Automation, Electrification, and Regulation: Climate Change and the Vehicle Industry
October 25, 2017, 2:00 pm-3:00 pm
This interactive session will explore how companies can refine their focus on climate change in challenging times, drawing on lessons from the automotive industry. In the face of regulatory uncertainty and rapidly-changing technology, the industry continues to evolve its approach to climate change. Industry manufacturers are increasingly committing to energy efficiency and renewable energy, advanced vehicle technology and alternative use models ranging from extended-range electric cars to autonomous ride-sharing. What are these companies’ strategies for dealing with climate change in times of change, and what can others learn from this experience?
Session Speakers
Manager, Vehicle and Advanced Technology Policy
General Motors
Alex Keros works on advanced technology policy for General Motors (GM). In this role, he is responsible for policy considerations related to GM’s advanced technology programs—including Maven, GM’s urban mobility brand—and the infrastructure necessary to support a broad range of sustainability programs. His goal is to help cities minimize the impacts of transportation while making the vehicle miles driven cleaner and safer. Keros has a unique balance of backgrounds which include project management, energy policy, environmental engineering, and business strategy. In 2016, Keros was named to the inaugural class of Energy Security Fellow for Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE).
Environmental Strategy & Compliance
Cummins
Laurie Counsel is the environmental relations director at Cummins, where she advances Cummins’ environmental actions and brand through messaging, engagement, marketing, and stakeholder reporting. She is president of the board of Earth Day Indiana, which promotes resource conservation and sustainable living primarily through a one-day festival held each April. She is also on the board of People for Urban Progress, a nonprofit that advances good design and civic sustainability by developing products and projects in connectivity, responsible reuse, and making.
Associate Director
BSR
(Moderator)
Marshall leads BSR’s work with manufacturing companies headquartered in the Americas. He supports BSR’s information and communications technology and transport and logistics practices. With a strong background in corporate environmental issues and on-the-ground experience in emerging economies, Marshall works with BSR members on international sustainability strategy development and execution, as well as on product, service, supply chain strategy, and assessment.
Prior to joining BSR, Marshall led the development of business services and partnerships at the American Chamber of Commerce in Armenia, and managed environmental initiatives as a consultant to major real estate companies in the Washington, D.C., area. He also has experience in sustainable business development as a Peace Corps Volunteer and consultant in West Africa.
The global economy is being transformed in profound ways, creating radical new sustainability challenges and opportunities. How these play out, and how we respond to them, is uncertain. True sustainability is about being fit for the future and to do so requires not just more of the same, but being able to think differently. We need to explore various possible futures and use our imaginations to manifest the world we want to live in. As Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”
Check out our FastForward 25 sessions for a sneak peek into the future of next 25 years of sustainable business.
Climate Action to Fulfill the Paris Vision—Are You Still In?
October 24, 2017, 11:00 am-12:00 pm
In June, the U.S. administration announced its intention to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change, which envisions a resilient world with warming held well below 2°C. Yet U.S. states, cities, and businesses are setting and implementing their own science-based emission reduction targets, and leading through collaboration and supply chain engagement to build a resilient, low-carbon economy following the Paris vision. Their climate action will have an opportunity to shine at the 2018 Global Climate Action Summit hosted by California Governor Brown. What about you? Are you still in?
Session Speakers
Secretary, Environmental Protection
California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA)
Matthew Rodriquez was appointed secretary for environmental protection by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. in July 2011. As secretary, Rodriquez oversees six boards, departments, and offices within the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) and advises the governor on environmental policy. Rodriquez comes to CalEPA with more than 25 years of environmental experience with the California Department of Justice. He formerly served as a deputy attorney general, specializing in land use and environmental law; chief assistant attorney general for the public rights division in 2009; and, prior to his role as secretary, acting chief deputy attorney general for Attorney General Kamala D. Harris.
Maxfield Weiss
Global Social and Environmental Responsibility Manager
Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Director of Infrastructure
Mayor's Office, City of Los Angeles
Ted Bardacke is director of infrastructure for Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and adjunct professor of urban environmental design and planning at UCLA. Bardacke is charged with moving this infrastructure toward a more distributed and sustainable system, in line with the city’s first ever sustainability plan, which Bardacke was instrumental in crafting in his previous role as deputy director of Mayor Garcetti’s Office of Sustainability. Previously, Bardacke worked in the Green Urbanism Program at Global Green USA, and during the 1990s, he was a foreign correspondent for the Financial Times of London. He is co-author with teaching colleague Walker Wells of Blueprint for Greening Affordable Housing.
Director, Climate
BSR
(Moderator)
David leads BSR’s climate practice to maximize the impact of BSR’s applied research, collaborative initiatives, and work with individual companies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build climate resilience. He is also the international policy lead for the We Mean Business coalition.
Before joining BSR, David was a climate diplomat for the Marshall Islands with the advisory group Independent Diplomat and led on transparency issues in the UN climate negotiations for the Alliance of Small Island States. As an international lawyer with the Foundation for International Environmental Law and Development, David built up the environmental treaty expertise of countries across the globe. He began his career as a securities litigator with Fried Frank in New York before focusing on climate change and energy.
The global economy is being transformed in profound ways, creating radical new sustainability challenges and opportunities. How these play out, and how we respond to them, is uncertain. True sustainability is about being fit for the future and to do so requires not just more of the same, but being able to think differently. We need to explore various possible futures and use our imaginations to manifest the world we want to live in. As Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”
Check out our FastForward 25 sessions for a sneak peek into the future of next 25 years of sustainable business.
Consumer Insights: The Missing Link
October 24, 2017, 3:00 pm-4:00 pm
There is a wide range of research that shows brands can capture consumers’ hearts and minds in an incredibly powerful way. It’s also through brands that businesses can connect with their consumers around what they care about in their daily lives as well as drive brand loyalty or behaviors like healthy eating or recycling. But companies still struggling to fully integrate corporate sustainability into product development and marketing strategies are asking: What are some of the approaches and tools we can use? What lessons can we learn from other consumer companies? Join this session to get a first-hand look at BSR’s framework for integrating brands and sustainability and learn the do’s and don’ts of this rapidly emerging territory.
Session Speakers
Director, Sustainability and Transparency
General Mills
As director of sustainability and transparency, Catherine oversees strategy for sustainability brand-building and communications, global responsibility reporting, ratings and rankings, and key transparency-related initiatives at General Mills. Gunsbury’s 19-year tenure at General Mills includes experience in classic brand management, new product development, and “front end” innovation. She has worked on iconic, global brands such as Yoplait, Big G Cereals, Nature Valley, and Betty Crocker as well as on heritage brands such as Gold Medal Flour. Prior to General Mills, Gunsbury worked in management consulting and international development.
Director, Corporate Citizenship
The Walt Disney Company
Heather Rubin is the director of corporate citizenship for The Walt Disney Company. She is a seasoned marketer and brand strategist with an exceptional ability to identify key growth opportunities, design cutting-edge marketing strategies, and engage multiple audiences in ways that create impassioned brand ambassadors. Rubin has launched powerful brands, led turnaround situations, established effective public-private partnerships, and developed credible cause initiatives amidst complex stakeholder communities. She has also previously held roles at POM Wonderful, Johnson & Johnson, and Neutrogena.
Partner
Fortitude Partners
Robert Nuttall is internationally recognized for bringing sustainability into mainstream business. He has held senior roles at the BBC, Cable and Wireless, Citibank, GlaxoSmithKline and Marks & Spencer (M&S). While at M&S, he led the team responsible for the development and communication of the company’s sustainability strategy, Plan A. As a consultant, his current work focuses on helping businesses and their brands shape the future by integrating how they create value (their strategy), what they stand for (their purpose) and how they connect to the world (their societal impact). Core to this is consumer insight, which helps ensure the organization’s sustainability strategy addresses what customers already care about.
Managing Director, Consumer Sectors
BSR
(Moderator)
Elisa leads BSR’s consumer sectors practice globally. She works with companies in the luxury, beauty, fashion, hospitality, retail, and food industries to better integrate sustainability into core business strategy, products, and operations.
She helps companies use business assets to solve society’s global challenges, evolve brand strategy to integrate changing consumer expectations, and better partner with stakeholders to create more resilient and inclusive business practices. Elisa also leads BSR’s Responsible Luxury Initiative.
The global economy is being transformed in profound ways, creating radical new sustainability challenges and opportunities. How these play out, and how we respond to them, is uncertain. True sustainability is about being fit for the future and to do so requires not just more of the same, but being able to think differently. We need to explore various possible futures and use our imaginations to manifest the world we want to live in. As Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”
Check out our FastForward 25 sessions for a sneak peek into the future of next 25 years of sustainable business.
Designing an Effective Women’s Empowerment Strategy
October 25, 2017, 11:30 am-12:30 pm
Women’s empowerment is widely recognized as a critical pillar of sustainable global development, and evidence is mounting that investing in women can also improve business performance. In this session, we will outline how companies can credibly commit to the gender equality agenda, assess their current performance against the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), and build a robust women’s empowerment strategy. Participants will leave this session knowing how to identify how their company can leverage its full value chain, peers, and strategic partners to make the greatest contribution to women’s progress.
Session Speakers
Senior Vice President, Diversity & Inclusion
L'Oreal USA
Angela Guy is responsible for shaping the diversity efforts for L’Oréal USA as a business imperative that highlights the value of all forms of beauty while respecting and reflecting the differences of our rapidly changing marketplace. She is a member of the L’Oréal USA Strategic, Executive, and Benefits Committees and collaborates to align L’Oréal’s global diversity efforts. Guy reports directly to the president and CEO of L’Oréal USA—prior to this appointment, she was senior vice president, general manager of SoftSheen Carson, a consumer division of L’Oréal USA. Guy also spent 19 years with Johnson & Johnson; three years with Levi Strauss & Co., and three years with Hills Department Store.
Vice President, Government Affairs and Sustainability
Qualcomm
Molly Gavin is Vice President of Government Affairs and Sustainability at Qualcomm Incorporated. In this capacity, Gavin oversees Qualcomm’s sustainability and reporting program, which includes the development and publication of the annual Qualcomm sustainability report. She also directs Qualcomm’s global public policy on privacy, data protection, and sustainability. Additionally, Gavin oversees Qualcomm’s public policy agenda for Japan and Korea on a range of issues including intellectual property and information and communications technology policy. Gavin engages domestic, regional, multilateral and international institutions, trade associations, peer companies, and non-governmental organizations on these policy issues.
Manager
BSR
(Moderator)
Lauren Shields leads BSR’s HERproject programs in East Africa, working with companies and civil society to build inclusive workplaces in global supply chains. She also oversees HERproject’s strategy for monitoring and evaluation and program sustainability and contributes to BSR’s women’s empowerment practice. Previously, Shields worked at the Social Science Research Council in New York. Her consulting experience includes giving advice on best practices for monitoring and evaluation for the Center for Socio-Economic Development and developing recommendations on the post-2015 Millennium Development Goals agenda for UNDP. With a focus on sustainability in emerging markets, Shields has led research projects on value chain development and women’s empowerment in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Vietnam.
