Schedule of Events
Sessions, workshops, and confirmed speakers are subject to change.
Tuesday, November 12
7:30 am-7:30 pm
Conference Registration
10:00 am-6:00 pm
Headshot Photo Station
A professional head shot makes a lasting impression. Tell the world who you truly are and update your headshot at BSR19.
12:00 pm-6:00 pm
Coaching for Impact: Enhance Your Health, Happiness, and Professional Fulfillment
Do you have a challenge that you would like to explore at a deeper level or consider from a different perspective? A focused coaching session can provide you with the tools
and framing that you need to move forward. BSR19 participants will receive an opportunity to register for a 20-minute coaching session with Elissa Goldenberg, Founder and President of EG Coaching & Consulting.
1:30 pm-4:30 pm
BSR Member Forum
Leading up to the start of BSR19, this intimate event will bring together leaders from our global network of member companies to share challenges, explore best practices, and network.
See the Full Agenda
4:30 pm-5:30 pm
Zero Waste Welcome Reception
Sponsored by Target
5:45 pm-6:05 pm
Conference Opening: Aron Cramer, President and CEO, BSR
Aron is recognized globally as a preeminent authority on sustainable business. In addition to leading BSR, which has grown substantially throughout his tenure as President and CEO, Aron advises senior executives at BSR’s more than 250 member companies and other global businesses on the full spectrum of social and environmental issues.
Aron joined BSR in 1995 as the founding director of its Business and Human Rights Program, and later opened BSR's Paris office in 2002, where he worked until becoming President and CEO in 2004. Aron serves on advisory boards to CEOs at Barrick Gold, Marks & Spencer, and SAP, and previously for AXA, Shell, and Nike. He is also a director of the Natural Capital Coalition, the International Integrated Reporting Council, and We Mean Business, and serves as a member of the Steering Council for the World Economic Forum’s Board of Stewards of its Future of Consumption System Initiative.
Aron speaks frequently at leading business forums and is widely quoted in top-tier media such as the Financial Times, Le Figaro (France), The New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal. He is co-author of the book Sustainable Excellence: The Future of Business in a Fast-Changing World, which spotlights innovative sustainability strategies that enable business success.
Prior to joining BSR, Aron practiced law in San Francisco and worked as a journalist at ABC News in New York. He holds a B.A. from Tufts University and a J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.
6:05 pm-6:30 pm
Plenary Spotlight: Tan Le, CEO and Founder, Emotiv
Tan Le,
CEO and Founder, Emotiv
Tan Le is an innovator, inventor, and entrepreneur; she is the founder and CEO of EMOTIV. Born in South Vietnam, Le migrated to Australia as a refugee with her family in 1981. Le began university studies at the age of 16 and went on to complete a bachelor's degree with honors in law and commerce in 1998 at Monash University. In 1998, Le was named Young Australian of the Year and voted one of Australia's 30 Most Successful Women Under 30. Le's story was featured in the 'Hope' section of the Eternity Exhibition of the National Museum of Australia. Le has been featured in "Who's Who in Australia" List since 1999, Fast Company's Most Influential Women in Technology in 2010, and Forbes' 50 Names You Need to Know in 2011. Le has been honored by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader since 2009. Le was named a National Geographic Emerging Explorer in 2013. She currently serves on the Board of Stewards on Shaping the Future of Information and Entertainment of the World Economic Forum and the Global Future Council on the Future of Neurotechnologies and Brain Science of the World Economic Forum.
Follow Tan @TanTTLe.
6:30 pm-7:15 pm
Plenary Address: Shannon Watts, Founder, Moms Demand Action
Shannon Watts is a mother of five who, prior to founding Moms Demand Action, was a stay-at-home mom and former communications executive. The day after the Sandy Hook tragedy, she started a Facebook group with the message that all Americans can and should do more to reduce gun violence. The online conversation turned into a grassroots movement of Americans fighting for public safety measures that protect people from gun violence. Moms Demand Action has established a chapter in every state and is part of Everytown for Gun Safety, the largest gun violence prevention organization in the U.S., with nearly 6 million supporters. In addition to her work with Moms Demand Action, Watts is an active board member of Emerge America, one of the nation’s leading organizations for recruiting and training women to run for office. Her book, Fight Like a Mother, was released in May of 2019. In 2018, Watts was named as one of PEOPLE’s 25 Women Changing the World and profiled in InStyle’s annual “Badass Woman” series.
