Year In Review 2017 Year In Review 2017 new | Page 20

Membership Spotlight
Interview with Don Lewis
- President of Professional Hygiene, Essity
We recently took the opportunity to sit down with Don Lewis, President of Professional Hygiene at Essity. Essity
is a leading global hygiene and health company that develops, produces and sells professional hygiene,
personal care and consumer tissue products and solutions. Sales are conducted in approximately 150 countries
under many strong brands, including the leading global brands Tork, TENA, and medical solutions brands
like JOBST in North America. The company has its global headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden, and employs
approximately 200 people at its North American headquarters at the Cira Centre in Philadelphia. You may
have already read in this issue that Essity is the 2017 recipient of SACC-Philadelphia’s Business Entrepreneurial
Award, which was presented to Essity in November at our annual Glögg Holiday Business Mixer. Below is a
recap of our conversation with Don Lewis.
It is an honor to receive the Business Entrepreneurial Award. It is meaningful to be recognized for the value
we place on our Swedish heritage, which holds significant importance for us and guides our sustainability
commitment. We are also pleased to be recognized for our contributions in innovation, corporate social
responsibility and sustainable business practices. I would like to share some recent examples of the ways we
have worked hard to make progress in each of these areas.

“It is an honor to receive the Business Entrepreneurial Award. It is meaningful
to be recognized for the value we place on our Swedish heritage, which holds
significant importance for us and guides our sustainability commitment”
Innovation – At Essity, innovation is a continuous process – we are always looking for new ways to serve our
customers and consumers — from the products we develop to the way we deliver those products across the
globe. In 2017, in North America, we introduced the new Tork PeakServe™ Continuous™ Hand Towel System.
This is a continuous flow paper towel dispenser ideal for busy and high-traffic restrooms, and it has 35% more
capacity than other products on the market.
Sustainability – Recently, I joined members of our executive management team and several customers
and participated in the United Nations Foundation Global Dialogue, which brought together businesses,
government representatives and NGOs to discuss ways to collaborate to achieve the UN Sustainable
Development Goals. These are 17 goals the UN has set to help end poverty, protect the planet and ensure
prosperity for all. Globally, Essity has prioritized focus on six of the goals (health and well-being, gender equality,
water and sanitation, sustainable consumption and production, climate action and life on land).
Corporate Social Responsibility – Being actively involved in the communities where we operate and where
our employees live and work has always been a priority for Essity. This includes stepping in to lend a hand – or
provide our products – in times of need. In response to Hurricane Harvey, we donated truckloads of our Tork
products and cash to support the American Red Cross relief efforts. We also donated more than 10,000 TENA
Bathing Gloves to the American Red Cross to support displaced victims of the California wildfires, working with
the Southeastern Pennsylvania Red Cross Chapter to coordinate the effort.
Page 16