to crack down on financial institutions trying to exploit regulatory loopholes, Chidambaram said.

“There will be consequences if you’re not compliant, and sell yourself in that way,” he said, pointing out that MAS is moving in the same direction.

This is where the talent gap comes into focus, he said.

“If these markets start getting regulated, if you hire inexperienced people to take care of compliance, there will be a problem,” Chidambaram said.

This, he said, is where the “rubber hits the road” and presents the industry with a “moving challenge”.

Sustainable finance professionals, Chidambaram said, need ESG domain knowledge, tech skills, and data science knowhow to address “huge data gaps” in a very young industry.

“It’s very hard to make investment decisions without data,” he said.

Balfour noted that one of the problems for sustainable finance professionals is that their skillsets do not intersect with the sustainability world.

“There is a lack of a playbook [for sustainable finance] because it’s an emerging space,” he said. “At the moment, the sustainability skillset sits in a circle by itself. The challenge is in bringing skillsets together.”

About Acre

At Acre, we work with the most aspirational businesses with potential to make real change; from those who are just starting out to those who are well on the journey to crafting a legacy.

Our 18 years’ experience in sustainability recruitment, combined with our extensive global network, enables us to provide talent solutions that are designed to deliver this change.

Through our unique behavioural assessment technology, we understand the types of people, skills and behaviours required to create impact. We can develop these qualities within your existing teams too.

We find talented people and develop their skills to ensure they make a true impact in ambitious, progressive organisations.

Acre. Making companies ready for tomorrow.

Download the Wesco 2023 Sustainability report here

We Build, Connect, Power, and Protect the World

Wesco recently issued its annual sustainability report. The report outlines Wesco’s progress and key initiatives for advancing its environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals set in the 2021 report that include reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30%, reducing landfill waste intensity by 15% across U.S. and Canadian locations, achieving a 15% reduction in total recordable incident rate (TRIR) and providing 425,000 hours of safety training and development to employees – all by 2030.

At Wesco, our culture is built on a commitment to environmental, social, and ethical responsibility. Our 2023 Sustainability Report highlights our efforts to be a more sustainable and inclusive organization.

“2022 was a truly remarkable year, one in which we delivered record-setting financial performance while making progress against our ESG goals,” said John Engel, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. “These achievements are a testament to the hard work, dedication and innovation of our employees, and we look forward to continuing our journey of building more value for all our stakeholders while contributing to a healthier planet.”

Wesco recently appointed Glynis A. Bryan to its Board of Directors, effective October 16, 2023, consistent with its long-standing commitment to ongoing Board refreshment and commitment to diversity goals.

Ms. Bryan currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer of Insight Enterprises Inc., a Fortune 500 solutions integrator focused on enabling secure, end-to-end digital transformation through its broad portfolio of solutions and IT expertise. Prior to becoming Insight’s CFO in 2007, Ms. Bryan served as the Chief Financial Officer for Swift Transportation Inc. and APL Logistics Americas, Ltd. and held various senior financial roles with increasing responsibility at Ryder System, Inc. Ms. Bryan is a director of Pinnacle West Capital Corporation.

John J. Engel stated: “We are very pleased to welcome Glynis to our Board of Directors.  Her experience as a public company CFO for a global technology company, as well as her expertise in supply chain and digital transformation, makes her an excellent addition to our Board and an asset to our company and our stockholders.” Mr. Engel further stated, “With these changes, our Wesco Board of Directors will be 60% diverse in terms of gender, race and ethnicity, including three (30%) female directors.” 

Wesco’s mission unites our global team to provide exceptional service and value to customers and our supplier partners, to continue to deliver superior returns to our stockholders, and to make lasting contributions to communities where we live and work. In 2022, we continued to work to fulfill our ambitious sustainability goals for 2030.

Learn more about our ESG practices here.

The Farm Powered Strategic Alliance, a pre-competitive group of leading national brands focused on advancing sustainability, recently held its annual member meeting in Colorado. Among other great activities such as a farm tour, a hike, and a farm-to-table dinner, a highlight of the event was a sustainability workshop, hosted by Etienne White. The workshop fostered innovative and collaborative thinking with emerging themes such as,  “Be Fearless and Fail Forward,” allowing our members to help build strategies for their own internal sustainability progress. 

The Alliance, founded in 2020 by Vanguard Renewables, Unilever, Starbucks, and Dairy Farmers of America, aims to boost food waste reduction and recycling, expand renewable energy production across America, and support generational farms and regenerative agriculture practices. Members of the Alliance gathered to share sustainability best practices and build personal connections through this annual meeting, collaborating on ideas and solutions to mitigate climate change. 

In addition to its founding members, the Alliance includes AstraZeneca, BevPros DHL, Cabot Creamery, Chobani, Danone, FoodTank, Foremost Farms USA, Great Lakes Cheese, Johnsonville, Kikkoman, Polar, Schreiber, Smithfield Foods, Stonyfield Organic, and Vermont Creamery.

