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SFA Learning & Innovation Network
Member Voices
SFA Learning & Innovation Network
Member Voices
Please browse through our selection of testimonials below or see an overview of all current LIN member companies.
Pernilla Johansson, Corporate Communications Manager, Sustainability Strategist, Björn Borg
“SFA’s Learning and Innovation network is an exceptional way to understand and prepare for the regulation and legislation jungle in this ever-changing world of sustainability performance. Staying up to speed is hard. Very hard. Being a small sustainability team, we would not be able to do this on our own. We get help from the best of the best in the webinars arranged by the network. They make us feel more secure. And they always seem to zero in on what we currently are working on or wondering about. The webinars and material are also a great way to spread knowledge internally. These people are wise like a book.”
Malin Bosaeus, Global Sustainability Manager, Happy Socks
“The network has been very valuable for us to keep up with all upcoming legislation, and is a great way for me as Sustainability Manager to include my colleagues into different topics, and to put things on the right agenda. The focus on the textile and apparel industry is unique – no other network that I have seen makes this industry specific information available to us in such an easy way. I have used the sessions to give my colleagues a better understanding of a topic, then we have an internal “fika” afterwards and talk about how this applies to our organisation. If colleagues aren’t able to join, I have also used the presentations to do a summary afterwards so that we can discuss what we need to do.”
Maria Schartau, CSR Coordinator, Snickers Workwear
“Being a network member has not only saved us a lot of time and effort to find and make sense of new sustainability developements related to our industry, but it also provides information and insights that are appreciated by other parts of our organization. To have such knowledgeable people connected to the network is an amazing resource.”
Rebecca Johansson, ESG Manager, Active Brands
How valuable has the Learning & Innovation Network been for you and your company?
LIN serves as an excellent source of information where they provide high standards for guest speakers and comprehensive coverage of topics crucial to our industry. It also gives us an opportunity to engage in discussions with peer companies within our sector.
What makes LIN unique?
LIN stands out primarily for its focus on the upcoming regulations and directives within our industry. This addresses an area that will significantly impact our business in the coming years and to our knowledge, no other network currently offers the same depth and extent of coverage for this area as LIN does. Being part of this network has given us an essential resource for staying informed about legislative developments and has enabled us to plan and prepare thoroughly for future compliance requirements.
Would you recommend the Network to other international companies? Why? We wholeheartedly recommend the Learning & Innovation Network to other international companies. The transformative changes driven by legislative requirements in our industry require proactive planning. LIN provides a network that offers comprehensive information and a platform for discussions with fellow companies on how best to prepare for the future of our sector.
How have you used LIN to introduce key sustainability issues to your colleagues?
At Active Brands, several of our colleagues actively participate in LIN webinars, selecting topics relevant to their areas of responsibility.
Furthermore, we utilize the insights and presentations from these webinars to collect key learnings and share them with a broader group of internal colleagues. Having a dedicated source, particularly for upcoming legislative topics, has been of great value. It has facilitated clearer internal communication on these critical sustainability issues and has strategically guided our planning for the challenges ahead.
Elisabeth Peregi, CEO, Kappahl
“As the CEO for a well-established and growing company, I need insight into the most current and relevant developments in our industry. I must also spend my time wisely. The information delivered by the Learning & Innovation Network is definitely worth my time. By focusing on the impacts for our business and by providing hands-on information the network provides a unique value to me and my senior level colleagues.”
Julia Bergh, R&D Manager/Interim Sustainability Manager, Peak Performance
“For our company to succeed in this new landscape we need to integrate sustainability into the core of our business strategy and practices. And this means involving all functions in the business. That is why this network is helpful for Peak Performance. Not only am I as a sustainability manager able to learn and network with my peers, but I can also educate and support my colleagues in buying, production, marketing, logistic and finance to integrate sustainability into their work. Brands and retailers will be in for a shock if they do not stay up to date on the latest sustainability policies, regulations, and innovative solutions coming down the pipeline, and SFA is the best organisation to support our industry to stay ahead of this curve.”
