The Scheufele family took over Chopard in 1963, and transformed it into one of the best-known jewellery and luxury watch brands in the world. Caroline joined the family business straight after finishing her studies. She brought change and innovation, reflected in her 1985 collection ‘Happy Diamonds’, a jewellery line based on the idea of enabling diamonds to shine more brightly by freeing them from their retaining settings and enabling them to move about freely.
Constantly on the move and never afraid of challenges, Caroline’s efforts in the last years have been focused on making Chopard the most sustainable jewellery brand in the world … and convince the whole industry to follow suit.
I-M: I understand that Chopard is the first jewellery company to work with Fairmined. What made you look into the sustainability of your supply chain?
C.S: We felt that this was a major issue that needed to be addressed in the industry and taken care of. It is important that the luxury industry recognises its duty as leaders to set an example across the board.
I.M: How did conversations begin between all parties: Chopard, Eco-Age and the Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM)? Was this the beginning of the journey to Sustainable luxury?
C.S: 7 years ago, I met with Livia Firth, Founder of Eco-Age, during an event for the Oscars. She made me realize that there was no real traceability of the gold used in the industry.
The Journey to Sustainable Luxury thus began. Along with Eco-Age we forged a philanthropic relationship with ARM to directly support and enable gold mining communities to reach Fairmined certification and provide training, social welfare and environmental support. In May 2013, during the Cannes Film Festival, we unveiled our very first Green Carpet Collection.
I.M: I believe that Chopard also helps mining communities to reach Fairmined certification as well as providing training, social welfare and environmental support. How involved are you personally in this process?
C.S: All of our Chopard employees have dedicated themselves to this fantastic project. We are all committed to supporting the mining communities and have joined forces with the ARM to ensure that we can support them in the best way possible.
I.M: Are now all the materials used for your jewellery and watches in Chopard Fairmined certified?
C.S: With the help of Eco-Age we are constantly searching for new ethical suppliers; so we started with gold, then we found sustainably sourced opals and emeralds last year. We are carefully expanding the list of sustainable materials we can use, but as I always say, it is a long journey but it is the right one.
I.M: How long down the production line do you think you can take your sustainability strategy and goals?
C.S: This year during the Baselworld fair we made an incredibly exciting announcement, that all of our creations from July 2018 will be crafted from ethically sourced gold. This is a huge step not only for Chopard but for the watches & jewellery industry as a whole and we are glad to be leading the way!
We are very humble in our journey to sustainable luxury. We are improving our supply chain and production as much as possible. We are encouraging the Responsible Jewellery Council to create a certification for coloured precious stones, which is the next big step for the industry. Our next aim is to implement the UN global goals in the complete production process from raw material sourcing to the production of our watches and jewellery.
I.M: Could you give me examples of how Chopard helps mining communities in terms of training, social welfare and environmental support?
C.S: I will give you the examples of the first communities we helped. The project has worked towards improving practices in Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Organizations (ASMOs) in Colombia and Bolivia. The project has had three primary beneficiary mining organizations, two of which have received support since the initial phase of the project which are the mining organizations 15 de Agosto (Bolivia) and COODMILLA LTDA (Colombia); and a third organization, the Iquira Agro-Mining Cooperative (Colombia), joined the project in the second half of 2015. We implement- ed of an internal and external system to improve the efficiency of mining as well as a waste and sludge treatment system. We helped to improve the environmental management (creation of a committee, implementation of waste disposal areas). On average, a 30% reduction of mercury use was achieved. We launched measures to improve occupational health and safety conditions (for example: installation of a safety kit in the mines, affiliation of miners with social security level 5, training workshops). With the help of Chopard, an internal control system at each stage was created and implemented: extraction, processing and marketing. Twelve women from the “Association of Female Jewellers” were given full study training in marketing and entrepreneurship to help them to grow their business.
I.M: How does the Green Carpet Challenge actually work?
C.S: The Green Carpet Challenge principles are a benchmark against which brands can measure themselves, showing a commitment to ethical social and environmental behaviour in the workplace and through supply chains. At Chopard, the Green Carpet Challenge is expressed through the Journey to Sustainable Luxury and the Green Carpet Collection.
We started the Journey to Sustainable Luxury in 2013 with a capsule collection of high jewellery. Then we continued to expand the collection with limited edition watches such as the L.U.C Tourbillon QF Fairmined watch, and in 2017 with the Ice Cube jewellery collection made of Fairmined gold.
I.M: At the Oscars you co-hosted with Colin and Livia Firth a dinner celebrating The Green Carpet Challenge and The Journey to Sustainable Luxury. Many A-list celebrities, among them Mick Jagger, Meryl Streep, Emma Stone, Kevin Bacon and Tom Ford attended. How important is the support of celebrities? How does the Green Carpet Challenge actually work?