“We are thrilled to have such a diverse group of members who are committed to advancing sustainability and mitigating climate change,” said Neil H. Smith, CEO of Vanguard Renewables. “The Alliance provides a platform for members to build synergistic relationships, and I continue to be excited about the impact we can make together. It has been a delight to get to know these members personally and see their relationships with each other continue to grow with each meeting.” 

The Farm Powered Strategic Alliance is committed to continuing its efforts to advance sustainability and mitigate climate change. To learn more about the Alliance and its members, visit .

SALT LAKE CITY, October 23, 2023 /3BL/ – KeyBank (NYSE: KEY) will present Community Lending Days across the State of Utah in October. Various KeyBank Community Development Loan Officers will offer advice and details on products and assistance programs available to homebuyers.

The workshops will take place at a variety of branches and times listed below:

October 24th- 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. – Olympus Hills Branch- 4025 S Wasatch Blvd, Salt Lake City, UTOctober 26th- 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. – Draper Branch- 348 E 12300 S, Draper, UTOctober 26th- 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. – Orem Branch- 185 S State Street, Orem, UTOctober 26th- 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. – Kamas Branch- 80 N Main Street, Kamas, UTOctober 27th- 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. – American Fork Branch- 717 W Main Street, American Fork, UTOctober 27th- 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. – Provo Branch- 207 N University Ave, Provo, UTOctober 27th- 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. – Sandy Branch- 11433 S State Street, Draper, UT

Events are free and no registration is required.

Get tips on homeownership from KeyBankHow (and Why) To Buy a Home Despite an Uncertain Market

About KeyBank

KeyCorp’s roots trace back nearly 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $195 billion as of June 30, 2023. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,300 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications, and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank is Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender. Mortgage and Home Equity Lending products offered by KeyBank are not FDIC insured or guaranteed. NMLS #399797

Copyright © 2023 KeyCorp®. All Rights Reserved CFMA #231010-2279189

In February 2022, the world witnessed a humanitarian crisis due to the unthinkable Russian war on Ukraine. Overnight, millions of Ukrainians fled their country and became refugees, with the vast majority pouring into Poland in search of asylum as their cities turned into battlefields.

The tech team at EY took the company’s purpose – building a better working world – to heart. Supported by EY Ripples, a global initiative to positively impact 1 billion lives by 2030, the team made it their mission to use technology to help solve a problem: to connect countless refugees landing in Poland with the resources they need to survive. The result, the EY Emergency Response Application (ERA), was live within six urgent weeks.

Responding to a Need

“It was winter, and women and children were standing in long queues for necessities like milk, diapers, and blankets,” Diksha de Sousa, SAP Core Tech at EY, recalled. “And we thought a platform can make this simpler. Resources were available – donations were streaming into NGOs working all over Poland – but organizations had no centralized database or way to share what they had available and where.” So de Sousa’s team mobilized.

The development process would not be typical; this need was dire and immediate. It was about saving lives. When they reached out to other EY groups for support, the response, de Sousa said, “was overwhelming. I think we had the UX design in three days.” The EY development team worked at a breakneck pace to create the app while coordinating with NGOs on the ground in Poland and working with the marketing teams who would mobilize the app through the power of social media.

Harnessing New Technology to Deliver Impactful Solutions

“We needed automation, we needed workflow technology, and, last but not least, we needed the stable backend,” so that the NGOs could upload all their data and ensure it would be stored safely, explained Oktavian Wagner, EY’s head of CT Innovation, Technology, and Architecture. And, since no one on the development team could write in Polish or Ukrainian, they also needed translation capabilities. SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP) was a natural fit, not only because EY was already running close to a thousand SAP instances but also because, as Wagner explained, “we share the same vision: using technology to create a better world.”

With SAP Build solutions, a low-code app development and automation portfolio, and with the support of SAP Business Accelerator Hub, the EY team brought the new EY ERA from ideation to execution in record time. While the technology was crucial, Axel Janz, global head of SAP Products and Innovations at EY, said having live, personal support from SAP was invaluable. “At the end of the day, the people make the difference,” Janz said.

Also crucial to EY’s whirlwind development process was a laser focus on user experience. “You want to make sure that the application is stable, that it’s fast, that it’s scalable, that it’s safe, but also that it’s easy to use – concentrating on what we call the workflow of the end user,” Wagner said. The end user in this case was refugees. “They don’t want to see a commercial. They don’t want to see what else we’re doing at EY. They don’t even want to see and touch the technology. They just want to use it.”

A Targeted Tool with Global Potential

EY ERA has 162 registered humanitarian aid distribution centers in 53 cities in Poland and more than 15,000 users, refugees who can find the necessities they need to care for their families. The app’s impact is already reaching beyond the borders of Poland and the ongoing crisis for Ukrainian refugees. EY ERA has also been deployed in response to Australian wildfires and is ready to adapt to other natural disasters or humanitarian crises. Whatever the future brings, EY is committed to deploying new technology to serve people in need and to build a better working world for all of us.

