Meet our experts! Today: Jürgen Dornheim!
Our startups are, of course, experts for the circular economy. Nevertheless, they could also profit from exchange with other experts. That's what we are offering our Green Alley Award finalists in our so-called expert sessions! In these sessions, #circulareconomy as well as #startup experts provide hands-on advice and the startups will get the possibility to enlarge their network and to profit from knowledge of other experienced professionals.
Today we would like to introduce you to Jürgen Dornheim, who is the director of corporate packaging and innovation and sustainability at Procter & Gamble. He is one of the key drivers to bring circularity forward in his company. Find out more about him and what startups can possibly learn from him in this interview.
What is your professional background and how will it help you to be a startup advisor for the Green Alley Award finalists?
I am director of sustainability and innovation and key driver in Procter & Gamble to bring circularity forward. Having long expertise as a global leader of packaging development of several brands, I am deeply involved in the identification of new technologies which contribute to a significantly better environmental footprint of all P&G products. Traditional concepts need to be reviewed and, if possible, brought onto an improved level.
Most of the things you have to consider when starting a business, you don’t learn in any school. So, generally speaking, in what way could entrepreneurs profit from mentors or advisors like you?
I would strongly recommend to any entrepreneur to reach out to experienced mentors and advisors reviewing new ideas and concepts with the expertise of a long-term professional life. Considering side effects a startup is not aware of in the very beginning can be highly beneficial to avoid misleading activities.
When founding a startup one can have the perfect idea and the best conditions but still fail to be successful. As execution is key, what are you as an expert looking for in an entrepreneur, his team and his business idea?
Look for a ‘Devil’s advocate’ to seriously challenge your ideas and concepts. Will everybody or the specific target group be able to easily understand the new and groundbreaking idea? If the idea turns out to be successful, will scaling up generate negative side effects?
The Green Alley Award is all about circular startups. In your opinion, which are the key challenges for a circular economy in Europe?
A lot of legislation hinders the acceleration of circular material streams and restricts new concepts and technologies with better environmental footprints.
If you had the chance to start your own business, what kind of startup would it be?
Combining traditional engineering thinking with the latest Artificial Intelligence as a kind of new team member with unique skills we never had before.