From Strategy to Sustainability: Embedding Impact at the Heart of Decision-Making with Liz Brown

In this episode of our podcast, Jonas Wiedenhorn, co-founder of The Sustainability Circle, sits down with

Liz Brown, Chief Sustainability Officer at Inchcape, to explore how the world's leading independent automotive Distributor is bringing strategy and sustainability together to drive real business impact.

Liz shares how integrating sustainability directly into corporate strategy is helping Inchcape align investment decisions, accelerate the transition to sustainable mobility across 40+ global markets, and turn sustainability from a compliance topic into a genuine growth driver.

Topics covered include:

• Making sustainability a core part of business strategy and investment decisions
• Identifying initiatives that deliver both impact and commercial value
• Building sustainable routes to market and accelerating EV adoption
• Tailoring sustainability narratives for different internal stakeholders
• Accelerating the mobility transition across diverse global markets

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Editorial transcript:

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Hey everyone, welcome to another episode of the Sustainability Leaders Show. I’m Jonas, co-founder of The Sustainability Circle. On this show, we share insights, success stories, and practical advice from top leaders driving sustainability in their organizations.

Today I’m joined by Liz Brown, Chief Strategy and Sustainability Officer at Inchcape, the world’s leading independent automotive distributor.

We’ll be talking about what it really takes to make sustainability part of the core business, aligning impact with value, embedding it into investment decisions, and adapting across global markets. We’ll also explore how approaching sustainability from a strategy-first perspective helps drive lasting change.

Liz, it’s a pleasure to have you on the show. A very warm welcome.

Liz: Thank you very much. It’s great to be here. I’m really looking forward to the conversation.

Jonas: Me too. To start us off on a light note, tell us a bit about your journey. I know that you came up through strategy roles before stepping into your sustainability role. How did that path unfold for you, and when did sustainability become part of your remit at Inchcape?

Liz: Of course. I’ve got over 20 years of experience across a wide range of sectors, including consulting, consumer goods, retail, and private equity. The key theme for me throughout has been helping businesses navigate strategic change and transformation in often complex and fast-changing environments.

Before Inchcape, I was Group Strategy Director at Diageo, where I led global strategy and M&A. I also worked at Currys PLC in strategy and M&A roles, spent time in private equity with RBS, and began my career at L.E.K. Consulting, a strategy consulting firm, where I learned the foundations of strategy and transformation.

At Inchcape, which is an automotive distributor, I joined in 2023 as Chief Strategy Officer. A core part of my initial remit was shaping the group’s strategic direction, specifically developing our Accelerate Plus strategy and building stronger relationships with our OEM partners.

Sustainability was already a key part of that strategy work. It became clear to me that strategy and sustainability are inextricably linked. Sustainability has to be core to corporate strategy, not a side initiative. That was my first real taste of sustainability and of the benefits of bringing strategy and sustainability together.

Earlier this year, my role was expanded to include sustainability, so I’m now Chief Strategy and Sustainability Officer at Inchcape. My focus is to further develop and integrate our sustainability ambition and capabilities, helping us stay ahead of industry changes and regulatory shifts, and ensuring Inchcape plays its role in the transition toward more sustainable mobility.

Jonas: For those not familiar with Inchcape, could you give a quick snapshot of what the company does and where it sits in the market?

Liz: Sure. Put simply, Inchcape sells cars and other vehicles in about 40 markets globally. We’re an automotive distributor, representing car manufacturers (the OEMs) in those markets and selling vehicles on their behalf.

We handle everything from logistics, bringing cars from factories into markets, to marketing, retail network management, after-sales, parts, and services.

Our markets tend to be smaller, developing, or less mature and often more complex. That’s usually why OEMs prefer working with a partner like Inchcape instead of operating directly themselves.

We work with some of the world’s largest OEMs, including Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, BYD, and many more, representing around 60 brands in total.

Jonas: And how does your combined role of Chief Strategy and Sustainability Officer look on a day-to-day basis?

Liz: It’s a combined role, which is quite interesting. Having strategy and sustainability together isn’t unique, but it’s still relatively new. I’m excited to show why it makes sense and how it can increase impact.

