María Álvarez, The Corporation-SAP 

María Álvarez is a Senior License Auditor with SAP, a multinational software corporation that develops enterprise software to manage business operations and customer relations. SAP’s longstanding mission is to help the world run better and improve people’s lives. This is evident in its efforts to focus on creating a sustainable future for SAP, its customers, and society. In March 2021, the company announced its commitment to be carbon neutral by 2023. You can find more information here.

Co-leading for SAP Ireland’s Green Team since 2019, María represents SAP Galway as the first corporation to create a pollinator meadow on its campus in support of the Galway National Park City campaign.

The SAP Ireland Green team was first set up in 2015 and is ran by a group of volunteers across two locations – Galway and Dublin. Over the years, the team has run initiatives around single-use plastic awareness, waste and recycling, WEEE Recycling, electric cars, Bike-to-Work scheme, beach and forest cleaning events, talks from sustainability experts and much more. The SAP Pollinator Garden is the latest project whose goal was to reallocate a managed green area to grow wild. This allows native species to grow, which in turn attracts more pollinators ultimately increasing the biodiversity in the area. In the future, we plan to continue to develop the space for pollinators, to promote it as a place for employees to enjoy, and to incorporate elements of learning and education for all.

As a champion, María will promote the Galway National Park City within the company and work towards inspiring other corporations in Galway to think about making their green areas more biodiverse. The SAP Pollinator Garden provides a template to inspire other corporations and offer guidance on establishing this vital space for pollinators.

María loves outdoors life, going for a stroll through the woods and discovering new places and beaches are the best options for every sunny day.