Follow Shannon @shannonrwatts.
7:15 pm-8:30 pm
Local Harvest Dinner
8:30 pm-10:00 pm
Dessert and Networking
Wednesday, November 13
7:00 am-6:00 pm
Conference Registration
7:30 am-3:30 pm
Work Pods sponsored by International Copper Association
Sponsored by International Copper Association
7:30 am-3:30 pm
Meditation Studio sponsored by Target
A room to think and recharge.
Sponsored by Target
7:30 am-8:30 am
Breakfast
8:30 am-8:55 am
Plenary Spotlight: Sam Liccardo, Mayor of San Jose, City of San Jose, California
Sam Liccardo,
Mayor of San Jose, City of San Jose, California
Since Mayor Sam Liccardo took office in 2015, San Jose has thrived. In his very first year, Liccardo settled intense battles over pension reform with 11 unions, saving taxpayers US$3 billion over the next three decades and enabling the restoration of San Jose’s police force. Since then, he has led the most successful period of economic growth in the City’s history, announcing major expansions from employers like Adobe, Apple, Broadcom, and Google. Liccardo has also implemented innovative approaches to reduce homelessness—such as converting motels, expanding work-first programs, and building “tiny home” villages—while working with community partners to house more than 1,000 homeless veterans. Furthermore, he has helped broaden prosperity in San Jose by launching after-school programs in less affluent neighborhoods, providing jobs for 2,000 at-risk teens, teaming with community colleges to eliminate tuition for low-income students, and lifting the minimum wage across the region. Liccardo has also co-led successful measures to bring Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) and other transit improvements to San Jose and protect its hillsides and open spaces from sprawling development. In 2018, San Jose residents overwhelmingly re-elected Liccardo, with 76% of the vote.
Follow Sam @sliccardo.
8:55 am-9:20 am
Plenary Spotlight: Roald Lapperre, Vice Minister for the Environment, Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, Netherlands
9:20 am-10:00 am
Plenary Address: Hubert Joly, Executive Chairman, Best Buy Co. Inc.
Hubert Joly,
Executive Chairman, Best Buy Co. Inc.
Hubert Joly is Executive Chairman of Best Buy Co. Inc. In this role, he leads the board of directors while advising and supporting the CEO on key matters, such as strategy, capability building, M&A, and external relationships. He also may assume certain responsibilities at the request of the CEO, in areas such as government relations, community relations, and leadership development. Joly joined Best Buy in 2012 and served as the company’s CEO until June 2019. He led the company through its much publicized Renew Blue transformation. The transformation resulted in improvements in customer satisfaction, market share gains, revenue growth, and improved margins. Joly then led Best Buy into its next phase, Best Buy 2020: Building the New Blue. This growth strategy aims to enrich lives through technology by addressing key human needs in entertainment, productivity, communication, food, security, and health and wellness. Under Joly’s leadership, Best Buy committed to preparing youth from underserved communities for the tech-reliant jobs of the future. Additionally, the company is on a path to reduce its carbon footprint by 60 percent.
Follow Hubert @BBYCEO.
10:00 am-10:30 am
Networking Break
10:30 am-12:00 pm
Breakout Sessions and Workshops
- A ‘Future of Work’ That Works for Women
The rise of automation and the flourishing of artificial intelligence, among many other new and profound disruptions, stand to transform labor markets around the world in a manner that holds significant implications for women in the workplace. It remains to be seen, however, whether the new dynamics of the “Future of Work” will help or hinder progress toward gender parity in the workplace. This panel will explore how companies are addressing the shifting work scenarios and disruptive technologies to ensure their female workforce is being adequately supported, afforded equal opportunities to advance, and are actively involved in creating the technology tools and solutions being deployed. Hear from a select group of corporate decision-makers working to minimize the risks to women’s employment and maximize the opportunity for women to succeed.
Speakers
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Luciana Duarte, VP and Global Head, Employee Experience, HP Inc.