The global economy is being transformed in profound ways, creating radical new sustainability challenges and opportunities. How these play out, and how we respond to them, is uncertain. True sustainability is about being fit for the future and to do so requires not just more of the same, but being able to think differently. We need to explore various possible futures and use our imaginations to manifest the world we want to live in. As Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”
Check out our FastForward 25 sessions for a sneak peek into the future of next 25 years of sustainable business.
Eliminating Gender-Based Violence—A Business Imperative
October 24, 2017, 3:00 pm-4:00 pm
Violence against women is one of the world’s greatest social, economic, and public health problems, pervading the home, workplace, and community. Working to stop it is not only the right thing to do from a human and labor rights perspective—it is also the smart thing to do for workplace efficiency and profitability. This session will take an in-depth look at how businesses have responded to this complex challenge through preventive and remedial measures. Participants will also gain a greater understanding of what multistakeholder collaboration can do to move the needle on ending gender-based violence.
Session Speakers
Global Head of External Stakeholder Engagement, Global Sustainability
C&A
Aleix Busquets Gonzalez started working at C&A in October 2014 as the Global Head of External Stakeholder Engagement. Prior to C&A, he worked at Inditex for 10 years, where he gained vast experience working in Supply Chain Management while leading the Inditex Social Compliance program. Since 2013, he has been on the Steering Committee of The Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh.
Director, Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility
Sodexo
Rachel Sylvan is a sustainable business strategist and leader focused on integrating sustainability and corporate responsibility into the operation and culture of large-scale businesses. At Sodexo, she develops and manages a range of global and national initiatives to advance environmental sustainability, wellness, and women’s empowerment. She is a global lead on addressing gender-based violence in BSR’s “Business Action for Women” collaborative group, and she created Sodexo’s global commitment to small and diverse businesses, including a focus on sourcing from women entrepreneurs. She led the effort to promote health and well-being with the Partnership for a Healthier America. Sylvan also developed and led the first enterprise-wide sustainability function for U.S. Foods, leading to the creation of sustainable packaging, sustainable sourcing, and green transportation initiatives.
Global Director, Social Business Practices, Global Community Impact
Johnson & Johnson
Shaun Mickus is responsible for driving innovative approaches that leverage Johnson & Johnson business functions and expertise to positively change outcomes of individuals and strengthen communities around the world. He also serves as a point person on the company’s comprehensive commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, having led the shaping of this commitment with colleagues across the business. Mickus brings more than 25 years of business experience across multiple disciplines, brands, and corporate initiatives. Just prior to his current role, he worked with senior leaders on shaping and executing the company’s Citizenship & Sustainability portfolio.
Senior Vice President
BSR
(Moderator)
Peder Michael leads BSR’s work with grant-funders and partners as well as development and management of multistakeholder collaborations. He co-leads BSR’s relationship management activities and provides executive guidance on BSR’s women’s empowerment work.
Prior to joining BSR, Peder Michael was a key player in growing PricewaterhouseCoopers' sustainable business solutions practice in Copenhagen. He also spent five years with the Danish Foreign Service, where he worked on human rights in international development and foreign policy and served on the board of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. Peder Michael served on the Danish Government’s Council on Corporate Responsibility from 2009-2012.
The global economy is being transformed in profound ways, creating radical new sustainability challenges and opportunities. How these play out, and how we respond to them, is uncertain. True sustainability is about being fit for the future and to do so requires not just more of the same, but being able to think differently. We need to explore various possible futures and use our imaginations to manifest the world we want to live in. As Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”
Check out our FastForward 25 sessions for a sneak peek into the future of next 25 years of sustainable business.
Engaging Boards: Making a Case
October 24, 2017, 4:15 pm-5:15 pm
Boards should be regularly engaged in a company’s sustainability strategy and performance, but in practice, this can be challenging. This session will look into key dilemmas and questions, such as how to decide which sustainability issues are material enough to justify boardroom attention, how to integrate sustainability issues into the work of board committees, and how to ensure board members have the right expertise to evaluate important non-financial topics like climate change, human rights, and diversity. Participants will hear multiple perspectives on how to increase board engagement with your sustainability strategy.
Session Speakers
Director, Public Affairs
KKR
Elizabeth Seeger joined KKR in 2009 to help oversee the consideration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues throughout KKR's investment process, including the management of KKR’s ESG-focused value creation programs for its portfolio companies. Seeger was previously a project manager in the corporate partnerships program of the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). Prior to EDF, she was a consultant with the Corporate Executive Board (CEB). Before CEB, Seeger was an associate at the Environmental Law Institute. She is a 2013 Aspen Institute First Movers Fellow and became a member of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board in 2017. Seeger has more than 15 years of experience working on corporate environmental and social issues.
Chair of CSR Committee
PVH Corp.
Penny McIntyre is a senior executive and international business leader with extensive experience living and working abroad at premier consumer packaged goods companies, including Newell Rubbermaid Inc., The Coca-Cola Company, and S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. Most recently, she was CEO and board member of Sunrise Senior Living, an international elder care residential company. McIntyre sits on the board of directors of PVH Corp., where she chairs the Corporate Social Responsibility Committee, and on the board of Primrose Schools, a private-equity-owned school for early childhood learning. She serves as an advisor to the board at Ocean Spray Cranberry Cooperative, providing council to the owner/grower board members on strategic, marketing, and growth initiatives.
Senior Advisor for Net-Zero by 2050
The B Team
Tanuja Dehne is a public company director and former C-level executive who brings perspective and experience from her cross-discipline roles to the C-suite and the boardroom. She is on the boards of Advanced Disposal Services and Granite Point Mortgage Trust, and served on the board of Silver Bay Realty Trust Corporation. She was also the former chief administrative officer, chief of staff, and corporate secretary of NRG Energy, Inc. Dehne is an award-winning corporate attorney, human resources professional, and active member of her community, serving on four nonprofit boards, including the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. Dehne is a senior advisor to The B Team, focusing on the critical role of corporate governance and climate action.
Senior Vice President
BSR
(Moderator)
Laura spearheads BSR’s New York office, working with global companies across a range of industry sectors and sustainability issues. She also oversees global membership strategy and services.
Laura previously worked for Deloitte Consulting, where she acquired extensive strategy experience advising multinational financial services companies. She also managed a community development project in Ecuador, developed the business strategy for a social venture in Brazil, and worked with the biotechnology sector in Chile. Additionally, she is an adjunct professor in the Bard M.B.A. in Sustainability program.
The global economy is being transformed in profound ways, creating radical new sustainability challenges and opportunities. How these play out, and how we respond to them, is uncertain. True sustainability is about being fit for the future and to do so requires not just more of the same, but being able to think differently. We need to explore various possible futures and use our imaginations to manifest the world we want to live in. As Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”
Check out our FastForward 25 sessions for a sneak peek into the future of next 25 years of sustainable business.

Harnessing New Technologies for Supply Chain Sustainability
October 24, 2017, 4:15 pm-5:15 pm
Supply chains are digitizing, and the pace is accelerating. Companies are increasingly using new technologies to make their supply chains more efficient and cost effective, to cut out inventory and lead times, and to respond directly to consumer demands. But what about sustainability? In this session, we’ll explore the tech trends shaping supply chains and discuss how to ensure that sustainability doesn’t get left behind, along with what priorities and topics these technologies are best suited to impact and where there is a need for innovation. Participants will glean insights on opportunities to digitize sustainability information, how to use machine learning to gain more visibility into supply chains, and how to work with supply chain architects to incorporate sustainability into design, along with the internet of things and automation.
Session Speakers
Senior Vice President and President, Operations
AbbVie
Dr. Azita Saleki-Gerhardt leads a team of scientific, engineering, business, quality, supply chain, security, purchasing, and manufacturing professionals responsible for supply and distribution of all AbbVie products. She joined Abbott in 1993 as a research scientist, and over her 20-year career there, she worked in key positions in science and technology, manufacturing, and quality assurance. Dr. Saleki-Gerhardt previously led technical support for commercially marketed pharmaceutical products and was responsible for the quality of Abbott’s portfolio of global biological, chemical, and pharmaceutical products prior to being named president of global pharmaceutical operations. She became president of AbbVie operations following the separation of Abbott and AbbVie.
Director, Global Sustainability
Gap Inc.
Daniel Fibiger leads Gap Inc.’s global partnerships team, where he is responsible for designing and implementing the company’s stakeholder engagement strategies focused on labor and human rights. In his role on the supplier sustainability team, he helps lead a global field team of approximately 50 specialists who seek to improve working conditions in the facilities that manufacture Gap Inc. branded apparel. Prior to joining Gap Inc., Fibiger was Program Manager at the Responsible Sourcing Network, coordinating a multistakeholder network to end forced child labor in Uzbekistan's cotton sector. He was also a Research Fellow at the International Labor Rights Forum.
Co-CEO
Ecovadis
Pierre-François Thaler is the cofounder of EcoVadis, which operates the first collaborative platform allowing companies to assess the sustainability performance of their suppliers. Since its launch in 2007, more than 100 Fortune Global 500 companies have selected EcoVadis to manage risks and drive eco-innovations in their supply chain across 100 countries. Thaler brings 15 years of experience in procurement and in business development of innovative solutions for procurement organizations. He was previously CEO of B2Build SA, and prior to founding EcoVadis, he was a director of Ariba Procurement BPO business in EMEA. He is a member of the strategic advisory board of the Sustainable Procurement Leadership Council.
Managing Director
BSR
(Moderator)
Tara leads BSR’s global supply chain sustainability practice and directs BSR’s operations in Europe.
She advises chief procurement officers and senior directors at leading global companies on the development of sophisticated supply chains that create business value and address urgent and long-term risks and opportunities. She drives strategy and implementation projects across industry sectors including consumer products, retail, financial services, technology, manufacturing, and transportation, covering sustainable procurement, supplier engagement, collaboration, traceability, climate change, human rights, and labor rights. She also serves on the United Nations Global Compact Advisory Group on Supply Chain Sustainability.
Before joining BSR, Tara directed supply chain work at 2degrees and was the general manager of Sedex, where she ran and significantly grew the world's largest not-for-profit sustainable supply chain membership organization and database. Previously, Tara worked in sustainable procurement at BAA, was project manager at the World Trade Center Association Los Angeles, and served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Kherson, Ukraine.
The global economy is being transformed in profound ways, creating radical new sustainability challenges and opportunities. How these play out, and how we respond to them, is uncertain. True sustainability is about being fit for the future and to do so requires not just more of the same, but being able to think differently. We need to explore various possible futures and use our imaginations to manifest the world we want to live in. As Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”
Check out our FastForward 25 sessions for a sneak peek into the future of next 25 years of sustainable business.

