From Passion to Influence: How to Transform the Food System from Inside Food Businesses
Most people who want to change how a food business works are never taught how to do it. They work it out through trial and error. This webinar shows you how decisions get made, who to bring on board, and how to make a case that gets a yes.
We will cover:
How decisions really get made inside food businesses
How to find and win over the right stakeholders
How to build a business case that gets a yes
Mistakes to avoid, and how to influence decisions without much authority
Robin will share real examples of food system transformation from his career, including the Nestlé Milk Plan and its move to regenerative dairy. There will be 45 minutes of conversation, followed by up to 15 minutes of Q&A.
Who it’s for: This session is for anyone who wants to influence business decisions to improve the food system from within the industry. You might already work in a food business, or you might want to build a career in one.
Your speakers
Robin Sundaram, Founder of Future Libra and former Responsible Sourcing Lead at Nestlé UK & Ireland
Robin Sundaram is a sustainability and supply chain leader with nearly 40 years’ experience in the food and drink industry, including 30 years at Nestlé UK & Ireland. His career has spanned procurement, supply chain management, commercial leadership and responsible sourcing, giving him first-hand experience of how businesses make decisions and how to influence positive change from within.
At Nestlé, Robin helped develop and implement major sustainability initiatives, including the Nestlé Milk Plan, supporting regenerative agriculture and farmer livelihoods. He also championed responsible sourcing, tackled modern slavery risks and promoted more inclusive procurement practices, creating opportunities for social enterprises and diverse suppliers.
His work has been recognised through several industry awards, including the Footprint Sustainability Special Achievement Award and recognition from Unseen for his leadership in tackling modern slavery.
Today, through his company Future Libra, Robin helps leaders and teams make better business decisions that deliver stronger, more credible sustainability outcomes. He is particularly passionate about helping people understand how businesses really work, build relationships, influence decisions and turn good intentions into meaningful action.
Matt Unerman, Founder of Responsible Food Careers
Matt has spent his career working on sourcing and sustainability in food businesses. He built the business case for recycling and waste initiatives at Costa Coffee, wrote the WWF Hidden Waste report as a consultant at Anthesis, and worked with major UK food businesses, including Ocado, Lidl, and Compass Group, on protein diversification and regenerative farming. Responsible Food Careers is a nonprofit that helps people build careers within food businesses where they can influence sourcing decisions to improve the food system.