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Althea Erickson, Head of Global Advocacy and Policy, Etsy
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Joel Simon, Managing Director, Workforce Strategy, Burning Glass Technologies
- Aligning Materiality and Risk Management to Ignite Change
While a materiality assessment is a key tool for sustainability teams, it is too often developed in silo from other corporate tools such as enterprise risk management (ERM). There are opportunities to align materiality and ERM processes in a way that can build stronger connections to serve the core business. This interactive session will use a live example to understand connections between materiality and risk management and explore opportunities to bridge and enhance both risk and sustainability assessments.
Speakers
- Building Stakeholder Trust in 2019
In 2019, the question of how to build and retain trust—among investors, regulators, customers, suppliers, civil society organizations, and the general public—is the most pressing challenge facing business. The stakes have never been higher. The average tenure of a business on the S&P 500 shrank from 33 years in 1964 to 24 years in 2016 and is forecast to last a mere 12 years by 2027. Competition, innovation and technological disruption, while important drivers, tell only part of the story. If a business is not trusted by its stakeholders, it will not be able to maintain revenue, let alone grow, and soon may find its very existence imperiled. Therefore, approaches to stakeholder engagement have shifted their focus from managing risk to building trust. This interactive workshop will explore how to refine and evolve stakeholder engagement efforts to respond to these new dynamics.
Speakers
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Celine Suarez, Executive Director, Global Sustainable Finance, Morgan Stanley
- The New Climate for Resilience: Leveraging TCFD Scenario Analysis to Manage Climate Risks
Over 450 companies have now expressed their support for the TCFD Recommendations, which include integrating climate risks and opportunities into business processes and conducting climate scenario analysis. Learn from companies using the TCFD recommendations as a framework for both reporting and climate change management. Those implementing the recommendations on scenario analysis have a further opportunity not only to engage with investors but to enhance strategic resilience. This interactive session will also provide participants with hands-on experience using scenarios to navigate an uncertain climate future.
Speakers
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David Wei, Director, Climate, BSR (Moderator)
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Jacob Park, Director, Sustainable Futures Lab, BSR (Moderator)
- The Secret to Transparent, Traceable Supply Chains
Explore how to design and implement deliberately transparent, traceable, and sustainable supply chains. During this interactive workshop, participants will look at real-life case studies of companies that are using technology, new collaborative approaches, and unusual partnerships to transform supply chains and create traceability stories for consumers. Participants will then work in groups to apply the learnings to a supply chain of their choice.
Speakers
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Leandro Nunes, Vice President, Product Development and Innovation, Mastercard
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Abigail Kroon, Manager, Coffee Traceability, Starbucks
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Natalie F. Grillon, Project Director, Open Apparel Registry
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Jayson Berryhill, Partner, (en)visible
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Michael Rohwer, Director, Information and Communications Technology, BSR (Moderator)
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Tara Norton, Managing Director, BSR (Moderator)
12:00 pm-1:00 pm
Lunch
1:00 pm-1:15 pm
Plenary Spotlight: Miranda Ballentine, CEO, Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance
Miranda Ballentine,
CEO, Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance (REBA)
Miranda Ballentine is the CEO of REBA, an alliance of clean energy buyers, developers, service providers, and NGOs that are unlocking the marketplace for a cleaner, prosperous, zero-carbon energy future. REBA members were involved in 100 percent of corporate large renewables deals in 2018. Ballentine was previously CEO of Constant Power, a DER company, as well as managing director of RMI’s Business Renewables Center. From 2014-2017, she served President Obama as assistant secretary of the Air Force (Installations, Environment, and Energy). She was responsible for a US$9 billion energy budget and launched the Resilient Energy Demonstration Initiative, developing clean, cyber-secure microgrids. Previously, Ballentine was Walmart’s director of sustainability for renewable energy. She led a global team to achieve Walmart’s 100 percent renewable energy goal, identifying more than US$1 billion in annual energy savings and 9 million metric tons of avoided GHGs.
Follow Miranda @RenewableBuyers.
