Stephan H. Multhaupt

“Sustainability is a strategic necessity. The combination of technology, education and innovation is essential for a resilient, future-proof economy.”

Sustainability is not an option, but a strategic necessity for companies and society. It goes far beyond ecological responsibility – it means resilience, the ability to innovate and long-term economic success. In my work, I see sustainability as an integral part of transformation: digitalisation serves as an enabler, corporate culture and mindset as a foundation and sustainability as an orientation for value creation instead of value destruction.

ISTE stands for precisely this link. We build bridges between science, business and education in order to promote sustainable innovation and put forward-looking solutions into practice. Education is the key here – because only with the right knowledge can companies, institutions and individuals make well-founded decisions for a sustainable future.

Our mission is to make sustainable transformation tangible: through applied research, technological innovations and practical educational initiatives. We help companies to see sustainability not as a regulatory burden, but as an opportunity – be it through the integration of sustainability indicators into corporate management systems, the implementation of CSRD reporting obligations or the development of new business models in line with the circular economy.

It is a personal concern of mine to establish sustainable management as a standard – not as a buzzword, but as a genuine competitive advantage. After all, those who understand sustainability as an integral part of their strategy will not only be more successful economically, but will also make a measurable contribution to a future worth living.

Let’s #Together #ChangeThePresent, #ShapeTheFuture, #TakeResponsibility.

Background

Stephan shapes change at the interface of technology, corporate culture and sustainability. He has been supporting companies and organisations in the development and implementation of integrated transformation strategies for more than 25 years. His particular focus is on effectively linking digitalisation as an enabler, value-oriented corporate culture as a foundation and sustainability as a strategic framework.

His professional career has taken him from international industry to founding his own consultancy firms and working in leading sustainability initiatives. Today, in addition to his role as Managing Director and founding partner of ISTE Group GmbH, he is the owner of value catalyzer, Senior Project Manager at the Collaborating Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production (CSCP), Advocation Partner at r3.0 and involved in various educational and networking projects.

He sees transformation as a holistic process: his aim is not only to make companies fit for regulatory purposes, but also to help them develop real resilience and future viability – measurably, effectively and with a clear value orientation. In doing so, he relies on sound methodological expertise (including as a Certified Business Analysis Professional CBAP®), systemic thinking and the conviction that people are the decisive success factor for sustainable change.

The development of talent is a particular concern of his. He is actively involved in promoting young specialists and managers as well as up-and-coming talent in the field of sustainable transformation. Through lectures, teaching assignments, mentoring and the support of practical projects, he creates spaces in which people can learn to develop their potential and make a targeted contribution to a sustainable future – true to the principle: challenge talent, promote talent.