2016 Agenda
SILC brings together an amazing lineup of sustainability and corporate luminaries, from attorneys and CPAs to CEOs and CFOs to environmental experts and champions for social change.
Wednesday, May 6, 2016
8:00 – 8:30 am
Check-in
Continental Breakfast and Networking
8:30 – 8:40 am
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Committee and Conference Chair
Timothy P. Selby, Joanne Barry
8:40 – 9:10 am
Keynote Address
Speakers:
- Barry C. Melancon, CPA, CGMA, President and CEO, AICPA
According to Worldwatch Institute, Senior Fellow Gary T. Gardner, “Unfortunately, the window for shifting to a sustainable economy relatively painlessly is closing, and each year of inaction makes the eventual shift more jarring and costly for a growing number of Americans.”,Join the conversation, and no longer be left in Europe’s sustainability dust!,In this session, Barry will discuss the assumptions, beliefs, and practices that need to be overturned in order for the United States to meet the needs of the global market.
9:10 - 10:10 a.m.
Moderator:
- Sarah Tomolonius
Panelists:
- Barry C. Melancon, Mervyn E. King, Robert G. Eccles., Jane Gleeson-White, Martin Whittaker
The revolution is here! The nature of capitalism is changing and transforming the way the world does business—don’t be left behind. Sustainability forces us to go beyond traditional financial and industrial capital, and to consider the benefits and detriments to our natural resources and society. We will discuss the roles that global organizations play in sustainability reporting, as well as the current level of reporting on sustainability issues globally. Organizations include the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board, the Global Reporting Initiative, The International Integrated Reporting Council, the AICPA, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, and others.
10:10 - 10:20 a.m.
Break
10:20 – 11:00 a.m.
Why Is Sustainability of Critical Importance Today?
Speaker:
- Robert G. Eccles
Companies today face a dizzying array of risks—financial, physical, and intangible—all of which are growing in scale, as markets become increasingly global and interconnected. It is critical for outside advisors and corporate managers to understand how these factors inhibit or enhance shareholder value. This session will focus on the global growth of practice in multinationals, international government, and NGOs. We will look at the International Stock Exchange’s new rules as of October 2015, and components of the S&P 500’s market value. Speaker will also touch on Bloomberg’s terminal usage stats and the demand for nonfinancial data.
11:10 - 12:10 p.m.
Opportunities for CPAs and Lawyers in Sustainability:
Moderator:
- Lee A. DeHihns III, Esq., Partner (Retired), Alston & Bird LLP
Panelists:
- Roger R. Martella, Jr., Renee Mikalopas-Cassidy, Jane Gleeson-White, Howard P Dorman, Kristen (Beck) Sullivan
Modern corporations drive value by being able to grow intellectual property, customer relationships, brand equity and other intangibles. Amid these developments, CPAs and financial advisors in the United States have been surprisingly absent, although in the European Union and the UK, almost two-thirds of the Global 250 corporations have chosen major accountancy firms to provide guidance in the area of sustainability and sustainability reporting. We will discuss the role that CPAs and advisors need to play in this critically important growth area.,Attendees will walk away understanding sustainability’s touch points within a client’s DNA, as well as how to extend your firm’s marketing practices to service senior client contracts.
12:10 - 1:10 p.m.
Networking Lunch
1:10 - 2:10 p.m.
How Investors Judge Sustainable Value Added Information
Moderator:
- Erika Karp
Panellists:
- Arthur J. Radin, Curtis Ravenel, Michael Kraten, Georg Kell, Jan C. Childress
Exactly 84% of a company’s DNA is not recorded on its balance sheet. The CFA Institute reported that 73% of investors now take ESG (environmental, social, and governance) issues into account in their investment analysis and decisions. This panel discusses how to evaluate and understand the current information reported according to the various sustainability reporting standards organizations. It also presents case studies in high-impact investing in sustainable enterprises that have generated highly positive ROIs.
2:10 - 3:00 p.m.
Taking the Lead with Sustainability Reporting:
Speaker:
- Mervyn E. King
Sustainability reporting alone cannot have significant social, environmental, and economic impacts.,The continuous growth in integrated reporting is an indication of a major shift to sustainable capitalism.,Mervyn will provide us with a clear understanding of the shift from financial capitalism to sustainable capitalism.
