Virtusa is renowned for its ability to drive transformative change for businesses globally with its engineering-first approach. In this interview with Denver De Zylva, Global Head of Sustainability and Facilities at Virtusa we explore the organization’s sustainability initiatives and its role in shaping a greener future for businesses and communities worldwide.
How does Virtusa’s philosophy and purpose-driven approach to sustainability contribute to its global operations?Virtusa, driven by an engineering-first philosophy, adopts a purpose-driven approach to secure our businesses and supply chain, prioritizing sustainability with transparency. We engage stakeholders to prioritize environmental responsibility and ethical standards.
Our sustainability framework aligns with 12 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), demonstrating our commitment to global challenges and sustainability.
As a global enterprise with 30,000+ employees at 49 locations across 23 countries, Virtusa is guided by core values of passion, innovation, respect, and leadership, ensuring ethical conduct and accountability.
In today’s volatile environment, sustainability and ESG principles are central to our strategy, serving as the foundation of resilience. We prioritize sustainability to navigate complex challenges with integrity and effectiveness.
How does Virtusa leverage technology, diversity, and innovation to address evolving challenges?
ESG, as we see it, encompasses inward reflection and is a fundamental aspect of sustainability, entailing social responsibility and various other dimensions. However, its strategic significance lies in optimization—streamlining commitments, minimizing resource consumption, and transitioning from individualistic to collective endeavours.
It’s also about preparing for the future swiftly and effectively, given the constantly evolving challenges we face. In today’s dynamic landscape and rapid technological upheavals, there is a growing demand for skills in AI and other technological innovations especially those that help organizations transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient and sustainable business model. While other traditional skills are valuable, these emerging skills are increasingly indispensable.
Innovation and creativity have become imperative, as businesses and investors seek to navigate storms with agility and scale. This necessitates a continuous cycle of innovation, as solutions developed today are not everlasting but rather iterative. Our focus is on embedding processes and capabilities to sustain this cycle of innovation as standard practice.
Technology plays a multifaceted role. Consider a banking application that enables a million customers to conduct transactions from home, reducing commute times and enhancing social benefits—a prime example of technology’s impact. Moreover, technology facilitates optimization, leading to reduced consumption and yielding social and economic advantages.
Virtusa’s substantial investments in information security, compliance, and standards reflect our commitment to being at the forefront globally. This preparedness was evident during the pre-COVID-19 period when we swiftly transitioned our entire workforce to remote work within three weeks.
By harnessing diverse perspectives towards a shared purpose-driven approach, we foster innovative problem-solving strategies. This underscores the strategic importance of responsibility and inclusion in addressing complex matters effectively.
What specific steps has Virtusa taken to integrate sustainability practices into its operations?
Virtusa has established a comprehensive sustainability framework encompassing various aspects such as the environment, health and safety, information security, and anti-bribery and corruption, among others. This framework is tailored to address the specific footprint of our industry.
For instance, we are actively transitioning from fossil fuel to non-fossil fuel consumption and exploring opportunities to integrate renewable energies into our operations. Additionally, we have committed to the Science-Based Targets initiative’s Net Zero standard, with targets submitted for validation.
Notably, Virtusa holds an A- rating from the Carbon Disclosure Project, placing us in the top 13th percentile globally. Moreover, our EcoVadis rating, representing environmental, social, and governance standards, stands at Gold, placing us in the top 2 percentile of reporting companies worldwide.
These efforts are part of our holistic approach to fostering responsibility within Virtusa and throughout our supply chain, ensuring we meet the expectations of our customers and provide assurance to our investors.
How does Virtusa demonstrate its accountability and responsibility through community initiatives?
From its inception, Virtusa has championed accountability and responsibility, a commitment we uphold unwaveringly. Our initiatives, reflecting this ethos, extend to our internal operations and the communities we serve.
For example, in response to the 2004 tsunami, we developed Sahana, a disaster response application, provided free of charge. Sahana has since become an independent foundation, deployed globally, exemplifying our dedication to community-driven projects.
In Sri Lanka, we’ve undertaken projects including forest and mangrove restorations, and support for school children. Our technological expertise benefits society, as evident in projects like the post-war rehabilitation management system recognized by the UN Global Compact in 2011.
Globally, we support biodiversity initiatives and responsible plastic production, all pro bono, underscoring our genuine commitment to positive impact.
Harnessing our technological expertise, we create tangible benefits for communities. At Virtusa, we believe accountability and responsibility are key to meaningful change and societal well-being.
How do you see Virtusa’s sustainability efforts shaping the future of communities around the globe?
Looking ahead, the urgent need to address the climate emergency is clear. Past approaches have fallen short, driving demand for a new paradigm: public-private partnerships centred on people and the planet.
This translates into initiatives like COP28’s push for renewable energy, urging proactive adaptation. Inclusivity and affordable renewable energy are key among the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
As a UN Global Compact member, Virtusa commits to aligning operations with these goals, transitioning transportation and energy consumption to renewables and promoting diversity.
Despite challenges like water scarcity, sustainability remains paramount, extending through supply chains to align with customer values and drive measurable actions.
With the 1.5-degree challenge looming, a collective, future-focused approach is imperative. Virtusa’s Science-Based Targets Net Zero commitment, diversity initiatives, and governance practices reflect our commitment to positive impact.