PEOPLE 10 MINUTES WITH: CLAIRE KEOUSKI
Sustainability and Environmental Manager at Knauf Insulation Northern Europe
What is your current role and how long have you been doing it?
I’m the Sustainability and Environmental Manager at Knauf Insulation Northern Europe. It’s a new role and I’ve been in post since September 2020.
What does your role entail?
My main focus is to support the region with our ‘For A Better World’ sustainability strategy. I’m also responsible for our integrated management system at regional level, managing our BES 6001 Responsible Sourcing certification and ensuring compliance with health, safety, energy, and environmental legislation.
How did you get started in this industry? After university, I worked in environmental consultancy for 13 years, then joined Knauf Insulation as an Environmental Chemist in 2013 at the Rock Mineral Wool plant in Queensferry.
What roles were you doing before and how did they prepare you for this one? I previously worked as an Environmental Manager and HSE & Systems Manager, which gave me a good understanding of manufacturing processes, so I can see how our sustainability strategy can be translated into impactful action.
What would you like to achieve in your role? I want to help build on Knauf Insulation’s decade of successful work around sustainability. It’s exciting to be part of a diverse team finding new ways to minimise the impact of our plants and products to ensure climate action. We have ambitious targets set for 2025, which are
reflective of Knauf Insulation’s desire to help create a better world.
What has been the highlight of your career? My current role. It’s exciting to have the opportunity to help deliver Knauf Insulation’s sustainability and environmental vision.
What do you see as the main issues for the industry at the moment?
Firstly, merchants should expect increased demand for high-performance and sustainable insulation as the government aims to deliver on its net zero commitments. It’s important merchants sell the right product for the right application. Value-added products can help create high-performing, safe and comfortable environments. There will be more focus on the embodied carbon of insulation products. We are tackling this in several ways. ECOSE® Technology, our unique bio-based binder, is 70% less energy-intensive to manufacture than traditional binders. It contains no added formaldehyde or phenol, so products made with ECOSE® Technology emit low levels of VOCs and have been awarded the Eurofins Gold Certificate for Indoor Air Comfort.
Similarly, there will be demand for third- party verification of sustainability claims made by manufacturers. The DECLARE Label shows whether construction products contain chemicals featured on the ‘Red List’ – substances designated as harmful to health and the environment. It also provides a straightforward ingredients list together with levels of VOCs, embodied carbon and information about product
Knauf UK and Ireland has appointed Lucy Hall as Sustainability Leader. She previously held the role of Head of Sustainability for ISG Ltd and has a wealth of experience and awards in the areas of sustainability and innovation.
Azpects Ltd has appointed Samantha Norman as a Business Development Manager. She has worked for high profile brands including Howdens, Bradfords Building Supplies, Rigeons Ltd, Travis Perkins and Argos.
Knauf UK and Ireland has appointed Ian Stokes as managing director. He returns to the UK business having spent the last five years managing the Knauf Northern European region. Stokes has worked for Knauf since 1995, joining the marketing team and progressing through commercial roles, before being appointed managing director in 2010
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expectancy.It will also be important to consider how we work in a post-lockdown world now we’ve glimpsed what a low carbon future might look like. I know construction is about relationships, but I hope we’ll see a blend of online and face-to-face meetings. We all need to embrace greener ways of working.
If you could go back to the start of your career what advice would you give yourself? Recognise the point of diminishing returns rather than striving for perfection. Know when the job is done and move onto the next.
Football, rugby, cycling, golf or gardening - what keeps you busy at the weekends? For me, weekends are about family time and getting out and about – there’s always an adventure to be had with my two-year-old!
If you’re at the bar – what are you drinking? A bottle of beer or a classic Cosmopolitan if it’s cocktail time.
What’s your favourite film, favourite book? I loved ‘Inca-Kola, A Traveller’s Tale of Peru’, which I read before travelling there. I love a tale about a journey – the people you meet and the experiences you have along the way.
If you could be a superhero, what superpower would you choose? It would be to freeze time with the caveat that the ageing process freezes too, so I can catch up on much-needed R&R! With recharged batteries, I’d think of the good I can do.. BMJ
ON THE MOVE
SIG UK has announced the appointment of Andy Sawers as Category Director for Timber to lead its Timber category. He join from Södra Wood Ltd, where he served as Procurement Manager.
HOPPE (UK) has appointed Vicki Hawkes as business development manager for its national accounts. She has previously worked for Union, Yale and Alpro Hardware, and joins HOPPE (UK) from Strand Hardware.
Marley Alutec has announced three new staff appointments at its Bedford headquarters. They are: Aamirah Nawaz as Internal Sales Support, Andrew Mackenzie as Technical Services Engineer and Alex Wilson as Estimator.
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net October 2021
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