3:00 – 3:10 p.m.
Break
3:15 - 4:15 p.m.
Which Advisors Will Have the Greatest Credibility in the Investment Community—Accountants, Attorneys, or Financial Advisors?
Moderator:
- Georg Kell and Marc L. Rinaldi
Panelists:
- Jan C. Childress, Lee A. DeHihns III, Jane Gleeson-White, Mervyn E. King, Howard Dorman, Edward Mendlowitz
According to the CFA Institute’s ESG (environmental, social, and governance) survey, 69% of investors think it’s important that ESG disclosures be subject to independent verification. This panel presents the rationale for CPAs, attorneys, and financial advisors as fiduciaries and trusted advisors to offer these assurance services.
4:15 - 5:05 p.m.
How Will Advisors Help Clients Navigate Through This Minefield?
Moderator:
- Roger R. Martella
Panelists:
- Lee A. DeHihns III, Erika Karp, Michael Kraten, Kirby Brendsel
Learn how assurance services have evolved globally. Attendees are presented with case studies from extended auditor’s reports in the UK that have won awards. This hands-on session provides a pathway that advisors can follow to help their clients navigate through the minefield in order to provide meaningful and important guidance.
5:05 - 5:15 p.m.
Closing Remarks [and Scholarship Presentation]
2017 Agenda
7:45 - 8:20 a.m.
Check-in
Continental Breakfast and Networking
8:20 - 8:30 a.m.
Welcome and Opening Remarks
- Andrea Schmitz, MPA, Vice-President for Environment, Health and Safety, Con Edison
- Adam Weinstein, CPA, President, The New York Hedge Fund Roundtable
8:30 - 9:20 a.m.
Fireside Chat
- Linda A. Klein, JD, President, American Bar Association (ABA); Senior Managing Shareholder, Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC
- Barry C. Melancon, CPA, CGMA, President and CEO, AICPA
9:20 - 10:10 a.m.
Keynote Address: The Accounting Profession and Sustainability
- Mervyn E. King, PhD, LLD (Hon.), Mervyn E. King, Senior Counsel
10:10 - 11:00 a.m.
Integrated Reporting: A Practical Perspective from Preparers and Practitioners
Moderator: Kristen B. Sullivan, CPA, CGMA, Partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP
Panelists:
- Marcy Twete, Corporate Responsibility: Americas, Executive Director, USA Foundation, ArcelorMittal
- Aaron Briggs, Executive Counsel, Corporate Securities & Finance, General Electric
- John White, Partner, Cravath, Corporate Department, Chair of its Corporate Governance and Board Advisory practice
11:00 - 11:15 a.m.
Break
11:15 - 12:05 p.m.
Supply Chain Management: Supply Contracts Case Study
Moderator:
- Lee A. DeHihns III, Esq., Partner (Retired), Alston & Bird LLP
Panelists:
- Christopher Johnson, Jr., CEO and Co-Founder, Center for Justice, Rights & Dignity, Retired Vice President and General Counsel, GM North America
- Anita Househam, Senior Manager, UN Global Compact LEAD & Supply Chain Sustainability
- Tensie Whelan, Director, Center for Sustainable Business, NYU Stern School of Business
12:05 - 1:05 p.m.
Networking Lunch
1:05 - 1:55 p.m.
Building and Leading Sustainable Businesses
Moderator: Michael Kraten, Accounting Professor at Providence College
Panelists:
- Patsy Doerr, Global Head, Corporate Responsibility & Inclusion, Thompson Reuters
- Jason Ackerman, CPA, BNA CPAs & Advisors
- Helena Barton, Partner / Client Service Executive, Deloitte
1:55 - 2:45 p.m.
Case Study: How to Develop a Sustainability Practice, Focus Your Business and Make Money
- John C. Dernbach, Commonwealth Professor of Environmental Law and Sustainability, Director, Environmental Law, and Sustainability Center
2:45 - 3:00 p.m.
Break
3:00 - 3:50 p.m.
Investing in Sustainable Companies
Moderator: Marc L. Rinaldi, CPA, MBA, Partner-in-Charge, Financial Servies, PFK O’Connor Davies, LLP
Panelists:
- Martin Whittaker, CEO, JUST Capital
- John Wilson, Head of Governance, Engagement, and Research at Cornerstone Capital
- Rick Alexander, General Counsel for B Labs
- Lily Trager, Director, Investing with Impact, Morgan Stanley
3:50 - 4:40 p.m.
