In the first instalment of our series featuring sustainability leaders at Kemin EMENA, we sit down with Angela Zanotti, Sustainability Analyst Reporter based in Italy. With a passion rooted in her academic background in humanities and her lifelong connection to nature, Angela brings a holistic perspective to her work. In this interview, she reflects on her journey from sustainability consulting to joining Kemin, where she is dedicated to integrating sustainability into our company's operations. Angela shares her thoughts on the challenges of shifting mindsets, the importance of communication, and how sustainability is more than just a professional role — it’s a way of life.
“I have always had a strong passion for people and development. I studied history, literature, linguistics, and art during my bachelor's degree. My studies, particularly history and classical literature, taught me resilience — a concept closely linked to sustainability. Sustainability has always been a passion and a way of life for me. And so it led me to pursue a master’s degree that would allow me to work in this field. While many people see sustainability as pragmatic, dealing with numbers and processes, it’s also about raising awareness and expanding knowledge to improve our world.
My career in sustainability began with an internship during my master’s degree, where I supported a consulting company in the sustainability reporting process. This was my first step into the field. Afterwards, I worked as a sustainability consultant at KPMG, which I really enjoyed. However, I soon realised that I wanted to shift my focus. Rather than supporting multiple companies with non-financial reporting, I wanted to concentrate on one company and guide its sustainability journey in-depth. That’s when I decided to join Kemin.
I was particularly drawn to working at Kemin because of its multinational environment. I realised this was a great opportunity with significant potential. Kemin’s global nature and focus on well-being appealed to me professionally and personally. Living in the countryside my whole life, I’ve always cared deeply about people, animals, and the planet. Working with products that promote human and animal well-being aligns with my values. Since then, I haven’t looked back.
Currently, I work from the office and visit the Kemin plants regularly, especially to assess the plants and explore ways to improve energy efficiency and other sustainability initiatives. My primary responsibility is ensuring compliance with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), as 2024 marks the first year we are required to report on our activities. This role involves collecting data, training employees on the reporting process, and developing programmes to spread sustainability awareness throughout the company. Ultimately, I aim to integrate sustainability into all departments and operations at Kemin.
Despite the growing importance of sustainability, many people and companies still treat it as a tick-box task for compliance. In my role, I’m working to change that mindset by raising awareness and stimulating change. I also collaborate closely with the global sustainability team. As a global team, we want to streamline our sustainability activities and processes, so we’re working on implementing a shared platform to improve efficiency and facilitate sharing key documents with relevant employees across different regions.
My job title is Sustainability Analyst Reporter; while analysis is a key part of my role, what energises me is communicating sustainability insights and fostering engagement around these critical issues. As such, I’m also working with the EMENA marketing team on projects, such as exploring how our customers perceive sustainability and what drives their behaviour so that we can better support them in the future.
In the long run, I want to become a trusted advisor on sustainability at Kemin. I want to ensure that sustainability is fully integrated into all of Kemin’s operations and properly communicated to all stakeholders. I believe this is essential for business resilience and societal relevance. In the short term, my focus is on building strong relationships with key stakeholders and making meaningful contributions to the sustainability projects we currently have in place.
For me, sustainability is not just a job — it’s a lifestyle. While working at another company, an ex-colleague once said, "Because I already work in sustainability, I can buy whatever I want, even from non-sustainable sources." That’s not my philosophy.
To me, sustainability is about quality and minimalism — not having fewer things but choosing the best things that last. It’s about making intentional, conscious decisions, both in my professional and personal life.
Many people view sustainability as involving sacrifices or cutting back, but I believe it’s about enhancing the quality of life. Sustainability isn't about limiting ourselves but about improving our future. To succeed, we must be open to new ways of thinking and living.”
Meet the leaders shaping the future of sustainability at Kemin EMENA. In addition to their inspiring stories, we feature blog posts on a range of sustainability topics. Discover how we’re driving product innovation, reducing our carbon footprint, and advancing our mission to be more transparent about our sustainability performance. Explore all our sustainability stories in one place.
