Jim Hagemann Snabe – Chair, A.P Moller – Maersk, Chair, Siemens, Vice-Chair, Allianz & Member of the Board of Trustee, World Economic Forum
Jim Hagemann Snabe is Vice Chairman of Allianz SE (D) and a member of the Board of Trustees at World Economic Forum. Jim has developed his career through 24 years of service in the IT industry. Throughout his career Jim has had leadership roles at SAP and IBM, leading global consulting, sales and product development organizations. He was appointed as an executive board member of SAP in 2008 responsible for Innovation and Product Development. In 2010 Jim Hagemann Snabe was appointed co-CEO alongside Bill McDermott. Together they successfully reinvented the software giant SAP from 2010 to 2014. Through his involvement with the World Economic Forum, Jim is actively engaged in efforts related to the Digital Transformation of business and society. Jim Hagemann Snabe has an M.Sc. (Economics and Business administration) from Aarhus University and is an adjunct professor at Copenhagen Business School, CBS.
Jim is also a co-author of the newly released book Dreams and Details.
Paul Polman – Former CEO, Unilever, Chair, International Chamber of Commerce, Chair, The B-Team & Vice-Chair, United Nations Global Compact
Paul Polman has been Chief Executive Officer of Unilever since 2009. Under his leadership, Unilever has set out an ambitious vision to decouple its growth from overall environmental footprint and increase its positive social impact.
Paul actively seeks cooperation with other companies to implement sustainable business strategies and drive systemic change. He is Chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce, Chair of the B Team and Vice-Chair of the UN Global Compact. Paul previously served as Chairman of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
Paul has been closely involved in global discussions on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and action to tackle climate change. In 2016, Paul was asked by the UN Secretary-General to be a member of the SDG Advocacy Group, tasked with promoting action on the 2030 Agenda. Prior to this, Paul served on the High-Level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, presenting recommendations on behalf of the private sector. Paul is a member of the Business and Sustainable Development Commission. He also served on the International Council of the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate, under former Mexican President, Felipe Calderon.
In recognition of his contribution to responsible business, Paul has received numerous awards and accolades including the Rainforest Alliance Lifetime Achievement Award (2014), the Oslo Business for Peace Award (2015), the UN Environment Programme’s Champion of the Earth Award (2015) and the Singapore Government Public Service Star (2016). In 2016, he received France’s Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur, in recognition of his efforts in galvanizing business action on sustainability and for his involvement during the historic 2015 UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris. In 2018, Paul was named an Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) for services to business.
Annette Verschuren, O.C – CEO and Chair, NRStor Inc., Chair to the Board of Directors, Sustainable Development Technology Canada, Board Member, Liberty Mutual Insurance, Board Member, Air Canada, Board Member, Saputo Inc., Board Member, Canadian Natural Resources Limited & Chair, MaRS Discovery District
Annette Verschuren is Chair and CEO of NRStor Inc., an energy storage development company. Formerly she was president of The Home Depot Canada and Asia, overseeing its growth from 19 to 179 stores (1996-2011) and entry into China, and president and co-owner of Michaels of Canada, the country’s largest chain of arts and crafts stores. Ms. Verschuren began her career with the Cape Breton Development Corporation, a coal mining operation in Nova Scotia.
Ms. Verschuren holds corporate board positions with Liberty Mutual Insurance Group, Air Canada, Saputo, and Canadian Natural Resources Limited, She is on the not for profit boards of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Foundation (CAMH), and Smart Prosperity and is Chair of the MaRS Discovery District Board. Annette Verschuren is Chancellor of Cape Breton University and an advisor to the university’s Verschuren Centre for Sustainability in Energy & the Environment (VCSEE).
Annette Verschuren sits on the Canada US Women’s Business Council and the NAFTA Advisory Council. She co-chairs the Smart Prosperity Initiative, which is mapping out a course to a stronger, cleaner economy for Canada.
Annette Verschuren recently wrote a business book “Bet On Me, Leading and Succeeding in Business and in Life” published by Harper Collins in April 2016. She lives in Toronto with her husband but returns to her familial roots often.
