About me
Climate activist in a suit & enabler
I can help you through the sustainability jungle. With almost 30 years of experience, I am happy to support you – also with my network – with the following questions:
- =Why do you want to deal with sustainability?
- =What are the relevant fields of action for you?
- =What can you do immediately - with the resources you already have?
- =How do you ensure that sustainability is not just the responsibility of one person?
- =How can Heartprint support you from the vision to the implementation roadmap?
About me
By founding Heartprint GmbH, I have fulfilled my heart’s desire: I want to make my many years of experience from large corporations accessible to SMEs. I like the description of a friend who called me the “Robin Hood of sustainability”. Solution-oriented and always at eye level, I want to help successfully master the transformation to digitalization and sustainability.
In “my spare time” I am, among other things, Chief Sustainability Officer of SustainableIT.org, a global non-governmental organization with currently more than 100 member companies, which has set itself the goal of defining standards for sustainable IT and making these available as open source.
For example, my last stop before becoming self-employed was Allianz Technology from October 2022 to June 2024, where, as Chief Sustainability and Human Rights Officer, I was responsible for integrating sustainability, human rights and digital inclusion into all IT services and products and was able to support Allianz in achieving its ambitious goals for a sustainable future.
Prior to that, I was Global Director IT Sustainability at Siemens AG, where I initiated and implemented the first company-wide IT sustainability strategy and led a team of dedicated IT sustainability experts.
In total, I have now gained almost 27 years of experience in the IT industry at various companies, including IBM, TeleCash/FirstData, Arvato Systems/ Bertelsmann and Siemens AG.
The various areas in which I was able to gain expertise (such as support, infrastructure, data centers and service operations) help me today to advise companies in different areas and, above all, across hierarchies
In addition, some personal information about me and my motivation:
- My passion for sustainability came through my three children and when I started learning how to garden and how to reduce waste.
- With the increasing awareness of the climate crisis, the loss of biodiversity and unanswered questions on social issues, it became more and more important for me to contribute to a better world, which eventually even led me to change my career path.
- For me, sustainability does not just mean environmental protection, but rather following the UN agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals with a comprehensive view of all ESG aspects.
- A climate activist at heart (with a penchant for beautiful fashion ;)), I see myself as a climate activist in a suit, and the name says it all!
Motivation - Expertise - Experience
Since having children, the word “sustainability” has become much more concrete and, above all, more urgent. My mission is to make the knowledge I have acquired as an IT specialist with many years of experience in the field of sustainability in corporate structures accessible and usable for small and medium-sized companies.
Sustainability
Knowledge is the only resource that increases when it is shared.
I have spent the last few years developing sustainability guidelines for companies and therefore also for their suppliers.
I now want to pass on this knowledge.
In order to reach many stakeholders quickly, I want to enable companies to manage their own sustainability activities as quickly as possible – but in a prioritized manner and with a clear focus and roadmap.
In addition to my consulting work, I pass on my knowledge as a speaker and “in my spare time” as a board member and CSO of SustainableIT.org.
I am also a certified Human Rights Officer.
IT
In my first jobs, I laid the cables myself and guided customers through problems on the phone. Later it became more and more strategic and I was allowed to carry out international consolidation projects.
But even back then, I would never have dreamed that today I would be talking about the connection between sustainability and IT on stage and in workshops.
However, it is precisely this background – coupled with my direct reporting line to the Group’s Management Board – that enables me to speak to supervisory and management boards as well as employees at eye level and in their real lives.
Group know-how
I have been working for various companies since 2008. I have been able to get to know very different sectors. From the media sector and industry to the world of finance and insurance.
Together with my teams, I have developed and implemented the guidelines for the companies themselves and their suppliers in all areas.
I know what it means in practice to transform processes and involve employees at all levels.
That’s why I attach great importance to communicating in a pragmatic, approachable, solution-oriented way and, above all, at eye level – without buzzword bingo.
With heart
We will only succeed in bringing about change if people participate of their own free will and not because they are forced to.
That is why it is my mission – as a man of conviction and a climate activist in a suit – to reach people’s hearts and help ensure that everyone from the janitor to the managing director knows what needs to be done, is able to make their contribution and is motivated to act.
See also the Heartprint approach
Sustainably on the way
With Heartprint GmbH, I have the same questions and challenges as other companies.
Who do I work with?
What resources do I use?
How do I use as few resources as possible?
There are areas where this works very well.
Heartprint GmbH is consistently sustainable in areas such as finance, insurance and mobility (keyword: rail card instead of company car).
In other areas, we are still on the way.
For example, we have not yet gone far enough in terms of the website’s accessibility and resource efficiency.
However, we have decided to do what we advise our customers to do: it is better to start imperfectly than to never start “perfectly”.
… and allow ourselves to ask healthy questions in terms of time, money and effectiveness.
If you have any questions about our service providers, please let me know.
Maybe I have a tip for you.
See also the Heartprint approach
Publications, appearances, references & partnerships
As a climate activist in a suit, it is important to me to share my knowledge. I enjoy doing this on stage, but also by contributing to books or appearing on podcasts etc.
Books & contributions:
- Sustainable IT Playbook for Technology Leaders (Niklas Sundberg), contributions “Definition Heartprint” and “Putting a Sustainable IT Strategy in Place”
- Leadership for Sustainable Futures(futur/io, Harald Neidhardt), chapter “Personal journey and insights”
- Practice Guide for Digital Leaders (Lang & Preuschoff), chapter “Digitalization: Accelerator for sustainability or part of the problem?
- Sustainable management as a success factor (Martin Bethke), chapter “Sustainable management in practice using the example of Allianz
Current podcasts:
- Cloud Realities (Capgemini), episode “CR060: Being a corporate sustainability activist with Rainer Karcher“
- Unscripted – Future of Field Service
- “Learning in cool” (Jennifer Withelm), episode “IT Upskilling with Heartprint – Rainer Karcher in a podcast interview“
- The Secret Source of Innovation (HYVE – the innovation company), Episode: Digital Innovation and Sustainability – Interface or Crossroad?
- Handelskraft Digital.Business.Talk (dotSource SE), episode “Handelskraft #048: Supply Chain Act: Competitive advantage instead of mere fulfillment of obligations.
With Rainer Karcher.
References & Partnerships
Why us
There are many sustainability consultancies. Not that the topic of sustainability isn’t complicated enough. Now you can also decide who can accompany you. Here are a few good reasons to choose Heartprint.
All topics
There are many solution providers for special sustainability kit requirements.
But what do you actually need?
We’ll start with you right at the beginning.
Timetable & direction
Together we develop a feasible plan that will get you moving and make the direction of the company tangible – always together with the teams.
Facts & feeling
We combine facts, analyses and science on the one hand with the motivation and feelings of those involved on the other.
This is how movement is created.
Group know-how
As CSO in the Group, I helped to draw up the sustainability kits for suppliers myself.
Now I would like to help smaller companies with this knowledge.
Sustainability & IT
As a trained IT specialist, I consistently bring IT and sustainability into the conversation, always with the aim of automation.
AI can also find a meaningful role here.
Contact us
Would you like support and guidance with your individual sustainability challenges? Or would you simply like to discuss your situation without any obligation? You can book a free appointment for an initial consultation here:
You can also leave me a message using the contact form. I will get back to you shortly.