A cross-interview to uncover what Porsche Japan President Philipp von Witzendorff, who is leading the company's strong performance, is seeing and thinking about now. The guest is Remi Yano, CEO of HAVARY'S, known for its paper-carton natural water "HAVARY’S JAPAN NATURAL WATER." What common aspirations do they share for the realization of a sustainable society?

“I do enjoy interacting with people who are engaged in wonderful activities.”

It has been one year since Philipp von Witzendorff took office as CEO of Porsche Japan. For President von Witzendorff, who has navigated the pandemic with full effort, exploring the deeper aspects of the Japanese market is only just beginning.

It is well known that Porsche Japan is performing strongly in terms of both sales volume and operating profit. However, what the company, and President von Witzendorff, have in sight is the advent of a sustainable society that embraces diverse values, which has already begun, and the role of the automotive industry and the Porsche brand's positioning within such a world. Therefore, interacting with fascinating individuals who possess new ideas and flexible thinking is a long-held wish for President von Witzendorff. With this in mind, OPENERS conceived a series of cross-talks between President von Witzendorff and innovative business leaders in Japan. The first installment features a conversation with Remi Yano, CEO of HAVARY'S, who leads the paper-carton natural water brand "HAVARY’S JAPAN NATURAL WATER," offering a proposal for a sustainable lifestyle.

As many of you may have noticed, when you visit a Porsche dealership, you are offered stylishly designed paper-carton natural water. That is HAVARY'S. HAVARY'S was founded in the summer of 2020. Its paper packaging, which reduces the risk of global warming by 40% compared to plastic bottles, has attracted attention from the media and companies interested in sustainability. In August 2022, a collaboration between HAVARY'S and Porsche was realized, marking a first for an imported car manufacturer. Since then, paper-carton natural water in original designs has been introduced at Porsche dealerships nationwide.

<Ms. Yano>
“HAVARY'S was founded in the summer of 2020, and with the slogan 'One bottle of water can change the world,' we have been developing natural water in paper cartons as a concrete action towards sustainability. While many companies have resonated with our philosophy, receiving an offer from Porsche Japan was a significant step for us.

Porsche is a globally renowned luxury brand. Porsche's activities have a significant impact. In fact, following this collaboration, we have been approached by other well-known companies and high-end brands expressing interest in similar collaborations.”

President von Witzendorff states that the collaboration with HAVARY'S perfectly aligned with Porsche's move towards carbon neutrality. He summarizes it as also conveying a message that questions environmental pollution caused by plastics.

<President von Witzendorff>
“It was noted that this was the first natural water in Japan to adopt paper packaging, but I was also surprised that other manufacturers had not pursued this before. And what personally makes me happiest is that the theme of this collaboration is water. Water is the world's, and the Earth's, greatest and most important asset. The theme of water is deeply connected to the oceans, which affect the Earth's climate, and thinking about water also leads to discussions about environmental issues.”

While HAVARY'S deals in mineral water, Ms. Yano emphasizes, “We are not just selling water.” Using paper cartons instead of plastic bottles is itself a statement of commitment to environmental consideration. In other words, HAVARY'S is not dealing in water, but in a message.

In fact, the majority of HAVARY'S clients are major listed companies with significant social responsibility, foreign-affiliated corporations, and well-known luxury brands.

<Ms. Yano>
“While companies are taking steps to be environmentally conscious, what about the individuals working there in their homes? Someone who drinks paper-carton water at the company might choose paper cartons over plastic bottles at home. I feel there are still challenges to overcome to reach that point.”

The trend of many companies engaging in environmental initiatives will likely accelerate further. However, Ms. Yano believes that changing individual mindsets has not yet been achieved. President von Witzendorff nods in agreement with Ms. Yano's opinion.

<President von Witzendorff>
“We want to address the issue of plastics with all our employees as a company. And we also want to work together on initiatives to transform individual mindsets.”

Ms. Yano then explains HAVARY'S next initiative to President von Witzendorff. It is an initiative to contribute to a circular economy by collecting HAVARY'S paper cartons and recycling them into toilet paper.

<President von Witzendorff>
“I would definitely like you to propose this to our dealer network. It is wonderful that we can continuously improve the environment through collaboration. Porsche Japan holds dealer meetings where all dealership representatives participate, and we would like to invite you, Ms. Yano, to our next meeting, so please give a compelling presentation.”

One of the things President von Witzendorff, who is from Germany, has noticed during his year in Japan is the strong sense of conformity within Japanese society. He speculates that, compared to individualistic Europe, mindsets can change rapidly depending on the prevailing trends.

<President von Witzendorff>
“That is precisely why it is important to convey the message. By continuously communicating the message to the market and increasing awareness and understanding, such activities will ultimately lead to significant change. However, overly bold changes are bound to fail. It is also important to find the right balance.”

Consumer behavior strongly reflects how "affluence" is perceived. For example, the shift from consuming goods to consuming experiences, and the values of generations actively engaged in consumption, have a significant impact.

There is an increasing emphasis on spiritual affluence over material affluence. For consumers, it is becoming important whether a product is sustainable and whether the company producing it has a credible story.

<Ms. Yano>
“Of course, material things are important for living. Cars are necessary for transportation, and clothes are necessary for daily life. The values associated with choosing which car to drive are now emphasized, and it has become important to consider what materials are used in clothing.”

<President von Witzendorff>
“What Ms. Yano says is absolutely true. Affluence is now barely related to money, and various survey results indicate that being wealthy does not necessarily equate to happiness. On an individual level, the experience of the pandemic has strengthened our focus on health. Initially, the focus was on individual health, but now we are moving to the next stage, recognizing that the planet must also be healthy for us to have good food.”

President von Witzendorff also states that the social responsibility of companies is increasing. This is because it is the role of companies to develop technologies to solve environmental problems, and also to support changes in lifestyle and consciousness.

Furthermore, for companies to continue their efforts sustainably, a cycle of generating profits and reinvesting them is necessary. Companies that fulfill such social responsibilities are the ones chosen by consumers.

<President von Witzendorff>
“Regarding HAVARY'S, I hope they will continue to grow. This will enable even more impactful collaborations. I am looking forward to it.”

Philipp von Witzendorff
President of Porsche Japan. After holding management positions at Mercedes-Benz in Canada, Germany, and other overseas markets, he served as a board member of Porsche Retail Hamburg, a directly managed subsidiary of Porsche in Germany, from April 2019. He assumed his current position on July 1, 2022.

Remi Yano
CEO of HAVARY'S. After graduating from university, she worked on Middle East projects at a technology trading company while also serving as an executive at her family's mineral water manufacturing business. She founded HAVARY'S Inc. in June 2020 and established a recycling ecosystem in November 2022 to promote the circulation of paper resources. The sustainable paper-carton water developed by HAVARY'S Inc. has been adopted by Porsche authorized dealerships since August 2022.