1:15 pm-1:45 pm
Plenary Spotlight: Kevin Roose, Technology Columnist, New York Times
Kevin Roose,
Technology Columnist, New York Times
Kevin Roose is a bestselling author and award-winning technology columnist for The New York Times. His column, "The Shift," examines the intersection of tech, business, and culture. In his new book, Futureproof: 9 Rules for Machine-Age Humans (forthcoming from Random House, 2020), Roose lays out a practical guide to human survival in the age of A.I., automation, screen overload, and other worrying technological trends. His previous books, Young Moneyand The Unlikely Disciple, explored the worlds of young Wall Street bankers and evangelical Christian college students. Previously, Roose was a writer at New York magazine and the executive producer and co-host of "Real Future," a documentary TV series about technology and innovation. His work has been published in GQ, Esquire, Vanity Fair, and other publications, and he is a regular guest on "The Daily," the New York Times's daily news podcast. He lives in the Bay Area.
Follow Kevin @kevinroose.
1:45 pm-2:30 pm
Plenary Panel: Putting Climate On the Agenda
Greg Dalton founded Climate One at The Commonwealth Club in 2007 after traveling to the Arctic aboard a Russian ice breaker with climate scientists and journalists. Today, Climate One produces a weekly radio show broadcast on public stations in California and around the country, in addition to a rapidly growing weekly podcast. Climate One is the only regular talk show that engages high-level leaders from business, policy, advocacy, and academic circles in a conversation about building resilient communities, sustainable economies, and a healthier future. Previously, Dalton was a journalist for 12 years covering news in Beijing, Vancouver, New York, and San Francisco for the Associated Press, South China Morning Post, McNeil-Lehrer News Hour, and Industry Standard magazine.
Follow Greg @climateone.
Amy Harder covers energy and climate change for Axios and writes a weekly column called Harder Line. Previously, she covered similar issues for The Wall Street Journal, based out of its Washington, D.C., bureau. Harder was the inaugural journalism fellow for the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute in the 2018-2019 school year, contributing to the school’s work through events, workshops, and other discussions. She has appeared on PBS NewsHour, MSNBC, CBS, and NPR, among many other media outlets. She is regularly sought out to speak and participate in events, including moderating and participating in panel discussions and giving speeches in Washington and throughout the country.
Follow Amy @AmyAHarder.
Patrick Temple-West is a journalist at the Financial Times in New York covering ESG and sustainability issues. He has written recently about asset managers, rulemakers in the ESG sector—such as the Sustainable Accounting Standards Board—as well as the sustainable investing deals involving biofuels and recyclable coffee cups. Before joining the Financial Times in July, Temple-West was in Washington, D.C., covering financial regulations and he reported internationally from Brazil, Nigeria, Taiwan, and Turkey. Earlier in his career, he was a correspondent for Reuters.
Follow Patrick @Temple_West.
2:30 pm-3:00 pm
Networking Break
3:15 pm-4:15 pm
Breakout Sessions
- Investor Relations in the New Era of ESG Scrutiny
After years of hard work by investors and NGOs, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink’s annual letter to CEOs shows how sustainability has vaulted to the top of the agenda in investor relations. Investors are increasingly pushing companies to take new actions, improve their reporting, and come up the learning curve—quickly. What should companies do to respond to the increase in investor scrutiny, and how can they work with their investor relations teams to turn ESG demand into sustainable business impact? Learn from speakers as they share their experiences at the intersection of corporate sustainability, investor relations, and shareholder demand.
Speakers
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Conrad MacKerron, Senior Vice President, As You Sow
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Sarah Dyson, Head, Corporate Responsibility and Corporate Reporting, GSK
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Harriet Howey, Head of Global Sustainability Reporting , Diageo
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Dazzle Bhujwala, Senior Manager, Investor Network, Ceres
- Leading Radical Change through Collaboration
Business leaders who are steering BSR’s largest collaborations will share what it takes to tackle a company's most critical sustainability challenges. What mindsets, talents, and business model transformations are needed to collaborate with peers and stakeholders, and what leadership qualities enable companies to achieve radical change?
Speakers
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Fernando Basch, Partner, Bruchou, Fernández Madero & Lombardi
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Soo Shim, Chief of Staff, SAP Ariba and SAP Fieldglass
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Daniel Smith, Director, Sustainability, Crowley Maritime
- The New Climate for Ever-Evolving Technology
New and disruptive technologies, such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and the Internet of Things, are being deployed across all industries—everything from financial services to retail, mining to automotive, and logistics to healthcare. The adoption of these technologies brings significant implications for company sustainability strategies: New material issues will arise, salient human rights impacts will change, and different stakeholders will need to join the table. What can companies from outside the technology industry learn from those that have faced these issues over the past decade?
