In healthcare, protecting lives often comes at the cost of harming the planet. That’s the paradox I face every day: leading teams that help support critical treatments in a system that depends on single-use plastics, energy-intensive processes, and strict regulatory controls.
Healthcare – hospitals and the industry together – is responsible for nearly 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. That’s a figure we can’t ignore. But changing this reality from within a large, highly regulated healthcare organization requires more than ambition. It takes a particular kind of leadership – one that understands the system, works with it, and still pushes it forward.
This is the mindset I brought with me to IMD’s Leading Sustainable Business Transformation program, and the one I left with, more clearly defined.
Having worked on product and process design, I’ve seen firsthand where sustainability gets stuck – not just in systems, but in mindsets.
My journey into healthcare began through science. I hold a PhD in chemistry and started my career in academia, managing research projects and supervising doctoral students. Over time, I shifted into industry, and today I lead the Avitum Division of the B. Braun Group in Spain, where we provide dialysis and chronic care services to patients across the country.
Having worked on product and process design, I’ve seen firsthand where sustainability gets stuck – not just in systems, but in mindsets. I wanted to help my company become more sustainable and inspire those around me to see that it’s possible, even in a highly regulated field.
It’s not only about making your company more sustainable – this depends on all of us – but also about leading your colleagues and even your managers so you can introduce, little by little, this new way of thinking. For me, sustainability isn’t a trend or a project. It’s a way of living, a way of behaving, something I try to model at work and at home.
Even raising sustainability considerations in the design phase can be a challenge, especially when there’s no clear ROI and the regulatory pathway is complex.
Systemic change in healthcare is slow for a reason. We deal with people’s lives. That means every new material, process, or protocol must meet strict safety and regulatory standards. Some materials can’t be biocompatible or recycled simply because they don’t comply. So even though we want to move the company in a more sustainable direction, change has to happen gradually.
Even raising sustainability considerations in the design phase can be a challenge, especially when there’s no clear ROI and the regulatory pathway is complex.
I remember one design meeting where I suggested a lower-impact material. The immediate response was, “Is it certified?” That’s the wall we often hit, if something isn’t proven safe or compliant, it doesn’t move forward. But even asking the question begins to shift the conversation.
This is where leadership matters. We can’t push change through force. It has to be embedded through influence, credibility, and everyday decisions. That’s why the concept of the “tempered radical,” introduced during the Leading Sustainable Business Transformation program, resonated so deeply with me. Tempered radicals work within the system to create change, quietly but effectively. That’s the kind of leader I aspire to be.
The program helped me recognize this in myself and gave me tools to do it better: how to map stakeholders, understand skeptics, identify allies, and tailor my approach to different audiences. As one of the few sustainability programs I’ve seen with a strong leadership focus, it was both grounding and empowering.
One encouraging development I’ve seen is how hospitals and healthcare providers, our customers, are stepping up. In tenders and procurement processes, we are increasingly asked to demonstrate our sustainability efforts, from emissions reductions to diversity initiatives.
Because our customers are demanding this, we as an industry need to move at least at the same pace. Sometimes hospitals are quicker than the industry, which is good to see as a citizen.
This kind of external pressure is essential. It creates urgency and accountability. But it also reminds us that sustainability is no longer a “nice to have.” It’s a business imperative, and a societal one.
Since completing the program, I’ve stayed focused on advancing sustainability in our work, while also watching the policy landscape evolve. In Europe, the pace and scope of regulation is shifting. The European Union seems to be slowing down in some areas. At the same time, I’m concerned that we may be regulating too much or too quickly in others. Still, thanks to this regulation, we live in a safer environment, not the Wild West.
This recalibration raises important questions about the direction we’re heading. Today, I believe we need a statement: where are we standing?
In the end, I’ve come to see that being a tempered radical isn’t about going slow; it’s about staying in the game long enough to make a difference.
Even with uncertainty, I remain confident. Companies like B. Braun, where sustainability is deeply embedded in our values, are well-positioned to lead. I believe that when leadership is grounded in purpose, supported by systems, and sustained through relationships, change will happen, even in complex industries.
In the end, I’ve come to see that being a tempered radical isn’t about going slow; it’s about staying in the game long enough to make a difference. Sustainability in healthcare may never move fast. But with the right leadership, it can become the new standard.
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