Expert Interview: Dato' Dr. Anas Alam Faizli, CEO, Corporate of Duopharma Biotech Berhad
We interviewed Dato' Dr. Anas Alam Faizli, Chief Executive Officer, Corporate of Duopharma Biotech Berhad. As a pharmaceutical business leader with a background in healthcare, asset management, and energy, and one of the most prominent leaders during the COVID-19 vaccination program in Malaysia, we’re honoured to share his wisdom and thoughts on sustainability and why organisations should embrace sustainability as a corporate strategy.
Let’s hear it from him:
1. What drives your passion for sustainability?
Coming from an Energy background, I have been ingrained with the sustainability mantra and am always on the lookout in ensuring that future generations inherit a better planet. Coupled with my involvement at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is evident that planetary health shall be at the top of every nation’s agenda. There’s plenty of room to improve sustainability in Pharmaceuticals too. Not taking care of our planet would mean another pandemic in the near future. All these drive my passion for driving change in the virtuous cycle of sustainability. I believe that this will only be successful through the whole of government and society approach by ingraining sustainability in everyone. Companies must take the lead and set an example for the people. Let’s be a part of the growing solutions in sustainability, for people, planet, and profit. In 2016, I’ve written on sustainability titled “Imposing Efficient and Green Enabled Five Key Sectors to Save Malaysia’s Environmental Plague and Economy” - you can do it too.
2. How do you define “success” through the lens of sustainability?
Success is defined as maximising the triple bottom line: people, planet, and profit. What we measure, we get done. Success will be determined by how much profit is made, what positive impact it has on the planet, and how the company remains committed to its people. The sustainability lens will zoom on a business that creates sustainable, long-term shareholder, employee, consumer, and societal value by pursuing responsible environmental, social, and economic strategies. Achieve all these and it is a success.
3. What are your thoughts on prioritising sustainability in a time of disruption?
Disruption is a reality of the modern business ecosystem. Furthermore, crises and disruptions expose weaknesses, separating the resilient from the unprepared. At Duopharma Biotech Berhad, we have a 5-year ESG strategy that will provide resilience to the company in a time of disruption, and we are in serious discussion on how we can do more towards achieving carbon neutral and eventually net zero emissions. Having this in place would ensure that the company would remain steadfast and resilient in sustainability despite crises and disruptions. We are already prioritising sustainability as it is.
4. How is corporate sustainability important for business?
Corporate sustainability is very important for businesses as it reduces costs and increases operating profits. There is also empirical evidence that has shown how being sustainable also increases productivity. It benefits the company both from the top and bottom lines. Corporate sustainability enables businesses to be more aware of the issues at hand and understand how we are impacted by and how we impact the external environment. These are all important matters that any serious business will consider a high priority.
5. What is the fundamental and most crucial corporate sustainability strategy?
The corporate strategy must be based on the three pillars of a corporate sustainable strategy: the people, planet, and profit. The three pillars support sustainable goals. Having this in mind, the strategy would establish a set of framework and timeline for how the company does business; which ensures success is measured periodically. This will help drive the company towards the common objective in a structured manner. Additionally, the strategy will address why the company is in business, and clear alignment to be made between business and corporate sustainability strategies. Marrying the two will ensure a resilient corporate sustainable strategy that will be successful, and make all the stakeholders; both internal and external, happy, healthy, and profitable.