Speakers
- The New Climate for Inclusive Growth: The Business Response to Income Inequality
Growing income inequality and declining social mobility have created social, economic, and political instability in many parts of the world. In addition, this presents a challenge to the social license to operate for business. Failure to address a growing sense of economic vulnerability is leading to a backlash against the very idea of capitalism. At the same time, many businesses are exploring ways in which they can modernize their approach to wage dispersion and stagnation, and affordability of goods and services, to address economic insecurity. This session will explore questions on living wage, executive pay and tax structures, and experiments on introducing a universal basic income, which are increasingly garnering attention.
Speakers
- Standardizing and Scaling Up: Climate Resilience Across Value Chains
Climate change impacts—including more frequent and intense extreme weather events, warming temperatures, and drought—already affect businesses and communities along company value chains. As more companies recognize the urgency to reduce climate risk to maintain productivity, they face a significant challenge in developing resilience strategies: the absence of universal metrics and standards to quantify the benefits. Explore the opportunities and options in setting adaptation targets, defining a framework for results, and maximizing the benefits of resilience for communities along company value chains.
Speakers
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Shannon Siart, Manager, Climate Strategy and Sustainability Initiatives, Hewlett Packard Enterprise
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Yui Kamikawa, Senior Manager, Public Policy, Global Sustainability, The Coca-Cola Company
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Marshall Chase, Director, Sustainability, Micron Technology
5:45 pm-7:15 pm
San Pedro Square Dine Around
• Exit Fairmont San Jose
• Turn right (northwest) on South Market Street
• Walk 0.2 miles
• Turn left on West Santa Clara Street
• Walk one block to North San Pedro Street
Thursday, November 14
7:00 am-3:00 pm
Meditation Studio sponsored by Target
Sponsored by Target
7:00 am-4:00 pm
Conference Registration
7:15 am-8:30 am
Private Event: From Promise to Practice: Making the Case for Children’s Rights and Business
Global Child Forum and BSR would like to invite you to a breakfast event on " From Promise to Practice: Making the Case for Children’s Rights and Business" on Thursday, November 14th, 2019 from 7:15-8:30 a.m. This breakfast marks the 30th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child as well as the launch of Global Child Forum’s flagship report, The State of Children’s Rights and Business 2019 – the most extensive report of its kind, benchmarking approximately 700 global companies on how they respect, respond to, and report on children’s rights issues. This session will also include perspectives from leading companies within the ICT, consumer goods, and industrial sectors.
Sponsored by Global Child Forum
7:30 am-3:00 pm
Work Pods sponsored by International Copper Association
Sponsored by International Copper Association
7:30 am-8:30 am
Breakfast
8:30 am-9:00 am
Plenary Spotlight: Simone Niven, Group Executive, Corporate Relations, Rio Tinto
Simone Niven,
Group Executive, Corporate Relations, Rio Tinto
Simone Niven was appointed Corporate Relations Group executive in January 2017. She joined Rio Tinto in 2008 and has accountability for the Group’s reputation and corporate relations areas: external affairs, communities, media, brand, reputation, and employee communications. She also has responsibility for the leadership of the country and regional office teams including Africa, Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, the U.K., and the U.S. Prior to joining Rio Tinto, Niven spent over 15 years working in senior roles at some of the world’s largest companies across many continents, including Vodafone, the United Technologies group, Smiths Group plc, and Smith & Nephew plc in a range of corporate relations fields.
Follow Simone @RioTinto.
9:00 am-9:45 am
Plenary Address: Stephen Badger, Chairman, Board of Directors, Mars, Incorporated
Stephen Badger,
Chairman, Board of Directors, Mars, Incorporated
Stephen Badger serves as Chairman of Mars, Incorporated’s Board of Directors. He was a key investor in Seeds of Change, an organic seed and food company, and also served as President. As Global Director of Corporate Affairs, Badger led Mars to be the first company among its food and confectionery peers to eliminate marketing its products to children under 12, a move which has since shaped industry-wide practices. Badger also financed and produced the film Muscle Shoals which premiered at Sundance to a standing ovation in 2013.
Follow Stephen @MarsGlobal.