C.S: We are hugely grateful to have a strong support from high profile voices across different industries who understand and support the importance of this major step in the Industry. For instance, celebrities such as Julianne Moore, Cate Blanchett or Marion Cotillard have been very sensitive to the topic and have been more than delighted to wear our Green Carpet Collection.
I.M: How vital has it been the fact that Chopard is a family owned company for all this to happen?
C.S: This has allowed us to take total control of the project from the beginning, and to make decisions as quickly as possible. It has also meant that we have had a shared passion and determination to continue growing this project to reach its maximum potential.
I.M: Undoubtedly you have had advantages in your career that other women have not had. At the same time, you could have chosen to just be a diamond princess but you didn’t. Your talent, hard work and determination have brought you where you are. What would you say to women that aspire to reach the highest in their careers?
C.S: Always trust your vision and don’t be afraid to speak up and think outside the box. Lead with courage and passion!
I.M: Although the number of women in high management positions in companies is growing, it is still far behind that of men. Do you think that there is still prejudice against women in the boardroom?
C.S: I think that we can always strive for better, regardless of whether there has already been improvement or not!
I.M: Do you think there are jobs for which women are naturally more talented than men?
C.S: I think that men and women are very different, they approach things in completely different ways, they are often more creative and passionate and I think there is beauty in that.
I.M: Is there a programme or strategy at Chopard to promote diversity and inclusion?
C.S: Chopard advocates the respect of the values stipulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, such as the fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women. Chopard endorses diversity of its work force and nourishes a company culture where any employee can freely develop to her/his best potential. The company promotes the principle of equal opportunities to all its employees and offers a discrimination and harassment-free working environment. All employees are thus entitled to fair and equal treatment, regardless of gender, race, age, disability, nationality, sexual orientation, marital status or any religious or cultural background.
Recruitment decisions are only-based on professional criteria defined by the company needs and the candidate’s qualifications and skills to carry out the mission with success.
I.M: Last, where would you like to see yourself and Chopard in 5 years time?
C.S: We will continue taking bold and exciting new steps to make sure the industry recognises the importance of sustainability in the world we live in today!
I-M: When did you start making game boards?
Nadja Swarovski: Aged just 25, Nadja joined the 100 year old family business and changed it forever. In the last 22 years she has brought Swarovski to the very top of fashion and contemporary design, launching many an illustrious career in the process, like that of Alexander McQueen or Hussein Chalayan.
Karen Adler: After 20 years in the film industry, in 2015 Karen joined the 4th generation of Adlers working in the jewellery family business. Her passion and creativity, have been instrumental in taking the brand to the next level of global success, together with her cousin Allen Adler and his wife Daisy Adler.
Maria Hatzistefanis: Maria says that getting fired for her banking job at the age of 25 was the best thing that ever happened to her. A couple of years later she had founded Rodial, a cosmetic business that today is worth £100million, and she did it all without a single penny from investors.
Carolanne Minashi: As Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion at UBS, Carolanne is focused on fixing the system rather than fixing the women. She has been driving a cultural change agenda to have a greater number of Women in Senior Leadership roles. She is a member of the Women’s Leadership Board at the Women and Public Policy unit at Harvard Kennedy School, a Chartered Fellow of the British Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development.
Justine Waddell: As Director of Kino Klassika, Justine helps develop shared expertise between archivists and curators in the UK and Russia and Eastern Europe, building relationships with fundraising bodies and sponsors and encouraging people who love cinema, literature, music, and language from the arts and business communities in the UK, Russia and CIS, to share their cultural knowledge at events.
Hager Jemel PhD: Hager is an Associate Professor of Management at EDHEC and Director of EDHEC Open, Leadership Innovation Centre for Diversity & Inclusion. She has been Director of the Pre-Master Year for the EDHEC Master in Management since June 1st 2017. She holds a Doctorate in Management Sciences from Institut d’Ad- ministration des Entreprises de Lille. She has 13 years of experience in Management lecturing and research, and commands strong expertise in the CSR and diversity fields.
Eve de Haan: Eve has a degree in Theology and has explored many fields
Kim Vanessa Kortlepel: She is not even 25 and Kim has already
Hazel Hurley: Her photography is enigmatic and provocative. It makes you smile and it makes you think, and in occasions, it makes you cringe. At just 22 years of age, Hazel has already participated in a variety of exhibitions including shows at Henley Festival, Café Royal and Freud Bar… Hazel Hurley is an artist who knows who she is and perfectly reflects in her art the young culture of the times we live in.