Human Rights by Design
October 24, 2017, 3:00 pm-4:00 pm
Rapid developments in artificial intelligence, big data analytics, blockchain, and the internet of things have the potential—and have already started—to have significant impact, both positive and negative, on human rights. The international human rights regime was designed for a very different world, and the speed, complexity, and extensive reach of these disruptive technologies present new challenges for companies wanting to meet their responsibility to respect human rights. Participants in this lively discussion will explore how to integrate human rights into the development and design of new technologies and whether new “human rights by design” approaches should be deployed.
Session Speakers
Senior Internet Researcher
Human Rights Watch
Cynthia M. Wong is the senior internet researcher at Human Rights Watch (HRW), where she leads HRW’s work on digital privacy, freedom of expression online, and business and human rights in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector. She currently serves as a board member of the Global Network Initiative, a multistakeholder organization that advances corporate responsibility and human rights in the ICT sector. Before joining HRW, Wong was the director of the Center for Democracy and Technology’s Project on Global Internet Freedom, with a focus on international free expression and privacy. Prior to joining the Center for Democracy and Technology, Wong was the Robert L. Bernstein International Human Rights Fellow at Human Rights in China.
Global Head, Business and Human Rights
Oath
Nicole Karlebach leads Oath’s efforts to promote privacy and free expression on the internet and to identify innovative solutions to human rights challenges. Previously, Karlebach worked as an attorney at Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP, as an international policy fellow at Human Rights First, and as a human rights consultant to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons. Karlebach has also worked at the UN in the Office of the Legal Counsel and at the State Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Special Department for War Crimes in Sarajevo.
Vice President and Deputy General Counsel
Microsoft
Steve Crown is vice president and deputy general counsel of human rights at Microsoft Corporation, contributing to development and interpretation of company-wide policies that support advocacy for rule of law and respect for human rights in the conduct of the company’s business across the globe. To advance company and industry initiatives and public-private partnerships to make the global internet safer and more trusted, Crown works closely with colleagues across Microsoft and with external parties—companies, academics, investors, civil society, and governments—throughout the world. In his external engagements, Crown champions principled solutions that meet competing concerns in a manner salutary to evolution of international laws and norms.
Managing Director
BSR
(Moderator)
Dunstan leads the team of BSR directors that oversees our six core areas of expertise for our consulting, collaborative, grant-funded, and research projects. Previously, he led BSR’s information and communications technology and heavy manufacturing practices.
Dunstan facilitated the multistakeholder process of developing global principles on freedom of expression and privacy, which led to the launch of the Global Network Initiative in October 2008. He also helped create the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition, a collaborative initiative of more than 100 ICT companies improving conditions in their supply chains. Dunstan participated in the process of creating the Global Reporting Initiative G3 guidelines, and is a regular commentator on issues of corporate accountability, reporting, and human rights. He also co-authored the 2010 book, Big Business, Big Responsibilities.
The global economy is being transformed in profound ways, creating radical new sustainability challenges and opportunities. How these play out, and how we respond to them, is uncertain. True sustainability is about being fit for the future and to do so requires not just more of the same, but being able to think differently. We need to explore various possible futures and use our imaginations to manifest the world we want to live in. As Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”
Check out our FastForward 25 sessions for a sneak peek into the future of next 25 years of sustainable business.
Human Trafficking and Modern Day Slavery
October 25, 2017, 10:15 am-11:15 am
Human trafficking and modern day slavery have become central issues on the business radar in recent years, not least with recent legislation in the U.K. and United States on the subject. These issues affect more than 100 million people each year and undermine human rights ranging from bodily security to freedom of movement and livelihood. Companies have a key role to play in tackling human trafficking, including a responsibility to ensure trafficking and slave-like conditions don’t exist within their own operations or supply chain. Participants in this important conversation will gain insight into the growing legal requirements around human trafficking; best practice in identifying, managing and remediating risk across operations; and examples of industrywide efforts to tackle root causes.
Session Speakers
Managing Director
Humanity United
Dan Viederman is a managing director at Humanity United, focused on efforts to engage entrepreneurs and tech innovators in pursuit of new tools to scale improvements for vulnerable workers in global supply chains. Before joining Humanity United, Viederman was CEO of Verité, a leading nonprofit organization working against global forced and child labor through in-depth research and corporate engagement. He has also managed China offices for World Wildlife Fund and Catholic Relief Services.
Senior Consultant, Group Corporate Affairs
BT
Eric Anderson works at the forefront of responsible and sustainable business transformation in BT, one of the world’s leading communications services companies operating in over 180 countries. He identifies and champions emerging issues and innovations into the business for action and ownership. With a stakeholder-centric and data-driven focus, human rights and the role of technology in tackling modern slavery have been a key part of his recent work. Anderson has been involved with the design, development, and delivery of sustainable business for over 10 years and digital technology for over 20 years.
Senior Manager, Global Human Rights
Mars
Heidi Koester Oliveira is a human rights and sustainability professional with 12 years of experience leading initiatives that drive business growth and societal benefit. As the program lead for human rights and sustainable sourcing at Mars Incorporated, Heidi works with procurement teams around the world to design and deploy efforts that improve respect for rights of vulnerable people across key extended agricultural supply chains. Her work addresses forced labor and child labor risks, and she leads engagement with key global partners and coalitions. Previously, at The Coca-Cola Company, Heidi built program and policy efforts across human rights, youth and women’s economic empowerment, and health delivery systems in Africa.
Associate Director
BSR
(Moderator)
Peter leads BSR’s consulting and collaborative initiative efforts on human rights, including BSR’s cross-industry Human Rights Working Group. He has supported companies through a range of human rights consulting projects, with expertise in the information and communications technology, extractives, food and agriculture, and financial services industries.
Prior to joining BSR, Peter was an attorney at an international law firm based in the United States. He spent significant time in China working as a journalist with the Economist Intelligence Unit and as a freelance strategy consultant in Shanghai.
The global economy is being transformed in profound ways, creating radical new sustainability challenges and opportunities. How these play out, and how we respond to them, is uncertain. True sustainability is about being fit for the future and to do so requires not just more of the same, but being able to think differently. We need to explore various possible futures and use our imaginations to manifest the world we want to live in. As Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”
Check out our FastForward 25 sessions for a sneak peek into the future of next 25 years of sustainable business.
Inclusive by Design: Making Products Accessible to All
October 25, 2017, 11:30 am-12:30 pm
This session will explore why and how companies are incorporating inclusivity into the product design process to improve access and usability for underserved consumers, such as people living with disabilities and low-income customers in emerging markets. During this interactive dialogue, session participants will glean tactics on making the case internally for integrating inclusive design into core business practices and hear about lessons learned from industry practitioners who have successfully developed and launched inclusive design initiatives at their companies.
Session Speakers
Accessibility Solutions Engineer
AT&T
John Herzog is an accessibility solutions engineer in AT&T’s corporate accessibility technology office. He collaborates with project managers and teams throughout the company to insure that AT&T products and services are usable by customers with disabilities. Herzog’s most recent work includes a partnership with DirecTV, where he provided expertise during the design of accessible set-top-boxes and apps for mobile devices.
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Stern School of Business, New York University
Rajesh Bilimoria thrives on the intersection of ideas and is a firm believer in interdisciplinary thinking as a key lever for innovation. He currently teaches innovation and human-centered design as an adjunct faculty member at the New York University Stern School of Business and at Parsons School of Design (The New School). Bilimoria also advises companies about innovation and is an external advisory board member for Vanguard’s Innovation Studio. Previously, Bilimoria spent 11 years as a leader at Continuum, helping clients across sectors address innovation challenges and increase their innovation capability. Prior to joining Continuum, Bilimoria worked at WPP and Ford Motor Company.
Manager
BSR
(Moderator)
With a decade of experience in global health, Byron contributes to BSR’s consulting and collaboration efforts in healthcare. Byron has significant experience in strategy development, innovative program design, strategic partnerships, communications, marketing, and the monitoring and evaluation of public health programs. He advises companies on developing inclusive business models and strategies that enhance access to healthcare. He also manages the Healthcare Working Group.
Before joining BSR, Byron managed a portfolio of grants and partnerships related to HIV/AIDS and digital health at Johnson & Johnson, where he worked with business leaders, governments, and nonprofit organizations to improve health outcomes in resource-limited settings. He also has previous experience in management consulting for pharmaceutical companies and health-focused foundations. Byron started his career in healthcare at the HIV/AIDS international NGO mothers2mothers, which is based in South Africa.
The global economy is being transformed in profound ways, creating radical new sustainability challenges and opportunities. How these play out, and how we respond to them, is uncertain. True sustainability is about being fit for the future and to do so requires not just more of the same, but being able to think differently. We need to explore various possible futures and use our imaginations to manifest the world we want to live in. As Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”
Check out our FastForward 25 sessions for a sneak peek into the future of next 25 years of sustainable business.
Innovative Financing: Enabling Systemic Impact
October 24, 2017, 4:15 pm-5:15 pm
In the face of an estimated US$2.5 trillion annual funding gap to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, the UN and a broad range of public- and private-sector actors are pursuing innovative financing solutions to social and environmental challenges. What are some of the innovative financing strategies that companies are employing to increase social impact and business value? This discussion will showcase examples to give participants the knowledge to deliver impact.
Session Speakers
Senior Director, Global Public Health Systems Policy and Partnerships
Johnson & Johnson
Jami Taylor is senior director, global public health systems policy and partnerships at Johnson & Johnson (J&J). Taylor’s responsibilities include the establishment of novel collaborations with governments, multilaterals, and civil society around shared priorities in global public health. A recognized expert in innovative financing for global health and development, Taylor secured a signature blended finance collaboration between J&J and Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Development in 2015, which was highlighted at the Global Financing for Development conference in Addis Ababa that year. In 2016, Taylor co-founded and launched Financing & Innovation in Global Health, a platform connecting hundreds of stakeholders across sectors toward more efficient combinations and deployment of resources in the global health field.
Vice President, Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Bank of America
Rebecca Burns is part of the debt capital markets group at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, where she works to deliver green financing to clients including corporates, supranationals, and government agencies. Her role includes advising issuers on the process and market practices for issuance and connecting with investors in an effort to grow the green bond market. She began her career at the bank in the debt capital markets group and then moved to corporate rates origination. Prior to returning to debt capital markets, Burns spent several years as a member of the XVA trading desk.
Director, Healthcare
BSR
(Moderator)
With 20 years in sustainability, Dorje leads BSR’s global healthcare practice. He has significant global experience in issues related to strategy, governance, access to healthcare, business model innovation, bottom-of-the-pyramid business strategy, innovative financing, climate change, human rights, responsible procurement, and stakeholder engagement.
The global economy is being transformed in profound ways, creating radical new sustainability challenges and opportunities. How these play out, and how we respond to them, is uncertain. True sustainability is about being fit for the future and to do so requires not just more of the same, but being able to think differently. We need to explore various possible futures and use our imaginations to manifest the world we want to live in. As Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”
Check out our FastForward 25 sessions for a sneak peek into the future of next 25 years of sustainable business.
