Jonas Bialk in a blue jacket in front of a modern heating system
8 min read

“My goal is for our growth to be seen as something that is good for the world.”

 

As Global Corporate Sustainability Manager, Jonas Bialk is working to make KSB progressively more sustainable. In an interview with Stream of Stories, he explains how a personal question changed the way he sees responsibility, how he is getting people around the world to support sustainability and what KSB’s next steps are to achieve real sustainable growth.

Stream of Stories: Mr. Bialk, you worked as a key account manager and product manager for KSB for many years. Two and a half years ago, you then took a completely different path and became Global Corporate Sustainability Manager. What motivated you to make this change?

Jonas Bialk: The answer is my daughter. When I was a product manager, I took part in an ada fellowship programme aimed at upskilling managers in the field of digitalisation, transformation and sustainability. The person who was giving the seminar asked us what would happen if one day our children asked us: “Dad, what have you actually done to secure our future and a more sustainable world?” And that got me thinking. It is important to me to be able to show my daughter what I have done to drive the issue of sustainability in my workplace. That was my intrinsic motivation to start something completely new and fully commit myself to becoming a sustainability manager.

In your current role as Sustainability Manager, you are responsible for a global company with all its Regions and divisions. Was the change from product manager to sustainability manager a big adjustment for you?

Absolutely! It was suddenly a completely different way of working. As a product manager, you know exactly what you are responsible for and how you fit into the organisation. As Global Corporate Sustainability Manager, I had to figure out a lot of things first: What does the scope of my tasks include? What should I focus on first? How do we need to set up our organisation? Talking with other companies was really useful. What did they do – and how are they organised?

The sustainability orchestrator: Jonas Bialk

Jonas Bialk has worked for KSB for 18 years. After many years of experience as a key account manager and product manager, he took on the role of Global Corporate Sustainability Manager. Today, he orchestrates the global network of sustainability managers and, together with CEO Stephan Timmermann, co-heads the Sustainability Committee which shapes the company’s global sustainability agenda. In addition, Bialk drives the implementation of reporting requirements such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and other sustainability regulations. He also keeps an eye on KSB’s EcoVadis rating, which is regarded as an important benchmark for a company’s sustainability performance.

Jonas Bialk in a blue jacket between the high-bay racks in a covered outdoor warehouse
And what were your first steps? 
One thing I realised relatively quickly was that we needed to develop our ESG reporting, i.e. the disclosure of how our company deals with environmental, social and responsible corporate governance issues, particularly with regard to upcoming legislation. After all, we can only improve if we are transparent about our impact on sustainability. Only then can we decide which goals to define for ourselves. One of my biggest projects was working together with Finance to set up a proper ESG reporting system that is audited by the auditor and compliant with future legislation.
What are you currently working on?
Establishing proper ESG reporting was just the start. Our goal is much bigger than that: We want to specifically reduce the identified impacts. This is where looking ahead to the future begins and that’s the essence of my work. We need to increase the resilience of our supply chains, minimise risks, create better financing and actively drive strategic decisions.
To do this, we need a clear strategic approach: What measures are available to us? What costs are involved? Where can we achieve a payback and how do the measures contribute to reducing our ESG impact?
Our next step is a long-term plan with a clear focus on reducing CO₂ emissions. At the same time, it is important to me that we get everyone on board with us on this journey. Sustainability cannot remain a project topic for a small circle of people. We need to communicate more, create understanding and build a community that shares responsibility for the change. Only then will we create a real impact community that promotes change and makes it possible in the long term.
You are just one person who is responsible for the sustainability of a global company. How are you managing to promote the topic of sustainability worldwide?
I don’t see my role as being someone who sets the rules and gives instructions, but rather as a coordinator and facilitator. My job is to empower employees to drive sustainability in their respective contexts – and not to leave them unsupported in this process. I orchestrate, advise, support and network. For example, one important tool is our Regions network. Every six weeks, the sustainability managers from the various countries meet and we discuss goals, tasks and experiences. This continuity alone creates a lot of momentum.
Sustainability is an issue that is being particularly promoted in the EU. Do you sometimes encounter resistance in other regions of the world?
It is true that especially in the EU, sustainability is being pushed forward through legislation. But other countries such as China are ahead in terms of implementation. China is pragmatic about the approaches it adopts and drives them systematically if it results in a holistic advantage. Particularly in areas such as renewable energy and electrification, China is ahead of us. While in Europe these issues are still being discussed, in China they are already being implemented. I was just as surprised by how far along KSB is in India in areas such as energy efficiency, social responsibility and diversity. This shows that sustainability is a global issue.
Sustainability is often an additional task for employees. How do you get them to see this as meaningful instead of as a burden?
I think it is important to highlight the purpose and benefits of sustainability for our company. By working more sustainably, we are securing our future viability and our license to operate. In practical terms, sustainability tasks often involve increasing efficiency and saving energy. These are very direct, measurable benefits. At the same time, external perception also plays a role: People want to work for companies that take responsibility and make a positive contribution. If we make it clear that sustainability strengthens us as a company and makes us more attractive, then it will not be perceived as an additional burden, but as a shared task.
Has the fact that you deal a lot with the topic of sustainability professionally also changed its importance in your private life?
It’s the same at work as in my private life: I try to find a compromise. As a company, we have to find a balance between sustainability and profitability. The same principle applies in my private life. I take the train, make sure I don't waste so much food and opt for low-carbon travel when I go on holiday.
Where do you see KSB with regard to sustainability in five years' time?
I hope that we will have made noticeable progress by then and further enhanced our contribution to a more sustainable future. At the product level, we will certainly take a further development step towards more digital and networked solutions. This will enable us to help our customers to make their own processes more efficient and sustainable.
At the same time, I hope that we as a company will attract and inspire people through our commitment to sustainability. My goal is for KSB to be recognised worldwide as a driving force for a resilient, future-oriented and positive development of our planet. And for our growth to be perceived as something that is good for the world.

This may also be of interest to you