9:45 am-10:15 am
Networking Break
10:15 am-11:15 am
Breakout Sessions
- Business and the Biodiversity Crisis
In the coming decades, 1 million of the world's 8 million plant and animal species are at risk of disappearing from Earth. Business intervention has never been more important. In advance of the 2020 Biodiversity Convention and the New Nature Action Agenda, participants will hone in on the crucial, but not always obvious, role of business in conservation and biodiversity protection. Explore nature-based solutions to climate, wildlife trading and its impact on conservation and livelihood, the role of business in creating healthy ecosystems, and more during this timely discussion.
Speakers
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Helen Crowley, Senior Advisor, Resilient Supply Chains, Conservation International
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Tim Reilly, NRDA Program Manager, Stantec
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Sissel Waage, Independent Strategic Advisor, Environmental and Sustainability Initiatives
- Future-Proofing Human Rights Due Diligence (2-hour workshop)
The world around us is changing at an increasingly rapid pace, with new technologies, shifting social norms, and turbulent politics transforming the circumstances in which business is expected to meet its responsibility to respect human rights. In this context, one big question looms large: Is the business and human rights field equipped to identify, and effectively mitigate, the potentially adverse impacts of the future? This interactive, extended, two-hour workshop will explore new approaches to human rights due diligence designed to help companies identify and address the uncertain human rights impacts of a rapidly changing world. Participants should expect to attend for the full two hours.
Speakers
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Alexandria Walden, Counsel, Free Expression & Human Rights, Google
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Nicole Karlebach, Global Head, Business and Human Rights, Verizon Media
- Smashing the Patriarchy: The Limits and Risks of Corporate Feminism
As women’s rights have risen on the political agenda, companies have sought to align themselves with feminism as a social movement. This has led to successful advertising campaigns, revamped brand images, and product marketing that connects with women. Yet the backlash against ‘corporate feminism’ is growing, with many pointing out that feminism is a political movement for the liberation of women, requiring political changes that will threaten and disrupt existing business models. Are companies aware of the demands of feminism? What role can companies play in supporting women’s rights, without exposing themselves to charges of hypocrisy or deliberate diluting of radical demands?
Speakers
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Ayesha Barenblat, Founder and CEO, Remake
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Hilary Pickles , North American Grant Maker and Charitable Giving Ambassador, LUSH
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Jennifer Berry, Global Vice President, Managing Partner, Publicis Sapient
- Using Technology to Monitor and Improve Supply Chains: Lessons from the Field
Thanks to new technology, supply chain management is going digital. Technological advances are changing how products and services are made and delivered and enabling the creation and sharing of supply chain information in new ways. This has extended to the growing ability to monitor and manage sustainability impacts in supply chains. This panel will explore how digital tools actually work in practice to gain traceability and visibility and better manage those impacts: How are brands using technology to mitigate climate risk in supply chains? How does forest satellite monitoring really work? We will also debate whether using technology is always better—what are its limitations, and how can we use these new tools to benefit those in the supply chain, such as smallholders, who are most in need?
Speakers
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Virginia Covo, Global Director, Sustainability Supply Chain, ABinBev
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Thibault Gravier, Co-founder, TRANSITIONS
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Robin Barr, Head of U.S. and Canada, Earthworm Foundation
11:30 am-12:30 pm
Breakout Sessions
- Future-Proofing Human Rights Due Diligence (2-hour workshop, continued)
The world around us is changing at an increasingly rapid pace, with new technologies, shifting social norms, and turbulent politics transforming the circumstances in which business is expected to meet its responsibility to respect human rights. In this context, one big question looms large: Is the business and human rights field equipped to identify, and effectively mitigate, the potentially adverse impacts of the future? This interactive, extended two-hour workshop will explore new approaches to human rights due diligence designed to help companies identify and address the uncertain human rights impacts of a rapidly changing world. Participants should expect to attend for the full two hours.
Speakers
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Alexandria Walden, Counsel, Free Expression & Human Rights, Google
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Nicole Karlebach, Global Head, Business and Human Rights, Verizon Media
- Making Big Bets: From Pilot Testing to Scalable Impact
Today’s rapidly changing world requires companies to make big bets in order to achieve their future goals—but how do they make the initial leap? There are innumerable factors to weigh before identifying the right pilot and testing it. And once a pilot is in place, how do companies transition to scaling the program to meet the desired commitment? Join us for this candid discussion and learn from companies that have made progress on their ambitious goals.