Making the Case for Corporate Community Engagement -- Legal, Accounting, and Business Strategy Considerations
Moderator: Madden DeGarmo Manion, Chief Development Officer, Points of Light
Panelists:
- Spring Taylor Lacy, Vice President, Corporate & Community Engagement, Prudential Financial, Inc.
- Meghan D. Hely Walsh, Public and Charitable Service Manager, Holland & Knight LLP
- Jeffrey Senne, Senior Director, Corporate Responsibility, PwC
4:40 - 5:00 p.m.
Closing Remarks
A Few Highlights from Our May 16, 2017 Conference
https://www.cpajournal.com/2017/08/07/panel-discussion-building-leading-sustainable-businesses/
https://www.cpajournal.com/2017/08/14/making-case-corporate-community-engagement/
https://www.cpajournal.com/2017/07/24/panel-discussion-integrated-reporting/
https://www.cpajournal.com/2017/07/19/commonsense-principles-corporate-governance/
2018 Agenda
7:45 - 8:20 AM
Check-in
8:20 - 8:40 AM
Welcome & Opening remarks from Sponsors
- Sarah Tomolonius - Conference Chair, Co-founder, SILC
- Frank Kurre - Managing Partner, Grant Thornton
- Andrea Schmitz - Vice President of Environment, Health and Safety, Con Edison
- Patsy Doerr - Global Head Corporate Responsibility, Sustainability & Inclusion, Thomson Reuters
08:40 - 9:10 AM
Fireside Chat
- Barry Melancon, President and CEO, American Institute of CPAs
- Robert M. Carlson, President-Elect, American Bar Association
9:10 - 9:40 AM
Keynote Address
- Mike Krzus, Founder & President, Mike Krzus Consulting, lnc.; coauthor, One Report: Integrated Reporting for a Sustainable Strategy
9:40 - 10:00 AM
Break
10:00 - 10:50 AM
Supply Chain Assurance: Legal and Accounting
Speakers:
- Jonathan Eaton, Principal, Supply Chain Practice Leader, Grant Thornton
- Michael Littenberg, Partner, Ropes & Gray
10:50 - 11:40 AM
The Social Responsibility Investment Imperative: Investment Stewardship and Board Responsibility
Moderator: Kristen Sullivan, Partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP
Speakers:
- Michelle Edkins, Managing Director, Global Head of Investment
Stewardship, BlackRock
- Suzanne Hopgood, President & CEO, The Hopgood Group LLC
11:40 - 12:30 PM *CLE Credit Material Attached Below
How Non-Monetary Factors Affect Supply Chain Management
Moderator: Lee A. DeHihns III, Esq., Partner (Retired), Alston & Bird LLP
Speakers:
- Mary Ann DiMascio, Senior Manager, Company Network - Ceres, Inc.
- Dennis Frio, Managing Director, Grant Thornton
- Christian Frutiger, VP & Global Head of Public Affairs, Nestle
12:30 - 1:30 PM
Lunch
1:30 - 2:20 PM
How to Apply the Principles of Sustainability
Moderator: Michael Kraten, Accounting Professor at Providence College
Speakers:
- Helena Barton, Partner & Client Service Executive for Sustainability and Governance Risk, Deloitte; Chair of the Independent Appointments Committee, Global Reporting Initiative
- Janine Guillot, Director of Capital Markets Policy and Outreach, Sustainability Accounting Standards Board
- Pasty Doerr, Global Head of Corporate Responsibility and Inclusion, Thomson Reuters
- Robert Laux, North American Lead, International Integrated Reporting Council
2:20 - 3:10 PM
The Economic Priority: Diversity, Inclusion & Sustainability
Moderators:
- J. Michael Kirkland, Past President NYSSCPAs; Owner, JMK Consulting
- Rumbi Bwerinofa-Petrozzello, Principal, Rock Forensics, LLC
Speakers:
- Patsy Doerr, Global Head, Corporate Responsibility, Sustainability & Inclusion, Thomson Reuters
- Deborah Goldstein, Founder, DRIVEN Professionals
- Jeff Yin, General Counsel at XO Group Inc
3:10 - 3:30 PM
Break
3:30 - 4:20 PM
Your Future in a Sustainable World: How to Become the Next Generation Sustainability Professional
Moderator: Andrea Schmitz, Vice President of Environment, Health and Safety, Con Edison
Speakers:
- Michael Kraten, Associate Professor, Providence College
- Ashley Wolitzer, Corporate Social Responsibility and Communications Coordinator, Revlon
- Michael Gerrard, Andrew Sabin Professor of Professional Practice, Columbia Law School; Director, Sabin Center for Climate Change Law
4:20 - 5:10 PM
Impact Investing
Moderator: Marc Rinaldi, Partner in Charge of Family Office Investments and Financial Services-PKF O’Connor Davies LLP
Speakers:
- Julie Shafer, Head of Strategic Philanthropy & Purpose Investments, Bank of the West, BNP Paribas Wealth Management
- Anisa Dougherty, Investment Analyst, Tiedemann Wealth Management
- Tensie Whelan, Clinical Professor of Business and Society, New York University Stern School of Business School of Business.
