Ricardo Gonzalez: Leading by example for a responsible future

Ricardo Gonzalez is at the helm of Munters factory in Monterrey, Mexico, where he champions sustainability through leadership and innovation. Together with his dedicated team, he strives to create a more sustainable operation.

What does sustainability mean to you?

When I think about sustainability, I think about the future, especially the future of coming generations. I have two daughters who mean everything to me. I want to leave a better world for them.

How do you contribute to a more sustainable Munters?

As leaders, we need to lead by example. This is something I constantly think about. Whether we like it or not, many people follow our actions and mimic our behavior. Our leadership can positively or negatively impact our teams. It's about how we want to be remembered—as someone who wants to change the world or as someone waiting for someone else to do it. With this mindset, leaders must initiate positive change and inspire others to follow.

How do you and your team contribute to a more sustainable world?

Our team works on several projects to support a more sustainable company and world. For example, we use software to quickly correct deviations in our production processes. By controlling what is important in real time, we reduce scrap, which means less waste disposal and less use of raw materials. We also continuously work to reduce non-value-added activities, such as unnecessary movement, over-processing, and defects. This effort has increased our output, improved delivery, and reduced electricity consumption by 20% since 2017.

Other initiatives include improving the saturation of containers used for transport, developing a network of local suppliers, and reducing the transport of raw materials. A notable example is the sourcing of phenolic resin in 2019, which reduced the transport distance from 3000 km to 15 km.

Although we have made many improvements, the team continues to work on new initiatives to enhance the factory's performance.

We must take care of our planet. It's the only home we have. If not for us, let's do it for future generations. They will be very thankful.