Integrating Sustainability through Risk and Opportunity
October 24, 2017, 4:15 pm-5:15 pm
Building sustainability considerations into enterprise risk management frameworks can help integrate sustainability into core business strategy and operations, but traditional risk approaches are often poorly equipped to deal with the longer term and more indirect challenges presented by issues such as climate change, human rights, and inclusive business. They can also give the impression that sustainability is only about reducing harm and not driving positive change. This conversation will explore key debates around the best way to integrate, understand, and measure the core environmental, social, and governance issues facing companies today. Participants will leave knowing how companies can better understand and incorporate their sustainability efforts and what the role of risk management looks like.
Session Speakers
Advisor, Sustainability
Swire Properties
Ash Hegland works with Swire Properties to develop its recently launched global sustainable development strategy—SD2030—and its supporting governance system. His work with Swire Properties is focused on building a strategy that both identifies innovation opportunities and mitigates risk across the company’s global assets. Over the past 18 years in the Asia-Pacific region, Hegland has advised blue chip MNC’s on sustainability strategy, ESG risk analysis, and stakeholder management. Based in Hong Kong, Hegland is an active member of the regional sustainability and green finance community. He is also a fellow of the Aspen Institute’s Business and Society program.
Vice President, Americas, Communities and Social Performance
Rio Tinto
Janina Gawler is vice president, Americas and leader for communities and social performance with Rio Tinto. Over the past 15 years, Gawler has been involved in the development and implementation of social performance standards and programs across Rio Tinto operations. Gawler provide advice, assurance, and business support on resettlement, land acquisition, community engagement programs, and partnerships to ensure the company’s long-term social licence to operate. Gawler is a director of the Rio Tinto Guinea Foundation, established by Rio Tinto to promote enterprise development for youth and women and to support food security programs, all delivered in partnership with NGOs and Guinean government agencies.
Director, Enterprise Risk and Sustainability
Lockheed Martin
Matthew Swibel leads Lockheed Martin’s sustainability program, reporting, and stakeholder engagement. He reports to the corporate vice president of ethics and sustainability and sits on the company’s Sustainability Working Group, which guides policy and performance. As founding director of the Corporate Sustainability Office, Matt led the corporation’s inaugural GRI-based Sustainability Report, its first formal stakeholder engagement sessions and core issues assessment, and the development of new 2015 goals. In his prior role, Swibel was director of enterprise communications. Prior to joining Lockheed Martin, he spent almost a decade as a journalist, most recently as associate editor of Forbes. He is an independent director of Cornerstone Capital Inc. and an advisory board member of the University of Cambridge Centre for Risk Studies.
Executive Director
Association of Professional Social Compliance Auditors
Rona Starr oversees the development and advancement of the Association of Professional Social Compliance Auditors’ (APSCA) mission to enhance the professionalism and credibility of individuals and organizations performing independent social compliance audits. Since she joined, APSCA membership has grown by 300 percent and working groups have developed the Competency Framework for Social Compliance Auditors and Code of Professional Conduct for both audit firms and auditors, which have received public comment and are currently being used as the foundation to pilot the certification process, which will launch in early 2018. Prior to joining APSCA, Starr worked for McDonald’s Corporation for 21 years, and was part of the roll out of the company’s social compliance program within Asia, of which she became the global lead in 2009.
Director, Sustainability Management
BSR
(Moderator)
Alison leads BSR’s sustainability management practice and also works closely with our energy and extractives member companies. She focuses on approaches to sustainability through risk management, strategy, stakeholder engagement, transparency, ethics and governance, and organizational change.
Previously, Alison was a senior managing director at Control Risks, where she helped companies operate with integrity, particularly in high-risk environments. She has also worked at Transparency International, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and IHS Global Insight. She has experience in strategic intelligence, market entry assistance, risk consulting, due diligence, internal investigations, enterprise risk management, and ethics and compliance. She speaks and writes regularly on risk and organizational culture. She is a board member of the ethics organization Center for Business Ethics and Corporate Governance. She is also an adjunct professor at Fordham Law School.
The global economy is being transformed in profound ways, creating radical new sustainability challenges and opportunities. How these play out, and how we respond to them, is uncertain. True sustainability is about being fit for the future and to do so requires not just more of the same, but being able to think differently. We need to explore various possible futures and use our imaginations to manifest the world we want to live in. As Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”
Check out our FastForward 25 sessions for a sneak peek into the future of next 25 years of sustainable business.
Make an Impact: Avoid SDG-Washing
October 25, 2017, 10:15 am-11:15 am
BSR has been unpacking the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) since its 2014 Conference: from contributing to shaping the goals, to providing insights after their launch, to taking stock of achievements on the one-year anniversary of their arrival. This year, this impactful discourse will go one step further and take a deeper look into how to avoid “SDG-washing” by demonstrating positive societal benefits. Participants will hear how and why investors are focusing on the goals, learn best practices for monitoring and evaluation, and walk away with insights from companies setting their business targets to align with the SDGs.
Session Speakers
Vice President, Corporate Marketing and Global Citizenship
Flex
Kelly Hampton leads global citizenship and sustainability initiatives affecting approximately 200,000 Flex employees and their communities across 30 countries. Under Hampton’s leadership, the Flex Foundation has extended its philanthropic reach, providing high-impact programs and emergency relief services to diverse regions around the world in the aftermath of natural disasters, and Flex has participated in accountability initiatives – like CDP Climate Change and Supply Chain, and Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI). Prior to joining Flex, Hampton led brand experience at HP, Landor Associates, and Shell Oil Company.
Director, Government Affairs, Emerging Markets and Asia-Pacific
GSK
As director of government affairs, emerging markets and Asia-Pacific at GSK, Shira Kilcoyne is responsible for designing and leading integrated public and government affairs programs to support GSK operations in 118 countries outside the U.S. and Europe. Her primary role is to develop partnerships that help achieve GSK’s commitment to improve access to medicines; work with governments to find innovative solutions to provide the best treatments possible for patients; encourage fair, transparent, and pro-innovation regimes; and improve and/or accelerate market access opportunities for GSK products.
Associate Director
BSR
(Moderator)
Cecile works with BSR members to advance sustainability strategies and better partner with stakeholders to create more resilient and inclusive business practices. She also leads BSR’s global staffing process and oversees professional development and recruitment in EMEA. Since joining BSR, Cecile has worked on and led projects on stakeholder engagement, reporting, materiality, and strategy, predominantly in the healthcare; consumer products; and food, beverage, and agriculture sectors.
Prior to joining BSR, Cecile served as deputy director for SGS Sustainability Services. Before that, she was executive director of SFSTP, one of the largest associations of industrial pharmacists in Europe. She started her career in the chemicals industry, working for Clariant in the U.K. and Canada.
The global economy is being transformed in profound ways, creating radical new sustainability challenges and opportunities. How these play out, and how we respond to them, is uncertain. True sustainability is about being fit for the future and to do so requires not just more of the same, but being able to think differently. We need to explore various possible futures and use our imaginations to manifest the world we want to live in. As Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”
Check out our FastForward 25 sessions for a sneak peek into the future of next 25 years of sustainable business.

Net Zero by 2050: The Innovation Pathway
October 24, 2017, 3:00 pm-4:00 pm
The Paris Agreement set the world in motion for net-zero emissions by 2050 and its 188 climate plans all include this ground-breaking milestone. The emissions curve is already starting to bend, with global emissions holding steady over the past three years, even as economic growth increases—the challenge now is to accelerate this transition, which will require deep transformations. For the private sector, achieving net-zero emissions will challenge current modes of production, manufacturing, consumption, product design, and financing tools. Participants will leave this session with a better understanding of the risks they will face and opportunities to find innovative ways to be a leader in a low-carbon economy.
Session Speakers
Head of Responsibility Strategy and Standards
Deutsche Post DHL Group
Björn Hannappel is heading the responsible strategy and standards team within the central department corporate communications and responsibility of Deutsche Post DHL Group. He is responsible for all strategic projects with regard to the company’s environmental protection program, GoGreen. In addition, he is responsible for the topic of responsible business practice for the group, which includes the areas of governance, people and environment. As a project lead, he developed the new group-wide GoGreen Strategy: Mission 2050 – Zero Emissions. Further topics in his area of responsibility include carbon accounting, environmental rankings and ratings, GoGreen sales support, green policies and guidelines, and stakeholder dialogues.
Director, Environmental Strategy and Analytics
GE
Brandon Owens is an energy economist, environmental specialist, and writer. Owens is an expert in forecasting and predictive analytics techniques. He is the author of numerous articles and reports, including "The Renewable Energy Era", "Digital Resource Productivity," “The Rise of Distributed Power," “The Power of Tomorrow,” and “The Digitization of Hydropower.” Owens is currently the director of environmental strategy and analytics at GE Corporate. Prior to this role, he was director of research at Cambridge Energy Research Associates (IHS CERA). Earlier, he served as senior analyst for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
Manager
BSR
(Moderator)
Emilie leads BSR’s engagements on climate change for the EMEA region, including partnerships with grant funders, public-sector bodies, and members in key industries. Her expertise informs BSR’s climate strategy by including short-lived climate pollutants as a powerful lever for curbing emissions with benefits on health, development, and air quality. She leads research seeking solutions within the finance sector to deepen corporate investment in climate action.
Previously, Emilie worked as a consultant with local governments in California on climate-action strategies and private-sector stakeholder engagement on climate policy planning. She has worked with the transportation, manufacturing, and agriculture sectors on supply chain sustainability and climate impacts. Emilie teaches as a university lecturer in philosophy and sociology.
The global economy is being transformed in profound ways, creating radical new sustainability challenges and opportunities. How these play out, and how we respond to them, is uncertain. True sustainability is about being fit for the future and to do so requires not just more of the same, but being able to think differently. We need to explore various possible futures and use our imaginations to manifest the world we want to live in. As Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”
Check out our FastForward 25 sessions for a sneak peek into the future of next 25 years of sustainable business.

New Kids on the Blockchain: Transforming Sustainable Systems
October 25, 2017, 10:15 am-11:15 am
Blockchain technology offers a powerful, exciting digital tool to fix sustainability problems in myriad fields such as supply chain traceability, migrant labor, and financial inclusion. At the same time, successful implementation of blockchain innovations will require companies and stakeholders to discover solutions to overcome some of the oldest barriers to advancing sustainability—collaboration, governance, standards-setting, and funding models, among others. In this interactive session, participants will learn about the potential for blockchain to transform sustainability, conduct mini-workshops to apply what they learn, and explore how technologists and sustainability leaders can collaborate to bring these solutions to life.
Session Speakers
Executive Director
ID2020
Dakota Gruener is the Executive Director of ID2020, a public-private partnership working to ensure that everyone on the planet has access to a digital identity. As executive director, she leads overall strategy, builds critical partnerships with public- and private-sector stakeholders, and continually focuses the organization on reaching “the last girl." Dakota comes to ID2020 from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), where she served as an Executive Officer working directly with the CEO. Gavi is an innovative global public-private partnership that acts as the central coordinating body for childhood vaccinations in the developing world, and which reaches nearly 60 percent of the world's children with life-saving vaccines.