Beth Cullen-Kerridge: Beth is a celebrated sculptor who has firmly established her singular vision upon the contemporary art scene. She honed her craft producing works for Edwardo Paolozzi, Elisabeth Frink and Alberto Giacometti, before becoming a studio assistant for Mike Bolus and Sir Antony Caro. She has worked on projects with Sir Norman Foster on the Millennium Bridge, Richard Rodgers at The Tate, and a number of shows at the Venice Biennale. Her recent 16-foot-high Carrera ‘Dhow Sail’ marble sculpture installation for Dubai Opera received worldwide critical acclaim and in November 2017 Beth was awarded the ‘Global art prize for sculpture’.
Alexandra Llewellyn: After years of studying and training, Alexandra opened her Design Studio in 2010, in which she creates custom-made games tables and boards, all made in the UK and all of which can be personalised or bespoke commissioned. Alexandra’s designs are owned by clients such as Sir Richard Branson, Elle Macpherson, Mark Ronson, Paloma Faith… and even Royalty! She fell in love with backgammon as a child in Cairo… as she strolled through the streets with her step-grandfather.
Day-z: Enigmatic urban artist Day-z combines techniques learned from the Masters with current culture to create a signature style that fuses street and fine art. Some of Day-z’s more mischievous antics include sticking up pieces on the Tate Modern and taking on parking wardens with her celebrated ‘parking ticket’ sticker. Day-Z had a hugely successful first solo show in 2017 selling the vast majority of all of her original works and prints.
Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill: In her 20 years career as an athlete, Jessica
Kamin Mohammadi: Kamin Mohammadi is an author, journalist, broadcaster and public speaker. Born in Iran, she and her family moved to the UK during the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Her journalism has been nominated for an Amnesty Human Rights in Journalism award in the UK, and for a National Magazine Award by the American Society of Magazine Editors in the US. She has authored two books and has spoken on Iranian issues at universities, conferences and peace events. An avid commentator, she has appeared on many radio programmes in the Uk and abroad, taken part in the BBC television documentary Iranian Enough? and helped to write and co-present the BBC World Service’s three-part radio documentary Children of The Revolution.
Sophie Christiansen: Born with cerebral palsy, at 6 years of age Sophie
Inger Andersen: As Director General IUCN, Inger brings passion for conservation and sustainability with more than 30 years of experience in international development economics, environmental sustainability and policy-making, as well as in designing and implementing projects and generating on-the-ground impact. She has played a key role in supporting riparian countries on international water management and hydro-diplomacy. Prior to joining IUCN, she held various leadership roles at the World Bank and at United Nations.
Dr Vreni Häussermann: As as a marine zoologist, Vreni has spent the last 20 years of her life studying the biodiversity of the Chilean Patagonia aiming at its sustainable use and conservation. Since 2003, she is the Scientific Director of the Huinay Scientific Field Station in Patagonia. Part of Dr. Häussermann’s vast amount of work is to advise both NGOs and the Chilean government on matters
Caroline Scheufele: Caroline joined the family business, Chopard, straight after finishing her studies. She brought change and innovation, which in the last years culminated in making Chopard the most sustainable jewellery brand in the world, working with the Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM), using only Fairmined certified ethically sourced gold as well as sustainably sourced opals and emeralds. She founded the Green Carpet Challenge as a benchmark against which brands can measure themselves, showing a commitment to ethical social and environmental behaviour in the workplace and through supply chains.
Olga Murray: Olga founded the Nepal Youth Foundation in 1990 to help impoverished children in Nepal and free young girls from slavery.
Suzanne Ruggles: Suzanne founded Full Circle Fund Therapies with the
Lise Pape: Straight after graduation, Lise immersed herself in a
Christiana Longarini: Christiana is a sensible, sensitive, family oriented woman with a highly developed sense of ethics, solidarity and welfare. Known professionally for her innovative and creative approach to business, she was called to run the VSY shipyard which she transformed in a very short time into an ethical construction specialist, leading the sustainability argument in the yacht building industry.
Koo Stark: Koo Stark is a writer, teacher, actress and most importantly, a photographer. She is also a long-time student of HH the Dalai Lama, whose friendship and teachings gave Koo the insight to meditate on the potential of capturing the beauty of life through photography and using the medium as a means of non-verbal communication. Harassed by paparazzi for many years, she initiated legal actions that would end up in the creation of the law on privacy in this country.
Harriet Harman MP: She is the longest-serving female MP (since 1982) and has been politics’ most prominent champion for women’s rights, introducing the National Childcare Strategy, All Women Shortlists, the Equality Act and changing the law on domestic violence.
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