Finding your compass: Jurrienne Schijff’s journey to inclusive leadership at BAM
At the recent AmplifyHER-event event in Amsterdam, Jurrienne Schijff, Director Group Sustainability Reporting, led a workshop focused on practical, inclusive and conscious leadership. We talked to Jurrienne about her personal challenges and successes.
Tell me about your role as Director of Group Sustainability Reporting
‘I’m responsible for reporting our efforts on sustainability, both internally and externally. Sustainability is a fast-moving area, not only within our company but also across the industry. Over the past couple of years, we’ve seen sustainability evolve from a topic driven by a dedicated team to a more strategic direction that must be embraced by the entire organisation. Perhaps not everyone feels this to the same degree yet, but there are certainly more people in our business that are engaged in sustainability-related activities.
Fundamentally, my role is to make sure that our sustainability reporting is reliable and accurate. However, I also work to accelerate our progress beyond compliance to become a truly sustainable company. I consider it my personal ambition to ensure that BAM lives and breathes sustainability.’
What does inclusion and diversity mean to you personally and professionally?
‘I look at inclusion and diversity from two angles. The first is the technical angle, where diversity & inclusion is a target. As someone with a reporting background, this would be the natural way for me to approach it and talk about it with colleagues.
But on a personal level, I firmly believe that it's not just about the head, the numbers: it's about the heart. You can talk all you want about diversity and inclusion targets, but it’s meaningless if your actions and your beliefs are not aligned. This is something I feel strongly about, and it shapes the way I view reporting. It’s not just about numbers: it’s about behaviour. It’s about the conversations with colleagues and how you engage with people around you. This motivates me on a daily basis in sustainability reporting and more broadly as a female leader at BAM. I want to set an example of how we can lead if we take a different approach, and I’ve had the opportunity to bring my own approach to the table. My ambition is to create space for others to stand up and take the stage bringing their personal styles.’
How do you lead by example in your role?
‘To drive sustainability forward, we are all in it together, at every level. I want to make sure that all parts of BAM talk and listen to each other on this journey. The very nature of inclusion is that everyone involved has the opportunity to speak up, and that we foster an environment in which they can. Collaboration is strongest when people know what they can learn from their colleagues and what they bring to the table. You need the input of the data analysts just as much as the executive board. If you don’t have that, you might keep having the same discussions or keep leaving people behind. In my view, the success in our sustainability journey is determined by crossing the finish line together.’
You co-hosted a workshop at AmplifyHER on the concept of conscious leadership. What does that look like in practice at BAM?
‘I emphasised during the workshop that we need all the different people in the room to bring their authentic selves. And the question is, of course, how do you do that? What is your ‘authentic’ self, and how do you lead genuinely? And what is the role of leadership in facilitating this? There are multiple ways to do that. We stressed the importance to know your superpower. For example, your strength might be authenticity. How easy that is depends on the person and context, but it surely starts with knowing yourself and understanding your beliefs.
We also shared stories on what it means to lead from within. In a world where there’s no clear map, because things are constantly shifting, you don’t know where you might end up, and maybe the endpoint hasn’t even been discovered yet. But that doesn’t mean you can’t move. You can follow your personal compass. You can take one step at a time, find common ground and a common intent, and off you go. We tend to create roadmaps for everything, to figure out the exact steps we’ll take, but you can make yourself inflexible that way. We know that we want to reach our goals by 2050, but the path ahead may still surprise us.’
What is the connection between sustainability and inclusion, and why do they matter for BAM’s future?
‘If we’re going to achieve our sustainability goals, we need everyone on board. Inclusion can be one of BAM's superpowers to move the needle. I think the success of BAM’s sustainability transformation depends on our ability to really make sure we bring everyone with us. I think inclusion is one of the most powerful ways of doing that effectively.
I’ve heard from people, you're from reporting, so why don't you just focus on the KPIs? But if I did, I would not be bringing my full self to the table. It’s important to me to advocate for inclusive behaviour as a driver for becoming a more sustainable company. And the more we evolve our inclusive thinking and behaviour internally, the more this will be reflected in the impact we have in society.’
What advice would you give to your colleagues to be a more conscious and inclusive leader?
‘For me it’s about connection, genuine care and courage. It’s a bit of a cliché, but I encourage leaders to bring everyone onto the dancefloor. And remember, it takes two to tango; in other words, please, don’t throw things over the fence. You can help create the space for others to be authentic by being authentic yourself. Think about your own compass. What is driving you to move from within? If we spend time on that for ourselves and with our team members, you can really lead from the heart. This transformation doesn’t happen overnight, so invest your time in it. And finally, don’t be afraid to be bold and brave. Courage will help you stay on track and follow your compass, and allow people around you the time they need to embark on the journey too.’