5:10 - 5:20 PM
Closing Remarks - Stanley Goldstein, Chairman, SILC
5:20 - 7:00 PM
Networking Cocktails
2019 Agenda
Our speakers are luminaries in their fields, bringing together expertise in integrated reporting, measurement, impact investing and technology. We cultivate the exchange of different ideas. Our breakout sessions are intended to further engage and dig deeper into how organizations can voluntarily improve their own longevity and their bottom lines.
The 4th annual conference will be held at Wells Fargo - 150 E 42nd St, New York, NY
May 9th, 2019
07:45
Registration
08:30
Opening Remarks
Lucia Gibbons - Executive Vice President, Wholesale Commercial Banking Metro New York/New Jersey Division Executive, Wells Fargo
Sarah Tomolonius - Conference Chair, Co-founder, SILC
Deborah Enix-Ross - Chair, ABA Day in Washington Planning Committee, Vice President of The World Justice Project, Litigation Practice Group Manager, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
Barry Melancon - CEO, Association of International Certified Professional Accountants; President & CEO at American Institute of CPAs
09:05
Digital Innovation for a Sustainable Future
A deep-dive conversation at the intersection of social innovation and cutting-edge technology including Blockchain, A.I., and Fintech.
Panel Moderator: Jeffrey Yin - President, SILC Club
Speakers
Sheena Allen - CEO and Founder, CapWay
June Choi - CEO and Founder, Serval Ventures
Lili Gil Valletta - Co-founder and CEO, Culturintel & Cien+
10:00
Inclusion and Diversity: Investigating Bias to Grow Profitable Companies
Get ready to weigh in during this experiential, interactive workshop using ’live polling’. How often are you invited to ‘pull out’ our smartphone during a workshop? You will be fascinated to find out the origin of implicit bias, discover ways to deal with your own bias and learn techniques that you can share with colleagues in order to create a more inclusive workplace.
Moderator: Deborah Goldstein - Founder, Driven Professionals
10:50
Break/Networking
11:05
Risk Hidden in Plain Sight: Exploring and Understanding the Corporate Supply Chain
This panel of leading professionals from a range of industries will discuss the management of corporate supply chain risks through the lens of sustainability. Speakers will provide an overview of corporate supply chain management, discuss hypothetical risks and ethical dilemmas when working with supply chain risk issues, and suggest best practices for mitigating supply chain risks while contributing to corporate sustainability efforts.
Panel Moderator: Sara Orr - Counsel, Latham & Watkins
Panelists
Pam Fitzpatrick - Senior Director, Analyst, Gartner's Supply Chain Research Group
Christopher Haasen - Principal, S&C Consultants North America
Michael Littenberg - Partner, Ropes & Gray
Michael Mahoney - Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, Environmental Law Group, Pfizer Legal Division
John Meyers - Director, Impact Capital Forum
12:00
Applying the Principles Of Sustainability To Integrated Reporting: A Panel Discussion
How do organizations synthesize the various standards, metrics, and frameworks of sustainability to develop an integrated reporting system for internal management and external disclosure purposes? Our panel of specialists and experts will describe “state of the art” practices for designing and implementing such systems for the C-Suites of global organizations.
