Construction materials manufacturer Etex Building Performance has appointed Oliver Cripps as new head of sustainability.
The role, covering UK and Ireland, will see Cripps drive the company’s sustainability agenda, and support its Siniat – and other – brands.
In addition, he will be expected to heighten the company’s environmental credentials for its operations and product solutions, decrease reliance on raw materials, and share his expertise to develop the capabilities of the entire Etex team.
Cripps brings 25 years of experience in sustainability across a variety of sectors, including tourism, land management and manufacturing.
His previous roles include senior sustainability manager at Dyson Technology, where he led sustainability for the New Product Innovation & Research teams. He also worked with global furniture manufacturer, MillerKnoll to support R&D and corporate sustainability.
Cripps said: “One of the largest factors that drove me to consider the opportunity with Etex is its dedication to building a better, more sustainable future.
“The building materials industry relies heavily on raw materials, which have a significant environmental footprint. However, Etex takes responsibility for the challenge, has a group-wide programme to reduce its footprint, and is committed to using innovation to meet its ambitions.
“In fact, Etex has already committed 50% of its innovation fund to focus on sustainability, which is a clear example of how Etex uses sustainability as a guiding compass of business transformation and makes concrete investments to reach its goals.”
This is a critical time for Cripps to join, the company says; as its multi-million-pound Siniat facility moves into the next phase of construction.
According to Etex, the factory has been designed with sustainability at its core and will utilise a rainwater harvesting system. Best-in-class machinery will be used to reduce energy consumption, as well as ambitions for a fully electric forklift fleet.
The extra space will also support Etex’s plasterboard manufacturing brand Siniat to further increase post-consumer recycled gypsum beyond its current market-leading level.
Fresh perspective
Andy Mudie, Etex’s head of marketing for UK and Ireland, said: Oliver has a diverse career history to draw on and, while he has in-depth experience of sustainability in manufacturing, he also brings a fresh perspective to our industry. While the construction sector has made changes for the better, our sector needs a seismic shift in how we tackle the climate crisis.
“Oliver’s new position as head of sustainability will leverage his knowledge, expertise and stakeholder management skills both across Etex’s Building Performance division and with key UK customers. We’re looking forward to supporting him in his career here.”
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