Senior Vice President
Xpansiv Data Systems
Jeff Cohen is cofounder and senior vice president at Xpansiv Data Systems, focused on applying advanced technology to incentivize the efficient, sustainable production of energy fuels, agricultural products, and other commodities in global markets. Cohen brings more than 30 years of national and international experience developing and implementing policies designed to protect the environment, including driving initiatives at the U.S. EPA and California Air Resources Board addressing climate change. In 2009, Cohen cofounded EOS Climate, which has delivered millions of cost-effective, verified emissions-reductions to the California cap-and-trade program.
The global economy is being transformed in profound ways, creating radical new sustainability challenges and opportunities. How these play out, and how we respond to them, is uncertain. True sustainability is about being fit for the future and to do so requires not just more of the same, but being able to think differently. We need to explore various possible futures and use our imaginations to manifest the world we want to live in. As Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”
Check out our FastForward 25 sessions for a sneak peek into the future of next 25 years of sustainable business.
Policy Engagement in Uncertain Times
October 25, 2017, 11:30 am-12:30 pm
With seismic shifts occurring in American, European, and other global politics in varying ways, companies are trying to navigate how to engage with policy in order to lead on sustainability issues at a time of profound change. From public opposition to government policies, both in the media and in courts, to quieter efforts in influence and collaboration, there seems to be a multitude of options, but no clear roadmap. This timely discourse will provide guidance for participants to help them make decisions about where and how they can engage in the policy arena, both as individual companies and in collaboration with partners, to raise the voice of business on the crucial sustainability challenges of our time.
Session Speakers
Head of Global Advocacy and Policy
Etsy
Althea Erickson leads Etsy's efforts to advance public policies that make it easier for Etsy sellers to start and grow their creative businesses. She developed and advanced Etsy’s position on portable benefits and economic security for the self-employed, tax and regulatory simplification, net neutrality, and global trade, among others. Althea leads Etsy's unique strategy of empowering Etsy sellers as advocates for themselves, modeling a mission-driven approach to government relations that uses the power of business as a force for social good. Prior to joining Etsy, Althea was the advocacy and policy director at Freelancers Union. Previously, Althea worked at The Rockefeller Foundation, where she focused on strategies to build economic security within the U.S. workforce.
Senior Director, Policy and BICEP Network
Ceres
Anne L. Kelly is senior director of the policy program at Ceres. She also directs Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy (BICEP), a coalition of 41 leading companies including Nike, Starbucks, and eBay seeking to advocate for meaningful climate and energy policy at the federal level. She is a registered lobbyist and is actively engaged on Capitol Hill on behalf of Ceres and BICEP member companies. Kelly is an environmental lawyer with 20 years of combined experience in the private and public sectors. She has worked as special assistant to EPA Region I Administrator John DeVillars and currently serves on the board of the Environmental League of Massachusetts.
Vice President, Sustainability
NRG Energy
As NRG's head of sustainability, Bruno Sarda leads the development and execution of companywide sustainability initiatives. His role also involves advancing the application of sustainable solutions for new and existing NRG customers. Sarda joined NRG from Dell, Inc., where he served as director of sustainability and social responsibility since 2010. While at Dell, he partnered with the company's sales organization and key customers to drive collaboration and deepen business relationships. In addition, he worked closely with Dell's supply chain organization to bridge its sustainability efforts and global sourcing priorities and practices. Prior to transitioning to corporate sustainability, Sarda held various strategic e-business roles at Dell and Charles Schwab.
Senior Vice President
BSR
(Moderator)
With more than 20 years in the consulting field, Eric leads BSR's global consulting practice to design and implement sustainability strategies that create business value by addressing some of the world’s greatest challenges.
In addition to advising the CEOs and senior teams of several global companies, Eric plays a lead role on a number of BSR’s collaborative initiatives, including the Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance, the Net Positive Project, and Future of Fuels, as well as our work with the We Mean Business coalition. Prior to joining BSR, Eric worked with the Natural Step in San Francisco, accelerating sustainability through strategic counsel on a broad range of corporate responsibility matters that included supply chain management and sustainable development. He also has served as vice president at the Boston Consulting Group and was a partner and founding member of the global consultancy Mitchell Madison Group.
The global economy is being transformed in profound ways, creating radical new sustainability challenges and opportunities. How these play out, and how we respond to them, is uncertain. True sustainability is about being fit for the future and to do so requires not just more of the same, but being able to think differently. We need to explore various possible futures and use our imaginations to manifest the world we want to live in. As Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”
Check out our FastForward 25 sessions for a sneak peek into the future of next 25 years of sustainable business.
Positive Agriculture
October 25, 2017, 11:30 am-12:30 pm
Agriculture accounts for more than 15 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and is one of the sectors that will be most profoundly altered by climate change. Some companies are setting significant goals and engaging their supply chains to help mitigate impacts, transition to resiliency, and drive climate-smart agriculture, and there’s a wave of innovation happening to minimize the impact of food production and rethink agriculture overall. This conversation will “dig in” to company approaches to row crops and livestock and offer opportunities to scale impacts.
Session Speakers
Vice President, Global Agronomy Solutions
PepsiCo
Christine Daugherty drives PepsiCo’s short-term approach and long-term strategic direction for their crop science and sustainable agriculture agenda, including delivery against relevant PepsiCo Performance with Purpose 2025 goals. She is focused on external relationships, research management, and internal alignment and execution across various departments including R&D, global procurement, and operations. Prior to PepsiCo, Daugherty worked at Tyson Foods, where she held various roles, most recently vice president of sustainable food production. Her responsibilities included natural resource conservation programs, responsible sourcing, and farm animal well-being, as well as leading the company’s sustainability programs across multiple platforms.
Global Vice President, Sustainability
McDonald's
Keith Kenny is vice president of sustainability for McDonald’s Corporation. In this role, he supports the company’s sustainability efforts and alignment of business practices and policies to make a positive impact on society. This includes responsibility for setting the global strategy for sustainable sourcing and restaurant sustainability as well as helping coordinate the broader company work around brand trust. Kenny began his career at McDonald’s U.K. in 1989. In 2006, he moved to work for McDonald’s Europe, holding various commercial supply chain responsibilities as well as establishing and leading the McDonald’s Europe sustainability team. In 2015, Kenny joined the global organization in his current function.
Executive Director, Senior Analyst – Farm Inputs & Digital Agriculture
Rabobank
Kenneth S. Zuckerberg is an executive director and senior analyst within Rabobank’s Food & Agribusiness Research & Advisory (FAR) group, responsible for coverage of farm inputs and agriculture technology. Zuckerberg is responsible for managing FAR's research mandate in the North American farm inputs sector (crop protection chemicals, equipment, fertilizer, seeds, agriculture technology, water). Prior to joining Rabobank in 2014, he was managing partner of Carlan Advisors, an independent research and consulting firm he founded in 2003. He also held senior research roles with two investment management firms, Train Babcock and Lazard. Previously, Zuckerberg researched financial services companies at Smith Barney; Moody’s Investors Services; and Keefe, Bruyette, and Woods and is considered a subject matter expert in reinsurance.
Associate Director, Consumer Sectors
BSR
(Moderator)
Jorgette leads BSR’s consumer products practice for the United States and the global food, beverage, and agriculture practice. She focuses on aligning innovative sustainability practices with business strategy and operations, working with executives from the food, beverage, and agriculture; consumer packaged goods; apparel; footwear; and retail industries, among others.
Jorgette brings more than 10 years of experience consulting with multinational companies and governments, with expertise in supply chain management, procurement, strategy, and employee engagement. She has worked at Arthur Andersen, Great Place to Work, and Unisys. She also spent four years at PepsiCo leading global supplier CSR assurance.
The global economy is being transformed in profound ways, creating radical new sustainability challenges and opportunities. How these play out, and how we respond to them, is uncertain. True sustainability is about being fit for the future and to do so requires not just more of the same, but being able to think differently. We need to explore various possible futures and use our imaginations to manifest the world we want to live in. As Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”
Check out our FastForward 25 sessions for a sneak peek into the future of next 25 years of sustainable business.
Prioritizing Well-Being: Investing in Community and Employee Health
October 25, 2017, 2:00 pm-3:00 pm
Good health is a source of competitive advantage and a catalyst for innovation. Companies are increasingly viewing employee and community health and well-being as a strategic priority, and they are developing cross-sector partnerships to achieve health goals. In this dynamic discussion, participants will learn from leading companies how to make the business case for investing in employee and community health and what actions to take to benefit populations. Participants will also leave knowing the metrics that are most relevant and important to their programs.
Session Speakers
Senior Director, Global Corporate Responsibility
Hilton
Daniella Foster is a policy innovator and social entrepreneur. She has worked in business, government, and the non-profit sectors leading partnerships and initiatives that grow small/medium enterprises, connect entrepreneurs from around the world, develop youth job skills, and accelerate innovation through crowdfunding. She previously led global corporate affairs and science communications for Mars Symbioscience, the in-house innovation incubator of Mars, Incorporated. Prior to joining Mars, Foster served as director of partnerships at the U.S. Department of State. During her tenure, she served as chief of staff to the Secretary of State’s senior advisor. She co-founded the Emergent Leaders Network, a non-profit that provides community college students with microscholarships and mentoring.
Associate Director
Genentech
Marlene Kosinski oversees Genentech’s health, wellness, and ergonomics programs. Marlene sits on the Genentech Sustainability Council as the lead of the Well-Being Working Group. This cross-functional group’s charter is to promote and support an inclusive workplace culture of health and well-being. Most recently, Kosinski was a member of a Genentech project leadership team tasked with designing and building a new campus community center based on a vision comprised of four pillars: well-being, sustainability, community, and innovation, as well as incorporating universal and active design. Kosinski is a family nurse practitioner and is board certified as an Occupational Health Nurse Specialist (COHN-S), a Fitwel Ambassador, and a WELL Accredited Professional (AP).
Senior Program Officer
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Victoria Kumpuris Brown engages business around health at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation by bridging multiple sectors to help children and families lead longer, healthier lives. Most recently, as vice president for Strategic Alliances at the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, Brown led the Alliance in signing a groundbreaking agreement with McDonald’s to increase access to fruits and vegetables and help families make informed choices, and she also negotiated a landmark agreement with large food and beverage companies to reduce beverage calories 20 percent by 2025 for all Americans. Brown also created the Healthier Generation Benefit, a collaborative of more than 20 health insurers and employers extending first-ever health benefits for the prevention and treatment of obesity.
Director, Healthcare
BSR
(Moderator)
With 20 years in sustainability, Dorje leads BSR’s global healthcare practice. He has significant global experience in issues related to strategy, governance, access to healthcare, business model innovation, bottom-of-the-pyramid business strategy, innovative financing, climate change, human rights, responsible procurement, and stakeholder engagement.