The Full Episode

Our guests from EY include Axel Janz, global head of SAP Products and Innovations; Anne Sawyer Shields, supporting next generation and accelerating environmental sustainability leader, Global Corporate Responsibility; Oktavian Wagner, head of CT Innovation, Technology and Architecture; and Diksha de Sousa, SAP Core Tech (SAP BTP focused). They joined Better Together: Customer Conversations to discuss how the EY ERA app came to be.

Thought leadership podcast: Tamara McCleary, CEO of Thulium, led a discussion with Janz, Sawyer Shields, and Wagner, who offered insights into a mission-driven development process.Practitioners video: Janz, Wagner, and de Sousa deep-dived into EY’s partnership with SAP and the importance of staying focused on user experience.

Interested in more stories that feature organizations creating innovative solutions to make a positive impact? Check out:

Enhancing Volunteer Coordination While Streamlining Food Recipients’ Data Capture: Swiss independent organization Essen für Alle (Food for All) is better supporting its commitment to address food insecurity and hunger with a scalable and efficient solution in the cloud from SAP.A Flexible Range of Integrated Citizen Services: EY created a digital platform for financial aid applications with SAP Business Technology Platform.

For the full episode and the on-demand Better Together: Customer Conversations series, visit sap.com/btp.

Timo Elliott is VP and global innovation evangelist at SAP.

With rising humanitarian needs in hotspots around the world, Action Against Hunger is working to increase awareness around its lifesaving work. At its gala in New York on October 19, 2023, the nonprofit invited long-time supporters, celebrities, and humanitarians to reflect on recent progress, address today’s challenges, and come together to raise over $1 million to fight hunger in the world’s most vulnerable communities. Kristin Davis, a longtime advocate of social justice and Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR, was honored with Action Against Hunger’s Humanitarian Award.

Davis appeared visibly moved as she delivered a heartfelt speech and recounted her firsthand experiences meeting refugees. Davis has traveled to Kenya, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Bangladesh—all regions where Action Against Hunger works—to support families that have had to flee violence and leave their homes behind. CNN host Zain Asher spoke with Davis about how Davis is using her platform to shed light on the plight of displaced people.

“There are many times I have been to these disasters and these crises, and no one is reporting on them,” Davis said, explaining her struggle to spread awareness and commending Zain on her coverage. “It’s not an easy topic to get people to talk about, and it’s not an easy topic to gather people around—like all you beautiful people here tonight—and to give up yourselves and your own money. But it really, I believe, changes the world.”

Davis thanked the audience for giving and for standing up for something hopeful and positive when the world is in turmoil. She recounted watching families make long, exhausting treks in search of shelter. In 2011, during one of Somalia’s worst life-threatening droughts, Davis traveled to Tanzania and saw the Somali refugee crisis firsthand. She remembers children who had lost their homes, beds, clothes—and even their parents.

As conflict causes the global displacement crisis to escalate, Action Against Hunger programs support displaced people and local communities alike, reaching more than 28 million people last year alone. It focuses on projects designed to empower local leaders and co-create lasting solutions for communities in 55 countries.

Dr. Charles E. Owubah, Action Against Hunger’s CEO, reminded attendees that hunger is solvable. “Tonight, you are standing up for equality, since food is a basic human right. You are standing up for human potential, since opportunity begins where hunger ends. And, you are standing up for hope that a better world is possible,” he said.

Guests of note included actresses Sarita Choudhury and Karen Pittman. The program highlighted additional honorees, who urged guests to push for change. CNN Host Zain Asher introduced Avery Dennison, which was recognized with the Corporate Impact Award, and Ritah Kabanyoro, Action Against Hunger’s Country Director for Uganda, who received this year’s Leadership Award.

Kabanyoro, who grew up experiencing debilitating hunger, emphasized how she never believed she would receive such an award. At seven years old, she was fainting daily due to malnutrition. She now leads innovative programs in Uganda, evidence of how far society has come in creating a healthier world. “I’ve dedicated my life to this work because I believe every one of us is called to better the lives of others,” she told the audience. “Tonight, you are making lives better.”

Davis agreed, recognizing Action Against Hunger’s innovative responses and commitment to helping families battle malnutrition. “You cannot underestimate the effect that these small things to us have on these peoples’ lives,” she said.

About Action Against Hunger

Action Against Hunger leads the global movement to end hunger. We innovate solutions, advocate for change, and reach 28 million people every year with proven hunger prevention and treatment programs. As a nonprofit that works across 55 countries, our 8,900 dedicated staff members partner with communities to address the root causes of hunger, including climate change, conflict, inequity, and emergencies. We strive to create a world free from hunger, for everyone, for good.