IFS Chief Sustainability Officer Sophie Graham: 4 Things to Know

Enterprise cloud software provider IFS has named Sophie Graham as chief sustainability officer (CSO). She previously was global sustainability director.

Here are four things to know about Graham's experience, and the IFS sustainability strategy.

1. Business Scope and Scale: IFS, founded in 1983, is based in Linköping, Sweden. The company has roughly 6,000 employees and more than 6,500 customers.

IFS develops ERP (enterprise resource planning), EAM (enterprise asset management), field service management and automation software for such vertical markets as aerospace and defense; energy utilities; construction and engineering; manufacturing; telecommunications; and various service industries -- including MSPs. The company's partner program is outlined here.

Private equity firm EQT acquired IFS for more than EUR 3 billion in 2020. TA Associates also owns a minority stake in the business.

2. Sustainability Strategy and Milestones: As of 2022, IFS used 100% renewable energy across of its business operations. And by 2025, all operational IFS carbon emissions will be balanced with carbon reduction and removal initiatives, the company said in an ESG fact sheet that recaps 2022. We don't know if the company has set a target date for net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

3. Sophie Graham's Experience and Focus: Graham joined IFS as global sustainability (ESG) director in November 2021. She previously was a sustainability strategy manager at Santander UK, a British bank. Earlier, Graham held responsible business manager and responsible business lead positions at Fujitsu Americas and Fujitsu EMEIA, respectively.

As CSO, Graham will oversee the IFS sustainability strategy, while working with the executive team to scale that strategy and execution across global operations. The strategy will also embed various sustainability capabilities into IFS cloud software, the company said.

Graham essentially succeeds Stephen Keys, who will now focus entirely on his chief talent officer role and chair of the IFS Foundation.

4. Executive Perspectives: In a prepared statement, IFS CEO Mark Moffat said: "IFS is at an incredibly important juncture on ESG and, much like our customers, we are focused on accelerating the results that will have the impact we all look for. Sophie's appointment is evidence of the strategic prioritization of sustainability at IFS, and our goal is to work hand in hand with our customers, sharing our knowledge, experiences and taking their input into our products. 

Moffat added: "Through technology we can help transform and improve entire industries and positively affect people's lives. In 2021, we started building capabilities that matter to our customers and where we knew they would deliver the most value to them. I am looking forward to continuing working with Sophie in her new role as we ramp up both our own efforts and our support in helping customers meeting their own goals."

Moffat, by the way, shifted from chief customer officer to CEO in January 2024. Moffat succeeded Darren Roos, who shifted to chair of the board.

Added Graham: "I am a true believer in the potential that the technology sector has to drive change across different industries, providing the 'how' roadmap in the transition to a low carbon, more sustainable future. IFS has a clear sense of purpose, and I am very excited to continue building on the robust strategy we already have in place to drive even more lasting impact, across our team, customers, and partners."

IFS Chief Sustainability Officer: Why Technology Partners Should Care

By 2027, 25% of Global 2000 companies will have assigned a chief sustainability officer (CSO) responsible for meeting their organization’s ESG goals and making ESG-related IT purchasing decisions, according to IDC.

The bottom line: Technology partners need to extend their sales, marketing, engagement and support strategies to successfully fulfill those CSO customer needs, Sustainable Tech Partner believes.