Speakers
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Mary Jane Melendez, Chief Sustainability and Social Impact Officer, General Mills
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Ali Hartman, Director, Head of Global Citizenship, KKR
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Maisie Devine, Global Director, Sustainability Fund and Accelerator, AB InBev
- Next-Generation Sustainability Governance and Organizational Change
Organizational change requires governance structures that break through silos and enable cross-functional strategy and accountability. These structures require closer coordination between the sustainability, ethics and compliance, and government/corporate affairs functions, among others. Yet when sustainability governance structures rely on shared ownership and indirect influence, how can we ensure effectiveness? At the same time, the sustainability function has evolved significantly over the last decade, yet governance structures have not. As of 2018, there were still only 44 chief sustainability officers at publicly traded companies in the U.S., highlighting the fact that sustainability does not gain the C-suite visibility it deserves. How can real progress be made without integrating sustainability into the agenda of executive-level committees? Hear from companies who have created unique organizational structures to help embed sustainability into core business strategy.
Speakers
- The New Climate for Corporate Political Accountability
As companies taking stands on social and political issues has become the norm, business find themselves on the receiving end of calls for corporate political accountability. lobbying practices, political contributions, and political associations are being heavily scrutinized by stakeholders across the spectrum, from shareholders to employees, customers, and investors. This session explores reasons why political accountability matters to all stakeholders, best practices in corporate efforts, and lessons learned by corporations and stakeholders on this topic. Though the Corporate Political Disclosure and Accountability Index shows there has been a, “trend toward enhanced accountability, transparency, compliance, and oversight across all corporate sectors,” since 2011, but there remains much more to be done. We will dive into the three pillars of this issue: direct corporation and corporate sponsored PAC contributions, corporate lobbying efforts on ESG issues, and corporate involvement in industry associations that take positions on ESG issues. Join us for this timely discussion in the midst of a polarizing U.S. election cycle that affects business now more than ever.
Speakers
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Sheila Krumholz, Executive Director, Center for Responsive Politics
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Jonas Kron, Senior Vice President, Shareholder Advocacy, Trillium Asset Management
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Daniel T. Bross, Former Senior Director, Business and Corporate Responsibility, Microsoft
12:30 pm-1:30 pm
A Taste of San Jose Lunch
1:30 pm-2:30 pm
Breakout Sessions
- Advancing Gender Equality to Tackle Climate Change
As the effects of climate change continue to exacerbate poverty, inequality, and other social issues, the solutions we put forth must include social focus—including empowering women to be leaders on climate action. The international community—with the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015 and the UNFCCC Gender Action Plan in 2017—is prioritizing women’s leadership on climate change solutions. Business, too, can act by empowering women leaders to act on climate throughout their value chains. Learn how doing so is a win-win-win for business, women, and society.
Speakers
- Beyond Case Studies: Measuring and Communicating Total Impact
After years of focus on footprints and case studies, attention is now squarely on the sustainability impacts of an entire company and the products and services that generate its revenue. How can a company evaluate, measure, and enhance its impacts? Learn directly from the companies and investors deploying innovative new models to make sustainability part of the revenue model—driving greater impact and revenue in the process.
Speakers
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John Schulz, Director, External Affairs, Sustainability, AT&T
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Del Anderson, Senior Vice President and Credit Analyst, PIMCO
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Michael Fuerst, Head of Social Innovation and Strategy, Novartis
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Beth Richmond, Manager, BSR (Moderator)
- Content Moderation in the Era of Virality
How can social media platforms respect users’ freedom of expression while also protecting them from harm? With more than 3 billion people active on social media, it’s a challenge of unprecedented scale in human history. Over 400 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute; Facebook removes around 8 million pieces of content per quarter for violating standards for hate speech, bullying, and terrorist propaganda; Twitter takes action against around 250,000 unique accounts each quarter for violating hateful conduct rules. Are social media platforms fighting a losing battle against the sheer volume of content? Companies are ramping up content moderation efforts, but they face major questions about how to create content standards, how to balance global rules with local context, and what the role of each stakeholder should be. Investigate some of the ways companies can solve these challenges in a way that balances security, privacy, and freedom of expression.
