Visionary leadership and an extraordinary evolution

For Morten Enggaard Hansen, Director of Business Development at Eltwin, strong, visionary leadership is the foundation for business growth — and positive evolution.

He says, “In 2013, we dared to say three things which really shocked the system: we will only develop products that are sustainable; we will establish sustainable production facilities; and we will only work with customers that have a sustainable profile.”

At the time, this was a radical idea. To be so strictly aligned with Corporate Social Responsibility standards was to take a huge risk. But the only thing Morten saw was an ever-growing field of opportunities.

“Back then, only 10% of our customers had a sustainable profile. But by taking a strict position on sustainability, it opened the doors for us to have many positive discussions with our customers — and to work on building strategies around sustainability together.”

And Morten didn't stop there. He took all Eltwin employees’ business cards and gave everyone the same title: Head of Sustainability. He explains, “When we had big meetings in Germany or the United States and put our business cards on the table, we ended up discussing more interesting things beyond product and had very strong results from that.”

The critical shift in Eltwin’s business strategy turned both himself and his team from being reactive to proactive. And it meant a long-term mission based on longevity and resilience from products to people.

“We walk the talk and are proactive. But we also take CSR and sustainability down to earth, helping us make real changes big and small. We also realize that we are not perfect — and so we strive to be better every day."

Since 2013, Eltwin’s CSR strategy and sustainability profile has been a boon for growth, internally and externally. Now an international organization, Eltwin has a team of more than 250 employees and a portfolio of market-leading energy-efficient technologies. And they are just getting started.

“Our mission is to be technological first-movers in our industry — and in how manufacturers can become more sustainable. For example, we are currently
rethinking packaging and how to mitigate waste. The goal is to develop products that don't need any wrapping at all. It could be revolutionary.”

As for Morten’s focus for the future? It's all about taking care of Eltwin’s people.

“As a company, we have a huge responsibility to the people who choose to work at Eltwin. And it's the responsibility of leaders to hire the right people, be sure they are doing what they’re meant to do and get satisfaction from their work.”

From there, anything is possible.