As Wolters Kluwer continues to successfully execute its three-year strategy for sustainable growth, its move to a centralized company has enabled this first Company-wide report on the many ways sustainability is deeply embedded throughout the organization. The 2004 Sustainable Entrepreneurship Report addresses Wolters Kluwer’s role and performance in terms of social, economic and environmental sustainability. It represents an important step towards a shared vision and mission that supports Wolters Kluwer’s goals for sustainability: a united and effective strategy grounded in the business strategy; an improved standard of reporting; and greater value creation for all stakeholders through greater alignment of actions and initiatives.
Nancy McKinstry, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board stated: “We are delighted to have significantly increased our transparency on Wolters Kluwer’s performance in meeting its responsibilities to its stakeholders. Striking the optimal balance between our stakeholders’ needs in both the short and longer term is key to developing in a sustainable way.”
Partnership with NairoBits
Wolters Kluwer has partnered with the Kenyan trust NairoBits (www.nairobits.com). Based in Nairobi, this non-profit organization empowers impoverished young urban students in Nairobi through the development of multimedia skills. Wolters Kluwer, with leading expertise in education and online tools, will work together with NairoBits to further this mission. An important component of this partnership is the exchange and transfer of knowledge to students and trainers from NairoBits. Wolters Kluwer further contributes to this program by product development and organizational strengthening to bring NairoBits’ organization and curriculum to a next competitive level of technical know-how and commercial competence.
Anne Ikiara, General Manager NairoBits, explains: “At the Digital Design School in Nairobi, we provide youth access to ICT education, stimulate their creativity, build their social skills, and train them to employ ICT in effective entrepreneurship. We are very happy with Wolters Kluwer’s extended expertise and knowledge and their faith in our students and in our project. We are all enthusiastic about this development and look forward to making it succeed.”