The global economy is being transformed in profound ways, creating radical new sustainability challenges and opportunities. How these play out, and how we respond to them, is uncertain. True sustainability is about being fit for the future and to do so requires not just more of the same, but being able to think differently. We need to explore various possible futures and use our imaginations to manifest the world we want to live in. As Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”
Check out our FastForward 25 sessions for a sneak peek into the future of next 25 years of sustainable business.
Products in Peril: Climate Resilience Strategies
October 24, 2017, 4:15 pm-5:15 pm
From decreased cocoa production in West Africa, to reduced cotton production from drought in South Asia, to concerns over coffee yields from fluctuating weather patterns globally, key agricultural commodities are under stress due to climate change. Many companies understand how commodity supply availability impacts their ability to create products. However, many fail to realize how climate resilience can help mitigate risks, help maintain business success, and positively impact local communities. This discussion will take an in-depth look at how leading brands are implementing climate resilience strategies into their key-commodity supply chains.
Session Speakers
Director of Supplier Sustainability
The Coca Cola Company
Ben R. Jordan has held roles at The Coca-Cola Company focused on both internal operational issues and relationship-building with key stakeholders. In his current role, he drives sustainability programs in climate, packaging, and agriculture. Jordan has participated actively in Coca-Cola’s involvement with numerous leading environmental organizations, and he sits on the members council of Bonsucro (the Better Sugarcane Initiative), the board of trustees of The Nature Conservancy in Georgia, and the advisory board of Chattahoochee Riverkeeper. He is a participant in the World Economic Forum’s Food Security and Agriculture partners group and the Consumer Goods Forum Pulp, Paper, and Packaging Working Group. Jordan serves as an educational counselor for MIT, an adjunct instructor at Emory University, and a reviewer for the Journal of Industrial Ecology.
Director, Social Impact and Public Policy
Starbucks
Kelly Goodejohn leads the Starbucks’ strategy and governance of its ethical sourcing programs, including C.A.F.E. Practices for coffee, Cocoa Practices, and Supplier Social Responsibility program for manufactured goods. Goodejohn and her team implement Starbucks ethical sourcing programs throughout the company’s global procurement organization and apply a comprehensive set of environmental, social, and economic best practices to guide the company’s responsible buying practices. The programs focus on continuous improvement and capacity-building, including the Farmer Loans program. Goodejohn and her team engage with many organizations to support the ambition of developing our supplier partners. Goodejohn is a member of the SCAA Sustainability Council and the NCA Sustainability Task Force.
Manager
BSR
(Moderator)
With a background in sustainable business and exploring the impact of climate change on vulnerable populations, Eileen fosters private-sector engagement to accelerate climate resilience in Southeast Asia.
Before joining BSR, Eileen was vice president at Edelman, where she implemented strategic sustainability plans for Fortune 500 companies to drive climate action, responsible sourcing, resource optimization, and community engagement. While at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., Eileen advanced policy solutions on climate change, sustainable development, and urban resiliency.
The global economy is being transformed in profound ways, creating radical new sustainability challenges and opportunities. How these play out, and how we respond to them, is uncertain. True sustainability is about being fit for the future and to do so requires not just more of the same, but being able to think differently. We need to explore various possible futures and use our imaginations to manifest the world we want to live in. As Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”
Check out our FastForward 25 sessions for a sneak peek into the future of next 25 years of sustainable business.
Protecting Workers on the Move
October 24, 2017, 11:00 am-12:00 pm
Companies have a responsibility to protect the most vulnerable workers in their supply chains: migrants. Migrant workers are the most susceptible to poor working conditions and to exploitative and forced labor, among other infringements on human rights. The challenge of protecting their rights is compounded by the differing nature of migration across regions, from the internal migrants of Asia to the refugees and displaced persons of the Middle East. Companies must grapple with the issue at all levels of employment. This informative session will help participants tackle challenges to responsible practices around recruitment, good housing conditions, protection from violence and local backlash, education, and other timely matters.
Session Speakers
Vice President, Social and Environmental Responsibility
Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition
As vice president of social and environmental responsibility at the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC), Bob Mitchel leads the strategy development and implementation for environmental and human rights programs for the industry. He is a 16-year veteran of Hewlett Packard and Hewlett Packard Enterprise, with more than 11 years in sustainability. He was most recently the director of global social and environmental responsibility at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, leading a team of professionals in human rights, supply chain responsibility, and conflict minerals, among other issue areas. Mitchel also served on the EICC Board of Directors for nearly four years and was vice chair in 2016.
Newton International Fellow and St Edmund Hall Junior Research Fellow
International Migration Institute, University of Oxford
Since 2016, Emre Eren Korkmaz has worked as a post-doctoral researcher at the International Migration Institute of the University of Oxford. He was also recently appointed as a research fellow at St. Edmund Hall. As a migrant-refugee specialist, Korkmaz works to examine the labor market involvement of Syrian refugees in Turkey. He has contributed to the Ethical Trading Initiative’s Turkey Programme and Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, working with stakeholders in Turkey and providing strategic input on refugees and migrants. Korkmaz has more than 10 years of experience handling industrial relations issues.
Senior CSR Officer
QDVC
Henriette McCool manages CSR at QDVC, a construction company in Qatar owned by Qatari Diar and the French major VINCI, which is a member of BSR’s industry-led initiative, Building Responsibly. McCool is responsible for structuring the CSR strategy, tackling risks of forced labor, and carrying out human rights due diligence in the supply chain. In a region where most labor is made up of migrant workers, she worked toward the eradication of illegal recruitment fees in the sourcing countries and the implementation of consultation tools for the workers. She also helped build stakeholder engagement for QDVC and VINCI. Previously, McCool held positions with think tanks, NGOs, and the European Parliament.
The global economy is being transformed in profound ways, creating radical new sustainability challenges and opportunities. How these play out, and how we respond to them, is uncertain. True sustainability is about being fit for the future and to do so requires not just more of the same, but being able to think differently. We need to explore various possible futures and use our imaginations to manifest the world we want to live in. As Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”
Check out our FastForward 25 sessions for a sneak peek into the future of next 25 years of sustainable business.

Redefining Sustainable Business: A Futures-Thinking Design Sprint
October 25, 2017, 10:15 am-11:15 am
Climate change impacts, disruptive new business models, the combinatorial technology explosion, and a fraying social contract are just some of the changes profoundly reshaping the landscape for business and sustainability. In the face of such rapid and complex change, futures thinking offers a powerful tool to challenge current assumptions and create more resilient strategies. This highly interactive futures session will have participants explore the implications of some of the most disruptive trends while imagining how companies might turn sustainability challenges into business opportunities.
Session Speakers
Associate Manager, Sustainability
Taco Bell
Jessica Rosen manages purpose and sustainability for Taco Bell. She also supports Taco Bell’s parent company, Yum! Brands, where she has led sustainability initiatives related to supply chain, animal welfare, food waste, and stakeholder engagement. Prior to Taco Bell, Rosen worked with companies across the food supply chain as a senior sustainability advisor with Forum for the Future, managing projects and partnerships from sustainable protein, to circular economy, to resilient cities, as well as broader strategies based in futures thinking. Before corporate sustainability, Rosen conducted food systems research in Cuba, Indonesia, and Guatemala with Bioversity International, the Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research, and the International Research Institute for Climate and Society.
Ethical Trading Manager
Marks & Spencer
Laura Hawkesford manages the M&S Clothing and Home global ethical trade program, supporting all sourcing offices in the implementation of compliance, beyond-audit innovations, and community and social development programs. Hawkesford provides insight on risk management and mitigation, emerging trends, and ideas for new innovation to senior leadership committees. Her professional interests are gender empowerment, how to take programs to scale, proving the business case for sustainability, and working with multi-stakeholders on joint collaboration. Before working for M&S, Hawkesford worked for Oxfam as a buyer for commercial product for Oxfam retail shops.
The global economy is being transformed in profound ways, creating radical new sustainability challenges and opportunities. How these play out, and how we respond to them, is uncertain. True sustainability is about being fit for the future and to do so requires not just more of the same, but being able to think differently. We need to explore various possible futures and use our imaginations to manifest the world we want to live in. As Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”
Check out our FastForward 25 sessions for a sneak peek into the future of next 25 years of sustainable business.
Sustainability Reporting Grows Up
October 25, 2017, 2:00 pm-3:00 pm
The GRI Guidelines are now Standards. The SASB Provisional Standards are on their way to being Codified. The EU Non-Financial Reporting Directive is being implemented. The Task Force on Climate Related Financial Disclosures has provided recommendations for how climate-related financial information should be included in mainstream financial filings. These developments raise the stakes when it comes to the quality and robustness of sustainability disclosures, and the importance of rigorous reporting processes. Is the sustainability profession up to the job? Participants in this conversation will learn what they can do to ensure that sustainability disclosures achieve the same level of accuracy, reliability, and quality as financial disclosures.
Session Speakers
Director Standards
GRI
Bastian Buck is the director of global reporting standards within GRI and is responsible for all standard-setting activities at the organization. Buck has spent more than a decade with GRI, and in that time he has built extensive experience with the development of the GRI reporting guidance. He played a key role in the successful development and launch of GRI’s G4 Guidelines in 2013. He is also experienced in the moderation of consensus-seeking processes and the facilitation of international multistakeholder expert working group procedures.
Strategic Advisor
SASB
Katie Schmitz Eulitt serves as a strategic advisor to the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), where she is currently focused on engaging with investors to encourage the use of SASB standards. She curates SASB’s ongoing publication, ESG Integration Insights, and co-manages SASB’s Investor Advisory Group, comprising leading asset owners and managers with more than US$21 trillion in assets under management. Following a career in ballet, Schmitz Eulitt worked with Salomon Brothers for more than a decade in the U.S., Japan, and Hong Kong. Her experience also spans project development and management in wide-ranging sectors, including energy (fossil fuels, renewables, and fuel cells), water disinfection, and consulting.
Vice President, ESG Strategist
BlackRock
Verity Chegar is responsible for global research of environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) trends and their implications for investment. Her work informs BlackRock’s Investment Stewardship corporate engagement program. She also works with portfolio managers to integrate ESG factors into investment decision-making within BlackRock's active investment strategies. Prior to joining BlackRock, Chegar worked at Allianz Global Investors as an ESG analyst. Her role included company and policy level engagement, and she also served as chair of the U.S. proxy voting committee. In 2006 she joined the U.S. Large Cap Portfolio Management team at RCM, which later became Allianz Global Investors. Chegar is a member of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB).
Managing Director
BSR
(Moderator)
Dunstan leads the team of BSR directors that oversees our six core areas of expertise for our consulting, collaborative, grant-funded, and research projects. Previously, he led BSR’s information and communications technology and heavy manufacturing practices.
