Leading our sales strategy is John Kirwan, VP of Sales, whose expertise and vision have been key to expanding our client base and entering new markets. In this interview, we explore John’s sales philosophy, the challenges clients commonly face, and his outlook on the future of the industry.
1. What drew you to the world of sales and how has your journey led you to your current role as VP of Sales at Dayrize?
Sales has always felt like a natural fit for me. As someone who’s always been driven by competition – whether on the football pitch or in business – sales offered a unique mix of relationship-building and strategic problem-solving. My journey began in consumer technology at NTL, where I saw firsthand how technology can transform people’s lives.
From there, I gravitated towards companies pushing the boundaries—organisations leading the way in innovation. Dayrize is exactly that kind of company, but with the added benefit of making a real, positive impact on the world. Our mission to keep consumption within planetary and societal boundaries resonates deeply with me, and it’s incredibly rewarding to combine cutting-edge technology with a sense of purpose in my role here.
2. What markets are you focused on, and how do you see them evolving in the future?
Our focus spans three key sectors: retailers, brands, and management consultancies. These industries are uniquely positioned to benefit from our sustainability intelligence as they’re under increasing pressure to prove their commitment to sustainability while maintaining commercial success. Retailers are seeking ways to stock more sustainable products, brands are navigating the challenges of eco-conscious manufacturing, and consultancies need actionable insights to guide their clients.
As the market evolves, sustainability is transitioning from being a ‘nice-to-have’ to a vital business driver. Companies are recognising that sustainability is essential for long-term success, both from a regulatory perspective and in meeting consumer expectations. The exciting opportunities lie in helping businesses turn sustainability into a competitive advantage, which is becoming a major influence on buying decisions and brand loyalty.
3. When working with new clients, what do you find they struggle with the most? What’s the biggest need for our solution?
The greatest challenge I see across industries is the sheer complexity of measuring sustainability and turning it into something actionable. Many clients come to us because they lack the tools or frameworks to evaluate their products in a way that’s both meaningful and easy to communicate. There’s often a disconnect between what businesses want to achieve in terms of sustainability and the practical steps they need to take.
Our solution bridges that gap. Through our scoring system, we simplify the process and offer actionable insights. Instead of drowning in data, clients get a clear picture of where they stand and how to improve. This transparency is essential, especially as businesses face growing accountability—not just to regulators, but also to their customers.
4. How easy is it for new clients to get started with Dayrize? What’s the onboarding process like?
We’ve designed our onboarding process to be as seamless as possible. From the moment a client signs up, our dedicated Customer Success team supports them. We start by aligning with their unique goals and creating a clear roadmap. Our technical team ensures smooth integration with their systems, and our Business Analytics team works closely with them to help interpret and act on the data we provide.
The personalisation of our approach sets us apart. We don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all solution. Each client’s needs are unique, and we tailor the onboarding process to reflect that. This ensures that clients see the value of our solution quickly and can start leveraging our insights to drive sustainability improvements from day one.
5. What are some memorable milestones you’ve reached with the sales team that you’re particularly proud of?
We operate at pace, and every day presents a milestone we must hit. A standout achievement has been our success with some of the world’s largest, category-leading retailers. These organisations come with incredibly complex requirements, and we’ve not only demonstrated that our proposition is highly differentiated, but we’ve also proven our ability to scale on demand. This success has solidified our position in the market, showing that we can deliver at scale.
What’s particularly exciting is that our platform’s flexibility, built to serve the biggest players, has enabled us to offer the same nuanced, differentiated approach to much smaller, sustainability-focused businesses. Our technology’s ability to handle an extensive range of consumer products—from food and beverages to home goods, apparel, gardenware, and furniture—has been key to this versatility. It’s this adaptability that makes our solution so impactful across organisations of all sizes.
6. How is the company’s growth strategy aligned with its mission and long-term objectives?
Our growth strategy is deeply rooted in our mission to score every consumer product in the world. As we expand, we’re not just increasing our client base, but also refining our scoring methodology and amplifying our impact. We’re making sure our technology is accessible to more businesses and that the insights we provide are both actionable and transformative.
In the long run, we aim to become the global standard for product sustainability scoring, which aligns perfectly with our mission of driving consumption within planetary and societal boundaries. Every new client we onboard, every product we score, brings us one step closer to that goal.
7. What role does technology play in enhancing your sales efforts, and are there any tools or innovations you’re excited about?
Technology is at the core of how we engage with clients and scale our sales efforts. One of the most exciting innovations we’re using is our Automated Inference Scoring methodology, which enables us to deliver precise, data-driven insights at scale. This allows us to provide value to clients quickly while engaging in deeper, more strategic conversations.
Tools like CRM systems have been crucial in managing client relationships, but what excites me most is how we’re integrating our scoring platform into their systems, making sustainability insights a natural part of their decision-making process.
8. What advice would you give to companies struggling to scale their sustainability operations?
My advice is to start with clarity. Sustainability can feel overwhelming, but it’s important to break it down into manageable steps. Understand your baseline—where do you stand today? Then, focus on the areas where you can make the biggest impact first.
Don’t try to tackle everything at once. It’s better to make meaningful progress in one or two areas than spread yourself too thin. And lastly, use data and technology. Clear, actionable insights are key to tracking progress and ensuring your sustainability efforts are both effective and scalable.
9. Are there any partnerships or collaborations that have been key to your success in growing the client base?
Absolutely. Partnerships have been crucial to our growth. Our collaboration with consultancies like PwC has not only expanded our reach but has also enabled us to provide even greater value to clients. By combining our data-driven insights with their industry expertise, we help businesses navigate the complexities of sustainability more effectively.
Additionally, working with global retailers and brands has shown the scalability of our solution and the real-world impact we can achieve together.
10. What’s your vision for the future of this industry, and where do you see your team heading in the next few years?
The future of this industry is one where sustainability is no longer an option—it’s embedded in every business decision. As more companies realise the importance of sustainability to their long-term success, I see Dayrize leading the charge by providing the data and insights they need to make informed choices.
Over the next few years, our team will continue to expand Dayrize’s footprint across new markets, drive adoption of our scoring technology, and help more businesses align their operations with sustainability goals. We’ll be scaling globally, bringing our mission to the forefront of industry conversations, and ensuring sustainability becomes actionable for everyone.
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