Panel Moderator: Michael Kraten - Professor of Accounting, Chair of the Division of Accounting, Finance, and Economics, and Director of Accreditation of Business School Programs, Houston Baptist University, and Deputy Chair of SILC Conference.
Panelists
Patsy Doerr - Global Leader, Social Impact
Robert Laux - North American Lead, International Integrated Reporting Council
Kristen Sullivan - Partner, Deloitte & Touche
12:50
Lunch
1:50
Can CEO's Avoid Politics? Should They?
Panel Moderator: Robert Hogland - SVP and Chief Financial Officer, Con Edison
Panelists
Michelle Edkins - Managing Director, BlackRock
Harvey Golub - Retired, Chairman & CEO, American Express
Amanda Pullinger - CEO, 100 Women in Finance
2:40
Break/Networking
3:00
Next Generation Sustainability Leadership
Three perspectives on charting a career in Sustainability and current trends in the job market.
Panelists
Feona Castro - MBA Candidate, New York University and Executive Officer, SILC Club Committee
Trysha Daskam - Director, Head of ESG Strategy, Silver Regulatory Associates LLC and Executive Officer, SILC Club Committee
Erin O'Brien - Senior Associate, Investments at ImpactAssets and Executive Officer, SILC Club Committee
3:55
Impact Investing: Measuring Return and Impact
Latest trends in setting an impact investment thesis and policy statement and measuring impact investment performance in the private and public markets.
Panel Moderator: Marc L. Rinaldi - Partner-in-Charge of Financial Services and Director of Family Office Investments, PKF O’Connor Davies LLP
Panelists
Trysha Daskam - Director, Head of ESG Strategy at Silver Regulatory Associates LLC and Executive Officer, SILC Club Committee
Christine Harada - President, i(x) investments
Rebecca A. Meyer - Consultant, Relative Solutions
4:50
BREAK-OUT SESSIONS WORKSHOPS:
An Action Plan For Developing ESG And Integrated Reports: An Experiential Workshop
Breakout Session Workshop #1
Roll up your sleeves and join a break-out session that will present a pragmatic action plan for developing integrated reports. Participants will review the standards and frameworks of the IIRC and the SASB, as well as samples of publicly disclosed financial and non-financial information of Fortune 500 firms. They will then join a discussion of the relative benefits and risks of presenting information in an integrated report, and will learn to utilize an action plan for designing such reports for their own organizations.
Panel Moderator: Michael Kraten - Professor of Accounting, Chair of the Division of Accounting, Finance, and Economics, and Director of Accreditation of Business School Programs, Houston Baptist University, and Deputy Chair of SILC Conference.
Workshop Contributors:
Anton Gorodniuk - Sector Analyst, Financials at SASB
Kunjan Mehta - Partner, Grant Thornton
Taylor Reed - Sector Analyst, Consumer Goods, SASB
Inclusion and Diversity
Breakout Session Workshop #2
Continue the conversation and experience how leaning into bias can lead to an inclusive culture. This workshop session has been designed for participants to take part in a small-group discussion with colleagues and peers. Each group will discuss a hypothetical from real-life scenarios observed and experienced in the legal, banking and accounting workspace. The goal of this session is to expand participants' capacity to challenge his/her own inner bias and be inspired to begin these courageous conversations at their workplace that will result in a more inclusive culture.
Moderator: Deborah Goldstein - Founder, Driven Professionals
Facilitators for the D&I breakout group discussion:
Feona Castro - MBA Candidate, New York University and Executive Officer, SILC Club Committee
Michelle Doran - Regional Director at Dorsey & Whitney LLP
Colleen Duffy - Managing Director, Advisory Services, Grant Thornton
Ivana Estrada - Digital Strategy & Data Analytics Product Lead, Wall Street, MS
Peter Gioello - Associate, Cahill Gordon & Reindel
Jane Marie Petty - Director, Consulting Social Impact Investing, Wells Fargo
Dominic Swain - Research Fellow for Center for Positive Marketing, Fordham University and Executive Officer, SILC Club Committee
Lenka Wiles - Partner, Assurance, RSM
Jeffrey Yin - President, SILC Club
5:40
Closing Remarks
Michael Kraten - Professor of Accounting, Chair of the Division of Accounting, Finance, and Economics, and Director of Accreditation of Business School Programs, Houston Baptist University, and Deputy Chair of SILC Conference.
5:55
Reception/Networking