Impact Talk with DE-VAU-GE

About DE-VAU-GE:

DE-VAU-GE is one of the leading manufacturers of vegetarian and plant-based food in the German-speaking market. The company produces a broad range of products for retail and international brand partners across several locations in Germany. With a strong focus on quality, food safety, and sustainable production, DE-VAU-GE is committed to long-term corporate development and responsible growth.

Our interviewees:

• Mr Jürgen Ridder, Executive Management – DE-VAU-GE

• Mr Stephan Dorner, CEO - risk on mind

“Mr Ridder, what was the trigger for collaborating with risk on mind?”

Mr Ridder (DE-VAU-GE):
“We were facing a situation that many industrial companies are currently familiar with. In the context of insurance requirements, investments in the millions were being discussed. At the same time, it was not clearly provable whether these measures were actually necessary in this form and what concrete benefits they would bring to our company. Against the backdrop of a challenging economic environment, we had to ensure that every euro invested achieved the greatest possible added value.

That is why we decided to work with risk on mind to first analyze the actual risks of our locations before making far-reaching investment decisions.”

“Mr Dorner, how did you approach this task?”

Mr Dorner (risk on mind):
“Our approach is to evaluate risks based on facts and to recommend investments where they achieve the greatest impact.

At DE-VAU-GE, we intensively examined two major German production sites. The focus here was particularly on property asset protection and actual loss potentials. Although the sites feature large building areas, the analysis showed that fire loads and risk potentials in many areas were significantly lower than originally assumed.

Instead of pursuing blanket protection concepts, we identified the risk-relevant areas and assessed the actual hazards.”

“Mr Ridder, what insights were gained from this?”

Mr Ridder (DE-VAU-GE):
"The greatest insight was that not all areas of our company are equally critical. The risk analysis we conducted, and in particular the Business Impact Analysis we launched later, clearly showed which processes and areas are actually business-critical and which risks have a relevant impact on our business operations.

This enabled us to prioritize investments in a targeted manner. Instead of implementing comprehensive protection measures across all locations, we are focusing on the areas with the highest benefit and the greatest risk reduction."

“What role does Business Continuity Management play here?”

Mr Dorner (risk on mind):
"Business Continuity Management is the next logical step. Together with DE-VAU-GE, we did not just look at risks, but also analyzed what impact failures of individual processes would have on the company.

The results of the Business Impact Analysis confirmed that selective protection of critical areas is significantly more effective than widespread protection of all equipment and buildings. In this way, much more resilience can be generated with a reduced budget.

In our view, this is modern risk management: not investing as much as possible, but investing as effectively as possible."

“Mr Ridder, how do you evaluate the collaboration so far?”

Mr Ridder (DE-VAU-GE):
"We were particularly impressed by the practical and economic approach. risk on mind does not view risks in isolation, but always in connection with our corporate goals and the economic framework conditions.

This has provided us with a reliable basis for our decisions, allowing us to prioritize investments in a transparent and traceable way. At the same time, we are creating more transparency for insurers and other stakeholders."

“Why did you choose a long-term collaboration?”

Mr Ridder (DE-VAU-GE):
"Risk management is not a one-off project, but a continuous process. That is why we decided early on to set up the collaboration for the long term and establish it bindingly for the coming years.

Our goal is to build up a sustainable and effective risk management system that continuously evolves and can be adapted to new challenges. With risk on mind, we have found a partner that combines technical expertise with business understanding."

“Mr Dorner, what are your key takeaways from this project?”

Mr Dorner (risk on mind)::
“DE-VAU-GE is a prime example of how effective risk management does not necessarily have to involve high investments. Often, the greatest value lies in making risks transparent, setting priorities, and using resources effectively.

The results already show today that by combining risk analysis, property asset protection, and Business Continuity Management, better decisions can be made and investments can be deployed where they generate the greatest benefit for corporate security. That is exactly what we at risk on mind mean by sustainable risk management.”