Some parts of my job are pure strategy, others pure sustainability, but where the two intersect is where it gets most interesting. For example, we’re developing our sustainability framework and ambition. Rather than seeing sustainability as compliance or risk management, we look at how it drives business value, how initiatives can support Inchcape’s growth and resilience.

With my strategy background, I can speak the language of business value and growth, translating it into the world of sustainability. That helps show how sustainability can be a strategic growth driver.

My aim is to make sustainability part of everyday business practice, building resilience, driving growth, and embedding it into how Inchcape operates.

Jonas: Having that strategy hat on, how does it shape your decision-making, especially in situations where growth and sustainability might not be perfectly aligned?

Liz: Good question. Historically, sustainability was often siloed, focused on compliance or risk reduction rather than business value. That mindset is changing. More companies now see the advantage of placing sustainability at the heart of their organization.

For me, strategy is about choices, allocating limited resources (time, people, investment) to where they create the most impact. Sustainability must be approached the same way. We can’t do everything. We must focus on the topics most meaningful to our business and stakeholders.

Inchcape sits in a unique position in the automotive value chain. We don’t manufacture vehicles; we bring them to market. So we focus on making that route to market as sustainable as possible and on accelerating the shift toward sustainable mobility, mainly battery-electric and hybrid vehicles.

We do this by offering a broad portfolio of sustainable options, educating customers, addressing adoption challenges like charging or financing, and ensuring our priorities are where we can make the greatest impact.

Jonas: You mentioned sustainability as a growth driver. What are the main growth drivers for sustainability in the automotive industry?

Liz: The key is identifying sustainability initiatives that deliver both sustainability and business results.

Our Accelerate Plus strategy focuses on growth through acquisitions, contract wins with new OEMs, and operational excellence, all while supporting the transition to sustainable mobility.

Sustainability supports that broader business strategy. For example, new energy vehicles (hybrid and BEV) are a crucial part of our portfolio. We help markets increase penetration through customer education, charging infrastructure, and training EV technicians.

In the last 18 months, we’ve launched five new BEV brands into our portfolio, and 70 percent of our markets now sell new energy vehicles. That’s a clear example of sustainability driving growth.

Jonas: Many leaders in our network say that the “sustainability argument” alone doesn’t land anymore internally. It needs to be tied to business priorities. Have you found your strategy background helps you do that?

Liz: Absolutely. Tailoring communication is crucial. Different colleagues connect with sustainability in different ways. Understanding their business goals helps us show how specific sustainability initiatives support them.

At the same time, we maintain a consistent company-wide narrative so everyone can link their roles to a broader purpose.

We’re fortunate. Engagement across Inchcape is high. Colleagues are active in webinars, discussions, and internal reports, which keeps the momentum strong.

Jonas: Zooming out, what broader opportunities do you see for companies to connect business and sustainability, whether through risk, talent, or other areas?

Liz: Connecting sustainability to core business enables better management of both risks and opportunities. Seeing sustainability not just as responsibility but as a lever for long-term success helps identify efficiencies and new growth drivers.

Talent is a big one. The next generation is values-driven. Companies with credible sustainability commitments attract and retain top talent, build brand reputation, and strengthen trust.

Our employee surveys show a strong correlation between engagement and how colleagues perceive our company’s positive impact. Engaged teams perform better, so this really matters.

Jonas: Could you share a concrete example where sustainability and business value aligned seamlessly at Inchcape?

Liz: Sure. One area where we can have a meaningful impact is building the most sustainable route to market.

This means operating more efficiently, saving energy, supporting dealerships to adopt solar panels, switching to LED lighting, replacing gas boilers with electric ones. These are sustainability initiatives but also genuine cost-saving measures.

They’re visible, involve many employees, and help people feel they’re part of something bigger. That drives engagement and creates a virtuous circle of impact and motivation.

Jonas: You also mentioned an example of integrating sustainability into investment decisions, that all CapEx requests now include an environmental impact statement before going to the investment committee. Can you explain how that came about?

Liz: Yes. We have an investment committee, which I sit on, and part of my role is to represent our sustainability objectives.

