Issue 5 2021

CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 5 2021 5 , Leading IT infrastructure solutions provider, Softcat, has today announced an industry- leading sustainability agenda to drive positive change within its organisation and the wider IT industry. The tech industry has an important role to play in reversing climate change, but it continues to be a major contributor through rising electricity demands, e-waste and emissions from manufacturing. In response to this pressing issue, Softcat is leading the way in embedding sustainability into its operations in line with science- based targets, working hard to drive and develop a more efficient and reduced carbon organisation and IT industry. Recent notable achievements include: • Achieving its commitment to become a carbon neutral organisation, a year ahead of schedule in 2021 • Becoming the only FTSE 250 company to commit to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and receive a 5-star rating • Reducing Co2 emissions by 37 percent over the past five years while growing revenue (+162%) and expanding its workforce (+49%) • Removing 2.5 tons of paper waste by adopting innovative print solutions • Running its HQ in Marlow Buckinghamshire exclusively off renewable energy Moving forwards, Softcat will leverage key partnerships - including with the UN and Tech UK - to build on these important achievements and continue on its sustainability journey, working towards expanding its carbon neutral commitment to its full supply chain and customer solutions by 2040. Softcat has pledged to migrate to using renewable energy across all of its office locations - in addition to its Marlow HQ - by 2024. This ambition will help to reduce the company’s greenhouse gas emissions, in line with the science-backed goals set in the Paris Agreement. As part of this effort, Softcat will continue to reduce business travel, upgrade its pool car fleet to electric battery vehicles, and offer more flexible working options to help reduce staff commuting. By 2040, Softcat aims to achieve a carbon net zero supply chain inclusive of all its suppliers and partners. Softcat will achieve this goal by carrying out a full supply chain review including all vendors, suppliers and partners; lead environmental workshops, prioritise reduced carbon logistics options, eliminate single use plastics and launch its own sustainability awards to encourage and reward best practice in the industry. The company also plans to introduce a sustainability scoring system for the IT solutions and services it offers customers to boost awareness and promote positive choices among its communities. In response to Softcat’s sustainability pledges, Alastair Wynn, Operations Director at Softcat, said: “Social Responsibility isn’t a particular programme, it should be what we do every day, maximising positive impact and minimising negative impact. We want to be known as an organisation that allies socially responsible actions with successful business operations to benefit people, deliver sustainable performance and protect the planet for future generations. “We can drive this change within our own organisation, working with our partners and our supply chain, as well as supporting customers on their socially responsible journey through the technology we provide.” Tambo, the global marketplace services plat- form, today announces that digital specialist Joe Farley has left iProspect, part of Dentsu International, to join the company’s growing team of world-leading marketplace experts. Joe will take the position of Associate Director in Tambo’s consultancy division. The addition of Joe Farley reinforces Tambo’s leadership in this space and emphasises its ability to provide best in class strategic consultancy on Amazon, marketplaces and E-commerce to world leading brands. Joe Farley is an E-commerce expert, with a decade’s expe- rience in digital marketing. He was previously E-commerce Product Partner at iProspect and the lead for E-commerce at Dentsu Aegis. In this role, Farley focussed on develop- ing strategies to support how brands sell and optimise online conversion both via direct to consumer and market- place channels. Across his career, Farley has held roles at UK Mail and ClickThrough Marketing, across a number of specialisms, including paid search, SEO, display, affiliate, email and social media marketing. Farely’s hire comes at a pivotal time for Tambo; the com- pany has experienced an incredible uplift in demand in the last 7 months. Its client base has doubled as brands such as Caffè Nero, Fever Tree & Treasury Wine Estates have increasingly recognised the importance of imple- menting a profitable, data-driven marketplace strategy as online shopping has skyrocketed. In January, Tambo was selected by Caffè Nero, the premium coffee house, to launch its coffee at home products on Amazon as the company diversified its routes to market to include gro- cery and delivery. In what has been a challenging retail environment for many, with lockdowns making high streets desolate, Tambo has seen first-hand the lifeline that online shopping has provided. In just two years, Tambo was instrumental in growing marketplace revenues by +209% to over £10m for a well-known pet food brand, and by +277% to over £0.5m for a new vitamin and mineral supplement brand. Paul Adams, CEO and Founder of Tambo said “It has been an incredibly busy and exciting last year for the Tambo team. The increase in demand we have experienced only cements that the retail landscape has shifted permanently and in a significant way. Marketplaces and E-commerce provide an opportunity for many brands impacted by restrictions, helping them to close sales gaps. At Tambo, we are growing our team to support brands as they navigate the new retail landscape. Hiring the best talent is essential as we advise some of the world’s leading brands on their marketplace strategy. We are delighted to welcome Joe, who brings the perfect combination of experience and skills to be able to deliver the gold standard of service that our clients have grown to expect through working with Tambo.” Joe Farley, Associate Director of Consultancy at Tambo said “It is a really transformative time for the retail industry, and the success that the team at Tambo has experienced in a short space of time is impressive. I am excited to be joining a business that is truly exceptional in its field and to work with the expert team Paul has built to help brands overcome the challenges of the last year.” Tambo has moved its UK headquarter to Southbank to accommodate it’s team which has more than doubled in size since August last year, across both its consultancy and advertising teams. Softcat Unveils Industry-leading Sustainability Commitments