Speakers
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Cynthia Wong, Director, Human Rights, Twitter
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Kim Malfacini, Manager, Product Policy, Facebook
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Kevin Thompson, General Manager, GOOD Worldwide and Upworthy
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Megan MacDuffee Metzger, Research Scholar and Associate Director, Research, GDPi, Stanford University
- The New Climate for Activism: Employees Take the Lead
Employee engagement is changing as employees are increasingly rallying around issues that are personal to them. Employees are raising their voices when they find themselves building products that might jeopardize human rights, want more company action on climate change, see discrimination in the workplace, and more. When employees perceive their company’s actions or products are inconsistent with their values, we’ve seen them write letters to CEOs, organize protests, submit shareholder resolutions, and even walk off the job entirely. Learn first-hand how companies are handling these issues today and working to develop policies and products that reflect the deep respect for sustainability that they promote in their cultures and systems.
Speakers
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Michael Rohwer, Director, Information and Communications Technology, BSR (Moderator)
- The New Climate for Business: The Retreat of Universal Values
All around the world, respect for human rights, the operating space for civil society, and respect for journalists is under pressure. It is no longer the case that businesses can be certain that universal values supporting these principles are widely shared, or widely practiced. For companies operating globally, this raises the risk that companies themselves will be constrained, and that global trade will also be constrained. In this context, companies face new questions. What is their role in promoting open societies when they increasingly run counter to prevailing views in many places? What is the role of business in promoting rule of law? And how can companies support civil society and journalists in places where governments are cracking down?
Speakers
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Witold Henisz, Deloitte & Touche Professor of Management, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
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Bennett Freeman, Senior Advisor, BSR, Principal, Bennett Freeman Associates LLC
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Linsi Crain, Manager, Global Social Performance , Chevron
2:50 pm-3:20 pm
Plenary Spotlight: Beth A. Brooke-Marciniak, Board Director and Former Global Vice Chair, Public Policy, EY
Beth A. Brooke-Marciniak,
Board Director and Former Global Vice Chair, Public Policy, EY
Beth A. Brooke-Marciniak serves on the Boards of eHealth, Inc, a public company that provides a leading private online health insurance marketplace and services to health insurance exchanges, and SHEEX, Inc., a private company that has transformed the bedding industry by creating bedding made of high-performance athletic fabrics. She retired as the Global Vice-Chair, Public Policy at EY and a member of the firm’s Global Executive Board. Brooke-Marciniak had public policy responsibility for the firm’s operations in over 150 countries and was the global sponsor for EY’s Diversity and Inclusiveness efforts. She is a prominent voice around the world on Diversity and Inclusion, most prominently on LGBT inclusion and women. She has been named 11 times to the Forbes’ World’s Most Powerful Women list. In 2017, Brooke-Marciniak received the Theodore Roosevelt Award, the top individual honor bestowed by the US National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and has also been inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. During the Clinton administration, she worked in the US Department of the Treasury, where she was responsible for all tax policy matters related to insurance and managed care. She played important roles in the healthcare reform and Superfund reform efforts.
Follow Beth @BethBrooke_EY.
3:20 pm-4:00 pm
Plenary Address: Seth Goldman, Co-Founder, Honest Tea, Executive Chair, Beyond Meat
Seth Goldman,
Co-Founder, Honest Tea, Executive Chair, Beyond Meat
Seth Goldman is co-founder & TeaEO emeritus of Honest Tea and executive chair of Beyond Meat. Honest Tea is the nation’s top selling organic bottled tea, specializing in beverages that are just a tad sweet, organic, and Fair Trade Certified™. In March 2011, Honest Tea was acquired by The Coca-Cola Company, becoming the first organic and Fair Trade brand in the world's largest beverage distribution system. Honest Tea and Honest Kids are sold in more than 150,000 stores in the USA and Europe, including McDonald’s, SUBWAY, and Chick-fil-A. Beyond Meat is also rapidly expanding distribution, as the company seeks to expand the availability and accessibility of plant-based protein. Godman graduated from Harvard College (1987) and the Yale School of Management (1995), and he is a Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute.
Follow Seth @@HonestSeth.
4:00 pm-5:00 pm
Closing Reception