All investment requests must now demonstrate their environmental impact, how they contribute to or affect our sustainability goals, and how negative impacts are mitigated.

For example, if a new dealership is proposed, we ask:

• Have they included sub-metering?
• Are they using energy-efficient lighting?
• Are they removing gas boilers?
• Have they considered solar panels?

Embedding these questions ensures sustainability is part of every resource allocation decision, integrated alongside cost and savings discussions.

Jonas: Has that helped address resistance or skepticism internally?

Liz: Definitely. Anchoring sustainability within the same frameworks used for other initiatives is key. It normalizes the conversation and ensures we’re speaking the same business language.

While sustainability projects may operate on different timescales, using consistent assessment methods makes comparison and decision-making easier.

We don’t face much skepticism. The bigger challenge is competing priorities and limited resources, which are common business realities. Integrating sustainability into existing frameworks helps overcome that.

Jonas: Exactly. Meeting people where they are. Most aren’t anti-sustainability; they just need it framed in a way that fits their context.

Liz: I completely agree. Understanding context and framing initiatives accordingly moves conversations forward.

Jonas: Let’s talk about geography. Inchcape operates in 40 markets, some with 80 percent EV penetration, others with almost none. Sustainability means different things in each context. Could you give us an example of how that plays out?

Liz: Absolutely. Our role is to deliver the global mobility transition inclusively, in ways tailored to local markets.

We first need to understand consumer perspectives, adoption rates, local incentives, and infrastructure readiness. We then use those insights to shape local strategies and to inform discussions with OEM partners and policymakers.

Our Drivers of Change report has been invaluable. It helps us understand consumer sentiment, barriers to EV adoption, effective policy levers, and the broader role mobility plays in economic development, for example access to education or jobs.

Jonas: And how do you apply these insights practically?

Liz: In the Americas, for example, we have a dedicated New Energy Vehicle team analyzing each market’s readiness, looking at consumer adoption, grid capacity, incentives, and charging infrastructure.

This helps align our future portfolio and identify key enablers like technician upskilling, health and safety programs, and partnerships with infrastructure providers.

In Chile, where BEV market share is still under 3 percent, we’re increasing the availability of low-emission vehicles and outperforming the market average in that segment.

Jonas: How about collaboration with OEMs?

Liz: Collaboration is essential. The key is balancing local market needs with OEM strategy. Regular engagement and data-led insight sharing are crucial, and our Drivers of Change report helps there.

Our sustainability framework defines our role in the mobility transition: delivering insights, bringing new technologies to market, and offering the most sustainable route to market for our partners.

Being clear about our role maximizes effective collaboration.

Jonas: And I assume OEMs are receptive to this input, especially when it highlights growth opportunities?

Liz: Exactly. It’s not just an internal conversation. It’s also about framing sustainability as a growth driver for our partners, supporting brand building, cost savings, or market entry. That shared value strengthens collaboration.

Jonas: Looking at the bigger picture, it’s not an easy time for sustainability. Regulations are shifting, priorities are competing. What gives you optimism right now?

Liz: I think there’s growing momentum in moving beyond compliance. More companies now use regulatory frameworks not just for reporting but as tools for decision-making and understanding business relevance.

That’s a sign of maturity, seeing sustainability as a lever of long-term value rather than a separate agenda. That shift in mindset gives me optimism.

Jonas: Beautiful. Last question, for sustainability leaders whose roles aren’t yet integrated with strategy, what’s one thing they can do to shift mindsets?

Liz: Start with materiality. Focus on what truly matters and where you can have the most impact. Align your efforts with what makes a difference to your business and stakeholders.

When you do that, sustainability becomes a pathway to growth, innovation, and long-term value, not just compliance.

And bring people along with you, colleagues, partners, shareholders, everyone. Understand their context, help them see the business case, and apply a strategic mindset.

Jonas: Perfectly said. Thank you so much, Liz. This was a fantastic conversation.

For our listeners, check out Inchcape’s Drivers of Change report for deeper insights into sustainability trends in the automotive industry. You can also follow Liz on LinkedIn to stay updated on her work.

Liz: Thank you so much, Jonas. It’s been great. We’ve covered a lot of ground.

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