Eleftheria, why is sustainability important to you?
Eleftheria-Eleni Kapourani: Sustainability is a topic that resonates with me both personally and professionally. It’s about acting consciously and responsibly – questioning how we operate, how we lead, and how we consider sustainability in our day to day lives. And the real question is: What is our responsibility in shaping it? We all have a role to play – whether at home, in our communities, or in the workplace. At Porsche Cars Great Britain, we’ve embedded this mindset into our localised market strategy.
What are the main areas of your work? Where do your sustainability priorities lie?
Kapourani: In my role, I work closely with our CEO and the directors’ team at Porsche Cars Great Britain, providing both strategic and technical assistance - acting as a key function to drive corporate strategy and organisational culture. A major part of my responsibilities is leading our sustainability strategy. I am coordinating a cross-functional team focused on different lighthouse projects in all ESG dimensions. These include environmental protection, social responsibility, and strong corporate governance. One of our first initiatives was the creation of an internal ESG forum that brings together project leads and stakeholders from across the organisation at Porsche Cars Great Britain. It enables open dialogue, alignment on sustainability goals, and ensures that ESG topics are embedded into our daily operations. Through this collaborative approach, we’re able to drive progress, share learnings, and keep momentum across all ESG dimensions.
What is your approach to sustainability at Porsche Cars Great Britain, and what standout aspects characterize the approach at Porsche Cars Great Britain?
Kapourani: Our strategy in Great Britain is closely aligned with Porsche’s global Strategy 2030 Plus and tailored specifically to the UK market through a localised approach. At Porsche Cars Great Britain, we’ve structured our strategy around four key themes: customers, products, transformation, and sustainability. All of these are built on a fifth and foundational pillar – our people and organisational culture. Just as we aim to deliver iconic, high-performance sports cars while offering an exceptional customer experience, our ESG efforts reflect a thoughtful and responsible approach. This reflects a clear and strong commitment to why ESG matters to us – not only in terms of environmental responsibility, but also through our dedication to corporate social responsibility here in the UK. It’s this holistic and people-centric approach that uniquely reflects the evolving ESG perspectives of our region and contributes meaningfully to the company’s sustainability ambitions.
You’ve emphasized a holistic and people-centric ESG strategy at Porsche Cars Great Britain. How does this approach translate into concrete initiatives, and what role does individual responsibility play in your sustainability efforts?
Kapourani: At Porsche Cars Great Britain, we’ve embedded sustainability into our strategic framework through what we call “Conscientious Leadership.” For us, this is a mindset that guides how we approach environmental and social responsibility across teams, roles, and locations. We’ve launched four lighthouse projects focusing on environmental impact, diversity, and community engagement, both at the importer level and within our Porsche Centers. What makes our approach distinctive is the emphasis on individual responsibility. Everyone is encouraged to reflect on their actions and lead by example. Our motto captures this spirit: we aim to be “champions of change who take responsibility for a sustainable future.” It’s this combination of purpose, culture, and action that defines our path forward within the Porsche organisation.
Your sustainability approach includes environmental, social, and governance aspects. Which social initiatives within the company culture resonate most with you – and how do they come to life internally?
Kapourani: What I’ve come to appreciate most is how deeply social responsibility is embedded in our culture at Porsche Cars Great Britain. It’s not just about policies – it’s about people. Our Culture Club is a great example: it brings colleagues together to celebrate and learn from events like Pride Month, Ramadan, and Chinese New Year, fostering inclusion and mutual respect. Equally meaningful is our commitment to giving back to society. Through our collaboration with our charity partner “Place2Be”, we support children's mental health in UK schools. One thing that really stands out for me: many colleagues have consistently expressed a desire to do more for the communities we live and work in – and that shared motivation led to the creation of our Charity Committee. It’s an employee-driven initiative that coordinates our charitable efforts, identifies meaningful local partnerships, and plans activities throughout the year. With this project, we empower colleagues to drive charitable initiatives and contribute to making a difference in our communities.
Talking about your colleagues: How do you at Porsche Cars Great Britain actively engage employees in understanding and implementing the company’s strategic goals, especially regarding sustainability?
Kapourani: By deploying various engagement methods, we mobilise the entire organisation, get colleagues inspired and motivated – aligning everyone towards our strategic goals and aspirational culture. We came up with the idea of our “Strategy Weeks”: Once per quarter we offer a week of programme to all staff to immerse themselves into one of our key pillars. During “Strategy Week” we spotlight our lighthouse projects, invite guest speakers from Porsche AG, brand partners use this time to explain our key strategic direction. In addition to that, we host educational sessions, and encourage open discussions, combined with interactive workshop sessions and gamification.
Which projects are currently your personal focus, and what excites you most about them? Are there any experiences in your daily work that particularly motivate or inspire you looking ahead in the future?
Kapourani: Right now, my focus is on projects that strengthen collaboration – both within our internal teams and across our Porsche Centre network. It’s exciting to see how our Centers not only work on reducing their environmental footprint but also develop creative ways to support their local communities. What inspires me most is the genuine commitment I see in my colleagues: whether it’s improving our workplace culture or driving charitable initiatives. These moments of shared purpose and cross-functional teamwork are incredibly motivating. Looking ahead, sustainability continues to grow in importance – not just as a strategic priority, but as a shared responsibility. At Porsche Cars Great Britain, we’ve long recognised its relevance, and with “Conscientious Leadership” as our guiding principle, we’re well-positioned to shape a future that is both responsible and resilient. My hope is that we keep inspiring each other to focus on all the dimensions of sustainability, so that together we can be champions of change.
Info
In the interview series "Perspectives on Sustainability", Porsche employees talk about their specialist subject areas. The interview with Eleftheria-Eleni Kapourani is part 18 of the series.
