Women With Impact #37 - Jeanette Fangel Løgstrup
Welcome back to Women With Impact, a newsletter all about the journeys of mission-driven women and how they have a positive impact in our world.
I’m Clara Richter and this is the 37th edition of Women With Impact. If you enjoy this issue, please share it with a friend and like it above.
For this edition, I interviewed Jeanette Fangel Løgstrup, non-executive director and senior advisor, who is based in Copenhagen. As an experienced non-executive director, her experience covers the media, financial services, fintech, IT consultancy and foundation sectors. Jeanette has a C-suite background with nearly 20 years of experience from international executive leadership teams, mostly in large listed companies like RSA Insurance Group (FTSE 100) and Danske Bank Group, where common themes across the boards entailed digital transformation, internationalisation, growth strategies and M&As. Jeanette is a bestselling author and keynote speaker. She is educated at Copenhagen Business School and completed various executive training programmes from Harvard Business School, INSEAD, Wharton, and the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.
Wishing you a pleasant read!
Best,
Clara
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The Journey
Who are you and how do you spend your time?
I am a Danish woman with a C-suite business background and almost 20 years of experience in international executive leadership teams, mostly in large listed companies. Today, I serve as an international independent board director at several companies and foundations, and I also work as a senior advisor, author, and public speaker. My professional focus is very much on leadership, societal impact, and ESG. I recently wrote the book ‘Sustainable Leadership - ESG as the New ABCs of Management and Boards’ (in Danish). I also write business commentary for the Danish business media Finans and am a member of the faculty at CBS Board Leadership Education. Over the years, I have been honoured with several accolades, including the CMO of the Year award and the Danish CSR Award, and was rated among the 100 most influential Danish women. In 2023, I was nominated for the Women’s Board Award.
What do you think is most important in creating positive change?
For many years, my professional focus has been on how businesses impact societies and what role they can play in solving some of our most pressing global challenges. I believe that businesses are some of the most important change agents if they do it right. They can, in fact, create positive change while running a strong and profitable business. I also believe that the businesses that deliver positive change will be the future winners.
What is a recent success you are proud of?
It has been a great pleasure every time that I, together with my team, have succeeded in building a new strategy for sustainability and societal impact, which has taken the company to the next level. Together with my team at the Scandinavian insurance company Codan, we also won the Strategy Award at the CSR Awards back in 2013 for having integrated climate across the company's value chain. It was huge! Later on, at Danske Bank, we also created the strategic foundation for the company's work with ESG and sustainable finance. And most recently, I have been very grateful that my book on sustainable leadership and ESG has been so well-received. The book is now being used for educational purposes and in many leadership teams and boards.
How do you make a positive difference in the world?
With a seat at the table of various boards, I leverage my influence to make sure that we are aware of societal expectations and play our part in making positive change. I also support initiatives that prioritise societal well-being and environmental stewardship. Furthermore, through my advocacy, writing, teaching and speaking engagements, I aim to ignite a spark of inspiration within leaders, empowering them to embrace sustainability and ESG practices, thereby catalysing positive change.
The Lessons
What has been the most rewarding experience on your journey?
I have been a leader for many years, and working with the many talented people I have met during the years has been extremely rewarding. Achieving great results together with a team is highly inspiring and gives me new energy to take on new challenges.
What’s a challenge you have encountered most often and how did you tackle it?
I have worked with sustainability and ESG for almost 20 years in private companies. The biggest challenge over the years has been that in the past, the area was considered something "nice to have" and not part of the "real business." There was often resistance, and often management did not want to spend resources on it. It required a great deal of courage and resilience to stick to the agenda and convince people.
Fortunately, that approach is now disappearing, and most people agree that ESG and sustainability are business-critical themes. Succeeding with ESG and sustainability is, in my eyes, one of the most important leadership tasks right now, as it becomes the prerequisite for being a relevant supplier, attracting customers and investors, getting access to attractive green financing in the bank or living up to the new sustainability regulation. In other words, it has become “license to operate” and the best way to future proof the business.
What's the biggest lesson you have learned on your journey so far?
Life and careers are not a sprint – they are more like a marathon. That’s why you need to think long-term when you make important decisions, and also when you think about how to spend your time right now. It's super important to prioritise what is important and not try to do everything or please everyone. Especially when you are in the early stages of your career and might be building a family at the same time, this is crucial so that you find the right balance between your personal and professional life. Another lesson from my professional life is that we will all face challenges along the way. But even though something might be difficult in the situation, often those challenges will open the doors to something new and exciting if you continue to be strong and stay true to who you are.
The Inspiration
What advice would you give to other women who want to have a positive impact?
You can do much more than you think. Dare to be ambitious and go for what you are really passionate about. If you are willing to make an effort and have both determination and persistence, you can achieve great things and make a real difference.
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