Dunstan facilitated the multistakeholder process of developing global principles on freedom of expression and privacy, which led to the launch of the Global Network Initiative in October 2008. He also helped create the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition, a collaborative initiative of more than 100 ICT companies improving conditions in their supply chains. Dunstan participated in the process of creating the Global Reporting Initiative G3 guidelines, and is a regular commentator on issues of corporate accountability, reporting, and human rights. He also co-authored the 2010 book, Big Business, Big Responsibilities.
The global economy is being transformed in profound ways, creating radical new sustainability challenges and opportunities. How these play out, and how we respond to them, is uncertain. True sustainability is about being fit for the future and to do so requires not just more of the same, but being able to think differently. We need to explore various possible futures and use our imaginations to manifest the world we want to live in. As Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”
Check out our FastForward 25 sessions for a sneak peek into the future of next 25 years of sustainable business.

The 21st-Century Social Contract
October 24, 2017, 11:00 am-12:00 pm
The nature of work is changing very rapidly. Old models of lifelong employment via business and a predictable safety net provided by government are no longer assured in a new demographic, economic, and political environment. We see these trends most clearly in the rise of the “gig economy,” in which contingent workers (freelancers, independent contractors, consultants, or other outsourced and non-permanent workers) are hired on a temporary or part-time basis. These workers make up more than 90 percent of new job creation in European countries, and by 2020, it is estimated that more than 40 percent of the U.S. workforce will be in contingent jobs. This candid discussion will explore how business is responding to these changes, looking to balance the benefits of more flexible working arrangements with certainty and protections for workers in this new world of work.
Session Speakers
Fellow
Aspen Institute Future of Work Initiative
For the past 15 years, Libby Reder has worked across sectors to drive progress. Currently a fellow at the Aspen Institute Future of Work Initiative, Reder explores how work is changing across the U.S. economy—with a particular focus on the gig economy—and looks at related implications for the social contract, including potential policy solutions. Previously, Reder worked for eight years in leadership roles in corporate responsibility, sustainability, and corporate reputation at eBay Inc. and Visa Inc. In her first career chapter, Reder spent four years with the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Antitrust.
Founder
Reinvent
Peter Leyden is the founder and CEO of Reinvent, a media company that engages top innovators in deep conversations about solving complex challenges and then creates media about their big ideas. He is the host of What’s Now: San Francisco, a monthly event showcasing thought leaders throughout the Bay Area. Leyden is also leading two multiyear projects with Reinvent on the future of work and the future of the sharing economy. Leyden worked for several innovative organizations that helped reinvent the fields of media, politics, and business:, as managing editor at Wired magazine, founding director at the New Politics Institute, and at Global Business Network. Leyden is the coauthor of The Long Boom and What’s Next.
President and CEO
BSR
(Moderator)
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, SAP, and Unilever North America, and he facilitates the AXA CEO advisory panel. He is also a director of the Natural Capital Coalition and We Mean Business as well as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on the Future of Consumption. He is co-author of the book Sustainable Excellence: The Future of Business in a Fast-Changing World, which spotlights innovative sustainability strategies that drive business success.
Prior to joining BSR, Aron practiced law in San Francisco, and worked as a journalist at ABC News in New York.
The global economy is being transformed in profound ways, creating radical new sustainability challenges and opportunities. How these play out, and how we respond to them, is uncertain. True sustainability is about being fit for the future and to do so requires not just more of the same, but being able to think differently. We need to explore various possible futures and use our imaginations to manifest the world we want to live in. As Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”
Check out our FastForward 25 sessions for a sneak peek into the future of next 25 years of sustainable business.
The Changing Role of the CSO
October 25, 2017, 10:15 am-11:15 am
Business integrator, impact officer, or futurist? The role of the Chief Sustainability Officer can vary enormously, not least during a time of great change. More and more, CSOs are being asked to work across regions and functions to drive fundamental change in corporate strategy, value creation, and organizational culture. The CSO also has the potential to be a source of generating innovation that creates revenue and business opportunities. What skills and qualifications does the CSO of the future need? Is the ultimate goal of the CSO to work herself out of a job, or will there always be a need for the distinct form of leadership? This panel will explore the changing job description for the CSO and the many ways the CSO can drive transformational change that delivers business value and social impact.
Session Speakers
Chief Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Officer
Best Buy
Laura Bishop is responsible for developing and implementing goals, programming, and policies related to environmental, social, and community initiatives at Best Buy, all aimed at supporting Best Buy’s business and furthering its commitments to the communities where it operates. Bishop’s responsibilities include managing the corporate responsibility; community relations, philanthropy, and volunteerism; and environmental sustainability and compliance divisions. Prior to Best Buy, Bishop spent much of her career in the public sector where she served in public affairs and political assignments for the White House, the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of State at the U.S. Embassy in Switzerland, and the State of Minnesota.
Global Head of Sustainability
Bechtel
Tam Nguyen serves as the corporate manager for sustainability across Bechtel’s core functions and business lines. He directs the formulation and implementation of Bechtel’s sustainability strategy, leads special initiatives, supports project delivery, and manages stakeholder and policy planning on a range of global issues. Tam also serves as vice chair of the corporate responsibility committee of the U.S. Council for International Business, executive officer of Chevron’s Niger Delta Partnership Initiative, and a board member of the Global Engagement Community Resilience Fund. Prior to joining Bechtel, Nguyen worked for Chevron Corporation, the Asian Development Bank in the Philippines, and the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington, D.C.
Director, Sustainability Management
BSR
(Moderator)
Alison leads BSR’s sustainability management practice and also works closely with our energy and extractives member companies. She focuses on approaches to sustainability through risk management, strategy, stakeholder engagement, transparency, ethics and governance, and organizational change.
Previously, Alison was a senior managing director at Control Risks, where she helped companies operate with integrity, particularly in high-risk environments. She has also worked at Transparency International, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and IHS Global Insight. She has experience in strategic intelligence, market entry assistance, risk consulting, due diligence, internal investigations, enterprise risk management, and ethics and compliance. She speaks and writes regularly on risk and organizational culture. She is a board member of the ethics organization Center for Business Ethics and Corporate Governance. She is also an adjunct professor at Fordham Law School.
The global economy is being transformed in profound ways, creating radical new sustainability challenges and opportunities. How these play out, and how we respond to them, is uncertain. True sustainability is about being fit for the future and to do so requires not just more of the same, but being able to think differently. We need to explore various possible futures and use our imaginations to manifest the world we want to live in. As Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”
Check out our FastForward 25 sessions for a sneak peek into the future of next 25 years of sustainable business.
The Era of Misinformation: Upholding the Sustainability Agenda
October 24, 2017, 3:00 pm-4:00 pm
Will the global sustainability agenda survive in a “post-fact” world, where popular sentiment belies factual evidence of growing inequality and climate change? At a time when public trust in business, government, and the media lies at an all-time low, companies must find new ways to communicate about their most critical sustainability challenges. Participants in this candid dialogue will discover solutions to that challenge and will uncover the risks and opportunities for companies who are prepared to make the move toward transparency.
Session Speakers
Senior Client Strategist
Polecat
Caroline Skipsey has more than 20 years of experience working with clients implementing digital technologies, monitoring, and listening tools. With her help, global companies promote effective corporate campaigns and monitor, report on, assess, utilize, and challenge content and conversation online. She has specialist knowledge in horizon-scanning for supply chain risk in areas like sustainability, geopolitical risk, modern slavery, and NGO monitoring. At Polecat, Skipsey works closely with global clients in highly regulated industries, providing real-time intelligence on environmental, social, and governance topics.
Communications Director
Wikimedia Foundation
Juliet Barbara is the communications director at the Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit that supports Wikipedia and the other Wikimedia free knowledge projects. Barbara leads public relations and strategic messaging to amplify the Wikimedia mission, values, and communities worldwide. Barbara is a passionate advocate for free and open information and a believer in the power of communication to affect societal change. Before joining the Wikimedia Foundation, Barbara led communications for GoodData. Prior to GoodData, she held a number of roles at the Horn Group, a technology communications agency. Additionally, she was a contributor at Forbes.com, and worked at Forbes Media in a number of roles.
The global economy is being transformed in profound ways, creating radical new sustainability challenges and opportunities. How these play out, and how we respond to them, is uncertain. True sustainability is about being fit for the future and to do so requires not just more of the same, but being able to think differently. We need to explore various possible futures and use our imaginations to manifest the world we want to live in. As Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”
Check out our FastForward 25 sessions for a sneak peek into the future of next 25 years of sustainable business.

The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence
October 25, 2017, 11:30 am-12:30 pm
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is going to fundamentally change the way we work and live as algorithms begin to make more fundamental decisions for us. Like many new technologies, AI is the source of tremendous opportunities to support the public good, but also brings risks and new challenges. How do we build ethical, moral, and human values into the future of AI? What governance mechanisms must be in place to minimize AI’s potential harm and maximize its benefits? This intriguing discussion will explore how companies can incorporate ethics, inclusion, and transparency to protect against perpetuating biases or circumventing ethics in financial transactions, law enforcement, monopolizing behavior, and more.
Session Speakers
Manager, Corporate Responsibility and Human Rights
Intel
Kelli Schlegel is responsible for enhancing Intel’s Human Rights Program, developing Intel’s CSR strategy, and collaborating with key internal stakeholders to ensure alignment and integration of policies, strategy, and stakeholder engagement. She launched and managed Intel’s first corporatewide human rights impact assessment. Prior to Intel, Schlegel spent one year developing Altera’s corporate responsibility program. During this time, she visited supplier sites around the world to ensure their commitment and compliance to corporate responsibility and the EICC Code of Conduct. Kelli also spent seven years at Hewlett-Packard (HP) where she helped develop HP’s legal and regulatory compliance program, devised and implemented its Human Rights Program, and managed media relations.
Researcher in Data Ethics, University of Oxford
Turing Research Fellow, The Alan Turing Institute
Dr. Sandra Wachter is a lawyer and researcher in data ethics at the Oxford Internet Institute at the University of Oxford. She specializes in European law, data protection law, and technology law. Her research focuses on the legal and ethical implications of big data, AI, and robotics, as well as governmental surveillance, predictive policing, and human rights online. Her immediate research focuses on ethical design of algorithms, including the development of standards and methods to ensure fairness, accountability, transparency, interpretability, and group privacy in complex algorithmic systems.
Clinical Attorney
Cyberlaw Clinic, Harvard Law School
A public international lawyer by background, Vivek Krishnamurthy’s clinical teaching and scholarship focuses on the regulation of the internet as a cross-border phenomenon and on the human rights impacts of internet-based technologies. He advises activists, journalists, governments, and technology companies on the intersection between the internet and human rights. Previously, he clerked for the Hon. Morris J. Fish of the Supreme Court of Canada and currently serves on the board of directors of the Global Network Initiative. Prior to joining the Cyberlaw Clinic, Vivek was an associate in the Corporate Social Responsibility and International Litigation practice groups at Foley Hoag LLP.
Associate Director, Information and Communications Technology
BSR
(Moderator)
Michael leads BSR’s work with companies in the information and communications technology industry. His background in corporate environmental issues and his extensive sustainable supply chain experience equips him to drive sustainability agendas from the boardroom to the factory floor.