Peter Damgaard Jensen – CEO, PKA & Chair, Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC)
After graduating in 1981 from The University of Aarhus as a Master of Political Science he joined the Association of County Councils in Denmark. In 1985 he moved to the Danish Nurses Organization in Denmark where he held various management positions and left the Danish Nurses Organization in 2001 to join PKA.
Peter is a board member for The Danish Insurance Association (where he has previously been chairman and vice chairman of the board) and is the vice chairman in Forca Ltd (a company in the pension fund and life insurance industry). Peter was a member of the Board in DEAS (Dan-Ejendomme) – Denmark’s biggest property management company – from 2001-2006 and was also a member of the advisory board of The Danish Climate Investment Fund for climate investments in emerging markets, and a member of the advisory board in Axcel Ltd (leading Danish private equity Company).
Peter has been Chair of IIGCC since January 2017 and an IIGCC Board Member since December 2013.
Claus Stig Pedersen – Head of Global Sustainability & Public Affairs, EMEA, Novozymes & UN SDG Pioneer
Throughout his career, Claus Stig Pedersen has been driven by the vision of combining “good for the world” with “good for business”. Through his employment at Novozymes, a global sustainability leader, he lives that vision every day.
As Head of Global Sustainability & Public Affairs, EMEA for Novozymes, Claus sets the company’s global strategic direction for its sustainability goals and engagements and ensures good relations with the company’s government, public and NGO stakeholders across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He also helps the company’s customers and partners understand how to make their businesses more sustainable through the use of Novozymes’ products.
Claus has been professionally engaged in sustainability for more than 25 years. In 2016 he was named as one of ten Sustainable Development Goals Pioneers by the United Nations. He also helped pioneer the development of lifecycle assessment (LCA) methodologies and sustainability concepts for business.
Claus is currently Liaison Delegate to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and he represents Novozymes in the UN Global Compact LEAD initiative. Claus serves on the boards of Global Compact Denmark, Worlds Best News, Chora Connection and the United States Council for International Business (USCIB) foundation. Claus serves on the Sustainability Council for Ingersoll Rand and the Advisory Board for Sustainable Brands. He previously served on sustainability boards and councils for Walmart and Procter & Gamble.
Before joining Novozymes, Claus was leading the Global Sustainability and Quality activities of the Hartmann Packaging Group.
Claus holds an M.Sc. in Chemical Engineering and a Ph.D. in Sustainability Management and he is appointed Honorary Professor at the University of Aalborg.
Torben Möger Pedersen – CEO, PensionDanmark, Global Agenda Council on Investments, World Economic Forum, Advisory Board, OECD’s Centre on Green Finance and Investment & Advisory Board, UN Global Compact’s Financial Innovation Action Platform
Torben Möger Pedersen (b. 1955) is CEO of PensionDanmark – one of the largest pension funds in Denmark established in 1993. The fund manages defined contribution pension plans, health care plans and life-long training programs based on collective agreements covering more than 729,000 blue-collar workers employed in 25,800 companies within the private and public sector. Total assets under management are EUR 32 billion and growing rapidly. A substantially part of the portfolio is direct investments in renewable energy infrastructure assets and sustainable real estate. PensionDanmark has received a great number of Awards for its groundbreaking investment strategy.
Mr. Möger Pedersen holds a number of board and investment committee memberships including Arbejdernes Landsbank, Danish Insurance Association, Copenhagen Infrastructure Fund I, II, III and Artemis K/S, Danish Climate Investment Fund, Danish Agribusiness Fund, Danish SDG Investment Fund, SDG High Level Advisory Board, Danish Society for Education and Business (DSEB), Board Leadership Society in Denmark, Center for Pension Research (PeRCent) at Copenhagen Business School (CBS) and the University of Aalborg.
Mr. Möger Pedersen is a member of OECDs Working Group on Long-Term Investments, the Private Sector Advisory Group within the UN’s Green Climate Fund, the Global Agenda Council on Investments in World Economic Forum, the Steering Committee of World Economic Forum’s Retirement Investment System Reform Project, the Advisory Board in OECD’s Centre on Green Finance and Investment and the UN Global Compacts Financial Innovation Action Platform.
