Stefanie Hirsch, a distinguished leader in sustainability and quality with over 20 years of experience, excels in fostering quality culture, shaping regulatory strategies, and integrating sustainability. With a biotechnology background, she mentors emerging leaders, champions diversity, and advances initiatives that enhance global health and well-being.

In an insightful interaction with Global Woman Leader Magazine, Stefanie shares her insights on balancing economic sustainability with environmental responsibility, embedding sustainability into core business strategies, leveraging emerging technologies, and offering advice to aspiring women leaders in traditionally male-dominated fields.

How do you assess the balance between economic sustainability and environmental responsibility? How can organizations balance profit with purpose?

My understanding of being committed to sustainability goes beyond just keeping up with the growing importance of environmental and social responsibility. Sustainability is a powerful driver of innovation and collaboration that inspires to challenge traditional boundaries and think creatively about solutions. Personally, I am convinced that sustainability only works with profitability. Both are interconnected and mutually reinforcing a company’s success.

How do you approach the challenge of embedding sustainability into core business strategies so that it remains resilient and adaptable, especially during periods of economic uncertainty?

With our sustainability strategy being integrated into our overall business strategy, we ensure that our actions are in line with our company’s objectives and our promise to our customers. Our business activities impact people and the environment. Through our commitment to “Technology for Life”, we contribute significantly to healthcare and occupational safety around the world. Additionally, we actively support the United Nations’ sustainability goals. Yet, we recognize that our actions - for example, emissions – also have a role in driving global climate change and can negatively affect the environment. And this is where our focus for continuous improvement is for the time ahead. Our established quality system and processes serve as a robust foundation for effectively embedding sustainability across the organization. By leveraging our systematic approach to governance, compliance, and continuous improvement, we ensure sustainability is integrated into every aspect of our operations.

Clear policies, standardized procedures, and measurable metrics enable us to identify opportunities, for example for reducing waste, optimizing resource use, and promoting sustainable practices. Additionally, our commitment to regular checks and audits as well as employee training fosters a culture of accountability and innovation, empowering teams to align their efforts with our sustainability goals. This holistic approach drives consistency, scalability, and measurable impact, ensuring sustainability becomes a core pillar of our organizational strategy.

What role will technology play in amplifying sustainability efforts in the future? Are there specific emerging technologies that you believe have untapped potential?

Technology plays a pivotal role in amplifying sustainability efforts. Already today, our global teams are constantly leveraging modern business intelligence tools for data monitoring and informed decision-making. Central to this is effective data management and data quality, which provides the insights, needed to measure, monitors, and enhance sustainability initiatives.

For challenges like increasing requirements and complexity, dealing with big data and need for swift execution of projects we are in the same boat as other businesses. It is key that we keep pace. There are new trends around the corner that we will need to manage while still focusing on our target. Moving forward, advanced tools like AI will even further enable smarter resource management, energy optimization, and transparency across supply chains. By harnessing real-time data, organizations can identify inefficiencies, predict trends, and make informed decisions that align with sustainability goals. It’s fantastic to see how this approach not only enhances transparency but also drives real value. This is the kind of forward-thinking strategy that sets a business up for sustainable success.

When building a sustainable organization, what measures have you found most effective in creating a culture of responsibility across all levels of the company?

An open and honest reflection of our actions forms the foundation of our current sustainability strategy at Dräger. We recognize that our employees are an essential part of this strategy. Therefore, we are committed to enhancing workplace safety and, for example, increase the proportion of women in management positions. We are integrating initiatives already working intensively toward this goal into our strategy.

When building a sustainable organization, one of the most effective measures for creating a culture of responsibility across all levels is communication, communication, communication. Employees need to understand how sustainability connects to their everyday work and how their individual contributions drive larger organizational goals. Clear, consistent messaging through town halls, team discussions, and real-life success stories ensures that sustainability is not just a concept but a practical, relatable objective. Beyond conventional training programs, leaders can instill this mindset by embedding sustainability into decision-making frameworks, recognizing, and rewarding sustainable practices, and leading by example. Encouraging cross-departmental collaboration also allows teams to see how their efforts contribute to a shared vision, while empowering employees to bring forward their ideas fosters ownership and innovation. Ultimately, a culture of responsibility thrives when sustainability is seen as everyone’s responsibility, made possible through open dialogue, visible leadership commitment, and a shared understanding of its relevance to both individual roles and the organization’s success.

With my particular role at Dräger in mind, I firmly believe that sustainability and quality go hand in hand together; they create real value and lay the foundation for long-term success. It’s inspiring to see these two aspects gaining more focus, showing that responsibility and excellence can shape the future together.

Reflecting on your personal journey, what advice would you offer aspiring women leaders who aim to make an impact in fields traditionally dominated by other priorities?

One of the most impactful lessons I learned from a mentor early in my career was the importance of self-reflection and accountability. She encouraged me to ask myself every evening as I left work, "What was your added value to the business today?" This simple yet profound question has stuck with me to this day and serves as a daily reminder to stay focused and purposeful. It motivates me to prioritize tasks that truly make a difference and align with organizational goals. This practice also fosters continuous growth, as it challenges me to identify areas where I can improve or approach challenges differently.

In light of making impact, embrace resilience and patience. In the field of sales, there is a principle that says "every “no” is closer to a “yes"—to me this brings across that rejections and setbacks are part of the process, not the end. Use them as opportunities to refine your approach and build your resolve. Celebrate small wins along the way and recognize their value in contributing to the bigger picture. Finally, embrace the fact that you don’t need to know everything, but you can learn anything. Curiosity, passion, and a willingness to learn are far more powerful than perfection. Seek knowledge, ask questions, and surround yourself with mentors and allies who give you feedback and inspire growth.