Empathetic Alliances

Clara's Louro

"I always ensure that I know the impact on the financials of the initiatives I bring to the table"
"Our small choices will help change the big picture"

Translating Sustainability into Value

Clara is the Sustainability Manager at Sonae. With a background in Finance, Strategy and M&A, Clara transitioned to sustainability, previously leading ESG efforts for Sonae’s fashion brands. Driven by a desire to protect the planet for her children and future generations, Clara aims to make a lasting impact through sustainable business practices.

Sonae is a multinational corporation managing a diverse portfolio that spans multiple industries and regions. With a strong culture rooted in innovation and execution, Sonae is dedicated to creating value and bringing the benefits of progress to a growing global community, positively impacting lives through its strategic, sustainable approach across its business areas.

 

Sector: Conglomerate

 

Employees: Over 48’000 employees

 

Geography: Headquartered in Portugal and operating globally

 

Website: https://www.sonae.pt/en/

Challenges
faced

Clara encountered several challenges in her mission to embed sustainable practices across the business and shift consumer behavior.

 

One of the primary challenges she faced was resistance to change. Encouraging teams to step outside their comfort zones and recognize that traditional ways of working were unsustainable proved difficult.

 

Financial constraints posed another barrier, as sustainability projects often required resources without immediate returns. Balancing long-term goals with short-term financial priorities required navigating numerous trade-offs, particularly as businesses today still tend to focus on immediate financial metrics.

"We really need a common standard, so that the supplier is not visited by 50 clients"
"In the moment of purchase, the concern is price, or style – and they forget all the concerns they say they have about the environment, or about labour conditions"

Clara also struggled with the lack of standardized assessments across the supply chain. Without a common ESG framework, suppliers and brands faced redundant and overwhelming evaluation processes.

 

Finally, bridging the gap between what consumers said and what they did added another layer of complexity. Although customers often expressed concern for sustainability, their purchasing decisions typically prioritized price and style.

Actions
taken

Clara began by engaging top management, leveraging her financial background to establish trust and align ESG goals with the company’s financial priorities. Seen as a strategic advisor rather than an activist, she gained credibility among leaders who make daily business decisions.

 

Clara also prioritized a strong relationship with the finance team. Recognizing the pivotal role of finance in business decisions, she engaged the CFO by translating sustainability goals into financially viable opportunities.

 

To foster cross-functional support, Clara formed working groups across teams and brands on packaging, suppliers’ compliance, circularity and consumer awareness and materials to name a few. In doing so, she encouraged discussions on sustainability challenges and solutions. 

"I always ensure that I know the impact on the financials of the initiatives I bring to the table. This way, they will not shut me down with questions on the impact on sales or margins"
"Our small choices will help change the big picture"
"I think we do have that power in our hands to try to change the consumption habits by influencing our offer, our assortments"
"Soft skills of engaging with different people with different roles, trying to build different storytelling so that people will relate, it's a key skill that I think is priceless in this arena"

Clara and her team tailored solutions to each group’s context, ensuring relevance and relatability. For instance, she avoided bringing in examples from other countries, recognizing that “English examples” might not resonate locally. These groups allowed teams to share insights, assess impacts, and adopt manageable changes.

 

Clara and her team were also actively trying to change consumer habits. They ensured that all Sonae businesses offer sustainable options that are easy for customers to choose. For example, they launched a circularity program for their jeans brand, Salsa, giving consumers the option to repair their jeans in-store. Despite being a paid service, customers showed enthusiasm for repairing a high-quality pair of jeans over buying new ones.

 

Throughout, Clara’s empathetic approach was key.

Resonance
of impact

Clara and her team’s initiatives have had a significant impact on embedding sustainability within Sonae’s culture, making ESG considerations an integral part of business discussions and decisions.

 

A key outcome has been building connections across the value chain, where she and her team engaged with new partners to explore future solutions.

"We’re getting to know people in the value chain, people that we maybe wouldn’t talk naturally-to, like a waste-manager"
"The CFO plays a really important role here, because managing ESG, in the end, comes down to managing risk"

And while Clara believes that taking small steps are key to leading big change, she reminds her teams to keep ‘the dream in their sights’, ensuring each incremental change contributes to Sonae’s broader sustainability goals.

What Clara found useful during his ESG journey

  • Cambridge Institute for Sustainable Leadership training to feel empowered in sustainability skills and knowledge: https://www.cdp.net/en​

  • Post Graduation on Sustainable Business Development at Nova Business School.

    Implementation of cross-functional working groups enhancing collaboration and action
Skip to content