Social commitment has always been an integral part of roeren’s corporate philosophy. This is why the company has been supporting Kindernothilfe e.V. in its international projects since 2022.
This year, Kindernothilfe, which is committed to children’s rights and improving the living conditions of disadvantaged children worldwide, interviewed roeren Managing Director Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sven Roeren and wrote an article based on the interview, which was printed in the foundation’s own magazine “Share – Unternehmen in sozialer Verantwortung”. The editors of Share roeren have now made the original interview available for publication in full.
In the interview, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sven Roeren talks about his personal connection to Kindernothilfe, the importance of social responsibility and the values that guide roeren. His commitment to Kindernothilfe reflects the guiding principles of “curiosity, respect and foresight” and shows how economic success can be used to make a positive contribution to society by passing it on to disadvantaged people in a spirit of solidarity.
You have been supporting us since 2022. How did you find out about Kindernothilfe?
Sven Roeren: I have been donating privately to Kindernothilfe for a long time and like the objectives, the nature of the projects, the integrity of the organization and the unpretentious and pragmatic cooperation with other institutions.
Why did you decide to stand up for children and young people and their rights in particular?
Sven Roeren: It is in the nature of things that it is children who shape our world of tomorrow. Every additional opportunity granted, every opportunity for dignity, every avoidance of violence, every liberation from unbearable circumstances enables trust to develop in people. We are active in our projects all over the world and it is precisely the networking of very long supply chains that makes us realize time and again that everything is interconnected. When a supportive action, which may be a “small thing” for us, changes the world for an affected child, it can be a formative event at a young age, combined with the hope of supporting the development of self-confident and strong individuals and personalities who understand what solidarity is capable of. Supporting this is a worthwhile investment for everyone on this planet, but unfortunately it too often takes a back seat.
What convinced you about the work of Kindernothilfe?
Sven Roeren: Many projects are designed to have a preventative effect and lay the foundations for further developments. Under the slogan “helping people to help themselves”, the aim is not just to pour a drop of water on a hot stone, but to provide a boost that enables long-term stability – both for communities and for individual young people.
Are there any special projects or goals of Kindernothilfe that are particularly close to your heart?
Sven Roeren: I am impressed by the fact that Kindernothilfe is also critical when and where it should be critical. I personally find the participation in the “Red Hand Campaign” very successful. It is unacceptable that children around the world are being abused as soldiers in order to enforce particular interests. Creating transparency here and explaining the connections to people in affluent societies far away from where the atrocities take place is an immensely important task. Personally, I find the activities against female genital mutilation essential, for a variety of reasons. Among other things, as the responsible dean at Landshut University of Applied Sciences, I am jointly responsible for the academization of midwifery in Bavaria, which also includes the topic of genital mutilation and I am moved by the dimension and intensity of the fate of over 250 million mutilated girls and women worldwide.
What does social commitment mean for you and your company?
Sven Roeren: The objective of companies is to maximize profits. This is a given in a market economy and a good thing. Nevertheless, as a company, you can also raise your finger and “show your colors”. We do this regularly on ethical, social and political topics and issues. We want to do this because we act with foresight and, in our view, “silent and colorless” companies are wasted opportunities to shape our democratic society, to promote pluralistic discourse and, last but not least, to show our employees and the public what values we stand for and what we want to achieve. We therefore promote the social and political commitment of our employees and encourage everyone to become and remain active. And that is why we also position ourselves as a company through donations, activities and messages.
What distinguishes your company?
Sven Roeren: We combine substantive excellence with personalities – in our projects, which are always unique and involve very complex issues. When supply chains are disrupted and manufacturing companies are unable to solve the necessary tasks, we provide support with suitable concepts that are jointly supported by all those responsible and which we also implement together. More than 90% of our employees are engineers who quickly grasp technical issues but always see the overall context, which is why our recommendations and concepts are viable. All substantial decisions as well as our daily work follow our values of “curiosity, respect, vision” – this has made us a successful consulting company with over 100 permanent employees, a great team and extremely low fluctuation and will continue to guide us in the future.
