Leadership Lessons with Mariette Verbruggen, VP of Corporate Affairs at the World Cocoa Foundation

We recently sat down with Mariette Verbruggen, Vice President of Corporate Affairs at the World Cocoa Foundation.

With a wealth of experience across strategic communications and sustainability, she offers valuable insight into how leaders in these industries can navigate complex, fast-changing landscapes.

Read the piece in full below.

To get us started, can you tell us a bit about your background and what motivated you to specialise in strategic communications?

My background is quite generalist, having studied business and public administration. I started my career as a communications manager cutting across different teams – HR, marketing, innovation, strategy – and found that approach helpful because it allowed me to contribute in impactful ways, whether through campaigns, coaching, or ensuring alignment with corporate messaging. It also positioned me to add value across various departments.

What drew me to strategic communications, specifically, was a fascination with the intersection of – and how well-executed comms can support or influence these dynamics.

What motivated you to move from a global business like Cargill to a much smaller international membership body?

The World Cocoa Foundation offered me the chance to make an impact in cocoa sustainability across the sector. Here, I can apply the learnings I gained at Cargill, while working right alongside our members.

The aim is to establish a coherent and credible voice for WCF when it comes to the cocoa sustainability debate – and we do this by building comprehensive integrated stakeholder engagement and communication strategies that drive the industry forward in its sustainability efforts.

Did you have to adapt your leadership style, and if so, how did this manifest?

I’d say it’s more about being able to collaborate effectively with our members and understanding that, even though it’s a smaller organisation, the complexity and nuances of working within the cocoa sustainability sector require a different level of engagement and stakeholder management.

What are the primary challenges you face in your current role, particularly when it comes to aligning communication strategies with business goals in such a highly sensitive industry?

The cocoa sector has reached a key moment right now. There is a lot of regulation kicking in, particularly around transparency and traceability, which demands a lot of effort and resources from the industry. At the same time, climate change is impacting crop volumes, making the sustainability journey even more challenging.

Our main focus at the World Cocoa Foundation is to drive sector-wide solutions that lead to actual systemic change. We need to rethink the definitions of the issues and develop strategies that align with both the industry’s business goals and the upcoming legislation and create an enabling environment for a future generation of farmers and attract donor funding. It’s a complex process, but understanding these challenges allows us to convene cocoa sector stakeholders for meaningful progress.

What do you think are the key qualities that leaders in sustainability and corporate affairs need to possess in 2024?

I think to be effective, leaders need to truly understand the commercial process and sustainability not just as ‘the right thing to do’, but as a genuine business case. It’s crucial to listen and put yourself in the position of your stakeholders, whether they are your members, customers, civil society, or team members.

There’s also the need to strike a balance between collaboration and perseverance. Working in an organisation like the World Cocoa Foundation, where you engage with various members and stakeholders, you must be open to learning and collaborating while also pushing through with ideas that you believe will drive impact. It’s about having the courage to lead but also the humility to adapt and learn.

In times of crisis or controversy, how do you handle the communication challenges that arise, ensuring that your organisation’s sustainability commitments remain credible and resilient?

In moments of crisis, it’s essential to recognise that sustainability communications should be seen as an integral part of how we operate. We need to be honest and transparent with our members about where we can work together to address reputational risks collaboratively. It’s often more effective to tackle these challenges collectively, as opposed to dealing with them in isolation.

For example, I’ve seen firsthand how trying to manage a crisis alone can lead to more problems, while working together can offer more comprehensive and credible solutions.

And finally, what advice would you offer to someone looking to transition from traditional communications roles into sustainability-focused communications?

Sustainability-focused communication isn’t about one-size-fits-all solutions; it’s about listening, learning, and finding common ground to drive an honest debate.

On that basis, my advice would be to embrace the diversity of perspectives you’ll encounter. Sustainability is complex, and you must be willing to understand and respect different viewpoints of your stakeholders on how to best drive impact. At the same time, be clear about your end destination and work collaboratively towards that goal – because it’s your goal that really matters above all.

For more insight, explore more articles in our Leadership Lessons series.