Sandra Roos, VP Sustainability, Kappahl
“We are in the ‘decade of change’ and all of us in the textile industry have a steep learning curve ahead of us. We all need updated knowledge regarding the latest legislative developments, concrete and scientific facts for sustainability improvements and support for translating the learnings into action. This network addresses the need for top management buy-in, involvement of all key functions in the company and offers a strong voice of fact-based and scientific feedback to policy developers and other stakeholders. Sharing experiences enables us to create the necessary speed in the transition of our industry.”
Anna-Karin Dahlberg, Director of Sustainability, Lindex
How valuable has the Learning & Innovation Network been for you and for your company?
The network and its sessions have been extremely valuable, above all, in understanding the EU textile strategy and what we need to prepare to meet legal requirements going forward.
It’s been very valuable to be able to invite colleagues form different departments and build knowledge more broadly within the organization. The presentations have been recorded which enable us to share within the organization and also watch again.
Going forward it will be absolutely necessary to follow the development of the legislations, the time lines and forums for input. Since it focuses on the fashion and textile industry, the Q&A sessions have been very interesting and relevant as well as we share the same challenges.
What makes the Network unique?
This is the only network that focuses on coming legislation specifically and deep dives into the different modules of the EU Textile strategy. It also highlights best practice examples out there that are meeting coming legal demands. The sessions are broad enough for both experts and leaders within the companies and can be attended by a broad audience within the company.
Would you recommend the Network to other international companies, and if so, why?
I would recommend the network to any company who wishes to stay up to date with the coming EU legislation, how to prepare and get inspired by best practice examples. The more companies that join the network the better as there would be great opportunities to bring a common voice to the policy makers and practice advocacy from a common platform where we share the same information.
How have you used the Network to introduce key sustainability issues to your colleagues?
I have invited colleagues to the sessions that are relevant to them, I have also shared recordings and slides in internal communication to bring awareness and impact business strategies.
Alexandre Aubry, Chief Product Officer & Head of CSR
“Navigating the regulatory landscape is becoming increasingly difficult, if not impossible, for any company that hasn’t got a huge compliance team to stay on top of all incoming rules and guidelines being debated and rolled out. LIN provides us with expert input on all those matters so we can remain confident that we aren’t missing out on anything important when it comes to compliance. In addition, we receive regular updates through webinars on other key sustainability issues that help us as a business — and not only CSR or product gurus within the company — make progress and learn across departments, from communication and marketing to supply chain and operations. LIN is a tremendous knowledge resource for any company willing to learn and to anticipate any significant sustainability development within the textile industry.”
LINA ÖDEEN, HEAD OF SUSTAINABILITY, ETON
“The Learning & Innovation Network has given us the possibility to learn from our peers and other companies within the business that face similar challenges. The webinars have been an eye-opener for all colleagues who have joined, and on the wave of regulation that is coming and how we can address the challenges that come with it. There are two parts to this Learning Network that make it unique: the opportunity to exchange experiences, thoughts, ideas and challenges with peers, as well as the knowledge building through curated webinars targeting the textile industry’s current challenges within sustainability. I would absolutely recommend the network to other international companies.”
Saskia Bloch, Global Sustainability Director, Fenix Outdoor
The Learning & Innovation Network provides us with great expertise and speakers who cover all necessary sustainability topics. Since the program is diverse, all our CSR specialists can be part of different sessions. The greatest value of LIN is to stay ahead of the new upcoming regulations since there are so many changes and updates. It also gives us the possibility to connect with other brands that tackle the same challenges that we do. LIN webinars focus on the main topics which all textile companies need to face sooner or later. Each session is very comprehensive, and the documentation all attendees receive afterwards is very professional and helpful. The comprehensive program of upcoming topics allows us to plan and involve colleagues from other departments as well. I would absolutely recommend LIN to other companies – I wouldn’t know where else we could get such on-time knowledge from!
LIN MEMBER COMPANIES 2024
