Top-tier Delivery – even outside the production hall
The demands from customers are sky-high, both inside and outside of production. We at RIVAL are aware of this. “In addition to requirements for quality, delivery, and documentation, we must also be able to document our efforts in many other areas when we are evaluated by our international customers and the Danish authorities,” says Kirsten Holvad, Chief Administrative Officer. “A lot of this fundamentally comes down to being decent and taking care of employees, the environment, and social conditions. This is not new to us.”
Valuable Cohesion
For over 20 years, Kirsten and Henrik Holvad have been ambassadors for a culture at RIVAL based on decency and trust, both internally and externally.
Kirsten Holvad is our Chief Legal Officer – our major clients refer to her as the “Legal Manager.”
We typically receive very positive feedback from our customers and other partners that we have a strong handle on things. We also believe that we go above and beyond when it comes to managing legal matters, whether it concerns customer, supplier, or employee agreements, as well as corporate legal matters and agreements with financial partners, insurance companies, and authorities.
We have deliberately chosen to invest significant internal hours in managing everything related to employees, the environment, and social conditions at a high level. Kirsten is a reliable coordinator in areas such as HR, CSR, occupational health and safety, etc. – and not least every time our employees need to talk to “an adult” when small or larger challenges arise in everyday life or personal life.
“It creates great value to have the responsibility for many important areas around production centralized within the company,” says Henrik Holvad. “Most of what Kirsten works on is intertwined. She creates valuable cohesion through her efforts and her oversight.”
Increasing Demands – Where’s the Benefit?
Kirsten’s oversight and insight create a special value when RIVAL’s international customers conduct their annual audits. “Here, we cover a wide range of areas such as HSE, environmental impact, corruption, and child labor. We need to have clear answers and control over everything. And we do,” says Kirsten Holvad. “We respect the significant consequences it can have for our customers and further down their value chain if we do not.”
At the same time, we find it surprising that customers do not place more emphasis on the areas they inquire about in their audits. “We do not quite see the big benefit of being able to deliver top tier, also on the more societal aspects,” says Henrik Holvad. “We usually end up focusing on the price in our negotiations with customers, without considering that we deliver first-class in these areas.”
