Marks and Spencer and L’Oreal Highlight Berlin Ethical Trading Summit
22nd October 2008 by Alex Briggs
Louise Nicholls, the Ethical Trading Director for Marks & Spencer and Ariane Thomas, the Supply Chain Purchasing Director for L’Oreal were two of the stars of the Ethical Supply Chain Summit in Berlin last week.
Nicholls inspired the audience with “real stories” from M & S factories around the world. She talked about working with suppliers in Morocco and Kenya and the unique ethical dilemnas faced when working with local suppliers in those markets.
Thomas’ presentation was insightful in contrasting L’Oreal’s policy of working with suppliers to improve their performance rather than firing them if they fail to be 100% ethically correct.
Both speakers stressed the advantages of working with their suppliers to identify potential issues and solve them together. M & S stressed the need to be honest when discovering problems. Nicholls encourages suppliers to be open and honest when discussing their issues, including those difficult topics that suppliers would normally do everything possible to hide from global brands.
Both brands provided examples of how their “together” approach had not only benefitted their suppliers, but also directly improved the lives of local workers and their families.
Ariane also commented on the experience of working with The Body Shop since L’Oreal acquired them. Her presentation was a rare insight into the workings of a global supply chain that is amongst the most complex in the world.