Before joining BSR, Michael was the senior program director as the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition and acted as the director for the Conflict-Free Sourcing Initiative. He also served in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s climate change and stratospheric protection divisions, focusing on mitigation and reporting for greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, he previously worked for a sustainability consulting firm in Hong Kong.
The global economy is being transformed in profound ways, creating radical new sustainability challenges and opportunities. How these play out, and how we respond to them, is uncertain. True sustainability is about being fit for the future and to do so requires not just more of the same, but being able to think differently. We need to explore various possible futures and use our imaginations to manifest the world we want to live in. As Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”
Check out our FastForward 25 sessions for a sneak peek into the future of next 25 years of sustainable business.
The Just Transition
October 25, 2017, 2:00 pm-3:00 pm
Companies need to be agile to stay competitive in today’s fast-changing world. Whether adopting automation, shifting to clean energy, or managing their global footprint, companies frequently have to make substantial adjustments to the size, skills, and geographic location of their workforce. Yet these transitions frequently come at a high cost to workers and to small communities who are left behind, as they struggle to find a secure economic future when their jobs disappear. Join this conversation to learn about how business can lead a just transition process in partnership with labor, local governments, and nonprofits that both helps build a more prosperous future for workers and communities affected by the change and bolsters the viability of businesses going forward.
Session Speakers
Associate Director
The Rockefeller Foundation
Alyson Wise is an associate Director for U.S. jobs and economic opportunities at The Rockefeller Foundation. In this role, she is responsible for designing and implementing new strategies to increase stability and mobility for the nation’s workers and residents. She currently oversees active portfolios focused on youth employment, independent work, and inclusive economic development. Across this portfolio, Wise has specialized in private-sector solutions and market systems change. Wise has more than a decade of experience working in the philanthropic and nonprofit sector to advance economic opportunities for people in the United States and abroad. She has worked at corporate and private philanthropies, including the Nike Foundation, the Andrus Family Fund, and the Poses Family Foundation.
Vice President, Programs
Walmart Foundation
Julie Gehrki serves as vice president of programs for the Walmart Foundation. This team leads philanthropic investments for Walmart and the Walmart Foundation. The Walmart Foundation funds initiatives focused on sustainability, including work on agriculture, hunger, and nutrition; opportunity, including work on women’s economic opportunity, career opportunity, veteran’s support, small business support, and domestic manufacturing; and community, which engages Walmart associates and facilities to make positive change in communities where they live and work. Prior to Walmart, Julie worked in the nonprofit community on issues of anti-racism, homelessness, and community revitalization.
Associate Director, Inclusive Economy
BSR
(Moderator)
Susan leads BSR’s inclusive economy practice, working with companies on creating good jobs, building diverse and inclusive workplaces, serving marginalized groups through products and services, and supporting local communities throughout global operations.
Susan’s global work experience has spanned more than 20 countries across the Americas, EMEA, and Asia. Prior to BSR, she was a research associate at Harvard Business School, where she focused on socially responsible approaches to corporate restructuring. Her research included automation and economic crises, the business and social benefits of creating good jobs, and how multinational companies can help workers and local communities build resilience to globalization. She has also previously worked on urban planning and development in Africa, conducted research on deindustrialization in the United States, and worked with retailers and small businesses to service low-income, inner-city neighborhoods.
The global economy is being transformed in profound ways, creating radical new sustainability challenges and opportunities. How these play out, and how we respond to them, is uncertain. True sustainability is about being fit for the future and to do so requires not just more of the same, but being able to think differently. We need to explore various possible futures and use our imaginations to manifest the world we want to live in. As Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”
Check out our FastForward 25 sessions for a sneak peek into the future of next 25 years of sustainable business.

Transportation of Tomorrow
October 24, 2017, 11:00 am-12:00 pm
For the past half-century, the approach to transportation infrastructure—rail, road, air, and sea—has remained essentially the same. However, the convergence of technological innovation and an increase in needed infrastructure investment have created a unique opportunity to think differently. Our traditional road, rail, and airline systems could be replaced with something straight out of a science fiction movie. This cutting-edge conversation will explore how alternative high speed rail, driverless cars, the commercialization of space travel, drone delivery of packages, and other innovations could fundamentally change transportation and logistics as we know it, and the resulting sustainability impacts and benefits that could come with the systemic shift.
Session Speakers
Chief Marketing Officer
Hyperloop Transportation Technologies
Robert Miller is a neuroscientist with more than 15 years of experience in global marketing and operations. He joined Hyperloop Transportation Technologies in 2016 as the head of marketing; he moved quickly to chief marketing officer. As chief marketing officer, Miller leads a global team helping to make Hyperloop a reality worldwide. Prior to Hyperloop, Miller was chief marketing officer and head of Asia Operations for Cotton USA and led a team that spanned 17 offices in over 50 countries, rebranding and relaunching to a modern, digitally-minded consumer. Miller spent more than a decade in Asia and speaks fluent Japanese.
Managing Director
BSR
(Moderator)
With more than 20 years of sustainable development experience, John leads BSR's global infrastructure and financial services practices, advising companies on corporate sustainability strategy; responsible investing and project development; and environmental, social, and governance risk management.
Before BSR, John was the founder and president of SunOne Solutions, a leading carbon project developer in North and South America. John worked as a staff member in the World Bank's sustainable development group, where he managed global energy and transport infrastructure projects and the vice president for sustainable development's front office, and served as the infrastructure advisor in the Thailand and Kosovo country offices. He has also held positions in the airline transport industry, with a private infrastructure project developer in Chile, and with an impact investing fund in the Balkans.
The global economy is being transformed in profound ways, creating radical new sustainability challenges and opportunities. How these play out, and how we respond to them, is uncertain. True sustainability is about being fit for the future and to do so requires not just more of the same, but being able to think differently. We need to explore various possible futures and use our imaginations to manifest the world we want to live in. As Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”
Check out our FastForward 25 sessions for a sneak peek into the future of next 25 years of sustainable business.

We Are Our Own Worst Enemy
October 25, 2017, 2:00 pm-3:00 pm
The sustainability community has made tremendous progress over the past 25 years. But in many ways, it has also done itself a disservice. Business leaders lament the competing standards and frameworks, the goals of collecting data rather than creating impact, and the focus on perfection rather than performance improvement. As we look to build business leadership and drive greater change over the next 25 years and beyond, this interactive and introspective session will help participants examine the mistakes made and learn how the sustainability community can work together to support even more substantial progress moving forward.
Session Speakers
Global Vice President, Sustainability
Swarovski
Dax Lovegrove is the global vice president of sustainability at Swarovski. He leads on the international strategy for sustainability across the value chain—from implementing supply chain sustainability practices, to inspiring fashion designers, to engaging customers. Previously, he was director of sustainability and innovation at Kingfisher plc, where he worked on all things ‘net positive’ and innovative to progress the sustainability plan across the group. Before that, he led the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) U.K.’s international work with business for more than a decade, developing the organization's strategy for engaging with business and industry on conservation and shifts toward a green economy. He drove the net positive movement forward while also leading WWF’s international Green Game-Changers program, which promotes green business innovation.
Senior Vice President
BSR
(Moderator)
Laura spearheads BSR’s New York office, working with global companies across a range of industry sectors and sustainability issues. She also oversees global membership strategy and services.
Laura previously worked for Deloitte Consulting, where she acquired extensive strategy experience advising multinational financial services companies. She also managed a community development project in Ecuador, developed the business strategy for a social venture in Brazil, and worked with the biotechnology sector in Chile. Additionally, she is an adjunct professor in the Bard M.B.A. in Sustainability program.
The global economy is being transformed in profound ways, creating radical new sustainability challenges and opportunities. How these play out, and how we respond to them, is uncertain. True sustainability is about being fit for the future and to do so requires not just more of the same, but being able to think differently. We need to explore various possible futures and use our imaginations to manifest the world we want to live in. As Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”
Check out our FastForward 25 sessions for a sneak peek into the future of next 25 years of sustainable business.
Whose Money Is It Anyway?
October 24, 2017, 11:00 am-12:00 pm
There is tremendous focus today on sustainable and impact investing and on the firms developing the analytics and making the investment decisions. But the real drivers behind the move toward more sustainable investing are the “asset owners”—those who actually own the money. Pension funds, insurance companies, sovereign wealth funds, and endowments are the owners of the vast majority of the world’s money. Therefore, these groups have become the hidden sustainability leaders. Participants in this session will get a deeper look into the quiet role these asset owners play, and how they can drive the sustainability agenda.
Session Speakers
Executive Director, Global Sustainable Finance
Morgan Stanley
With more than 16 years of experience in corporate sustainability, Celine Suarez is an executive director on the Global Sustainable Finance Group at Morgan Stanley. Previously, Suarez was a sustainability consultant at the Context Group and at BSR, where she led engagements with companies in the travel and tourism, retail, financial, industrial, and food and beverage industries. She also led the BSR Center for Sustainable Procurement, focused on incorporating sustainability into corporate purchasing decisions. She started her career as an analyst integrating environmental, social, and governance factors into investment decisions at a number of asset management firms, including Domini Social Investments and Citigroup. Suarez is an adjunct professor at NYU where she teaches a course on corporate social responsibility.
Chief Sustainability Officer
The Carlyle Group
Jackie Roberts is Chief Sustainability Officer for the Carlyle Group. Roberts leads Carlyle’s global environment, social, and governance (ESG) efforts and works closely with the group’s teams and portfolio companies to drive understanding and adoption of ESG principles and practices. Prior to joining Carlyle, Roberts spent 17 years at Environmental Defense Fund where she launched and led the first-ever NGO and business corporate partnerships and served as Director of Sustainable Technologies and Senior Director of the Climate and Energy Idea Bank. Her previous jobs include a one-year faculty appointment at Harvard Business School and work as an engineer at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Associate Director
BSR
(Moderator)
With a background in consulting, private equity, and international development, Karlyn brings rigorous thought leadership and a focus on financial value to BSR’s consulting work in Asia. She supports companies across sectors to design and implement strategies linking corporate sustainability policies to on-the-ground realities in the areas of shared value, sustainable supply chains, and inclusive economy.
Prior to BSR, Karlyn was vice president of strategy and transformation for TAU Investment Management, a private equity firm founded on principles of ESG integration. She was also a management consultant, first with IBM Global Services and later with the Boston Consulting Group, where she advised Fortune 500 clients in the financial services, technology, and healthcare industries. She has also worked in international development in Chile, Namibia, and the Republic of Guinea.
The global economy is being transformed in profound ways, creating radical new sustainability challenges and opportunities. How these play out, and how we respond to them, is uncertain. True sustainability is about being fit for the future and to do so requires not just more of the same, but being able to think differently. We need to explore various possible futures and use our imaginations to manifest the world we want to live in. As Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”
Check out our FastForward 25 sessions for a sneak peek into the future of next 25 years of sustainable business.