Torben Möger Pedersen holds a M.Sc. Economics from University of Copenhagen (1984) and has attended executive education at Insead Fontainebleau, Insead Singapore, Babson College and Wharton Business School.
Torben Möger Pedersen holds a M.Sc. in Economics from Copenhagen University and is adjunct professor at CBS.
Michael Treschow – Chair, Wallenberg Foundations Investment Committee, Former Chair, Unilever, Former Chair, Ericsson & Former Chair, Electrolux
Mr. Treschow serves as board chairman of the Wallenberg Foundation Investment Committee and board member of the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. He was previously Chairman of The Unilever Group, Ericsson Inc., and was a Supervisory Board Member of ABB Ltd. He has been a Member of the European advisory board of Eli Lilly and Company and is a Member of the Royal Academy of Engineering Sciences. Mr. Treschow has received many international awards including the Spanish order Insigna de Gran Cruz de la Orden del Mérito Civil for strengthening the trade relations between Sweden and Spain, and the French order Grade de Chevalier dans l’Ordre National de la Légion d’Honneur for strengthening the trade relations between Sweden and France. He holds a Master of Engineering degree from the Institute of Technology in Lund, Sweden.
Kevin Coon – Managing Partner, Baker McKenzie Toronto, Chair Policy Committee, Baker McKenzie International & Member of the United Nations Global Compact Advisory Group on Supply Chain
Kevin Coon acts as counsel, and as trusted and strategic adviser to government, corporate and not-for-profit organizations, on human resource, regulatory, compliance and risk management, with emphasis on international labour standards; corporate social responsibility; ethics; codes of conduct; due diligence; human rights; workplace investigations; occupational health and safety; collective bargaining; workplace harassment; positive employee relations; local and global labour relations; government relations. Mr. Coon is certified as a specialist in Labour Law by the Law Society of Upper Canada and has been ranked as a leading management-side labour and employment lawyer in Canada by Who’s Who Legal: Canada 2012 and recognized by Legal 500 2015 for labour and employment.
Erika Karp – Founder and CEO, Cornerstone Capital Group
Erika Karp is Founder and CEO of Cornerstone Capital Group. Cornerstone was created to catalyze the flow of capital toward a more regenerative and inclusive global economy. The firm seeks to optimize investment performance together with social impact through rigorous research that systematically integrates Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors into portfolio design. In seeking positive societal impact at scale, Cornerstone offers investment advisory and capital markets advisory services, underpinned by rigorous research.
Prior to launching Cornerstone, Erika was Managing Director and Head of Global Sector Research at UBS Investment Bank, where she chaired the UBS Global Investment Review Committee and managed a global team of analysts and strategists. Erika served on the UBS Securities Research Executive Committee and the Environmental and Human Rights Committee of the UBS Group Executive Board. While at UBS, Erika created and drove key branded global investment research products including the UBS Q-Series®, the Global I/O®, Global Signals™ and the weekly “UBS Global Portfolio Manager’s Spotlight”.
Erika is a founding Board member of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), an Ambassador for the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC,), a member of CECP’s Strategic Investor Initiative Advisory Council, and an advisor to the Omidyar Network’s Know the Chain initiative. Erika was a member of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Agenda Council on Financing and Capital and an advisor to the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Market-Based Approaches Track initiative. She also sat on the Program Design Advisory Council for Harvard Business School’s Executive Education Program on Innovating for Sustainability. Erika speaks at events including those of the OECD, the UN Global Compact and PRI, Oxford University, The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investing, Ceres, The Aspen Institute, and the White House. She holds an MBA in Finance from Columbia University and a BS in Economics from the Wharton School.
Erika presents and writes extensively on topics including sustainable investing and finance, corporate strategy and business models, transparency and excellence in the areas of Environmental, Social and Governance performance, and employee engagement/diversity in the workplace. Her work has been featured by Bloomberg Businessweek, Euromoney, the Financial Times, Investor Relations Magazine, The Guardian, and Forbes. For driving collaboration across the capital markets, she has been named among the nation’s “Top 50 Women in Wealth” by AdvisorOne; one of the “Purpose Economy 100,” the “Good 100” and one of 50 “Conscious Capitalists” who are “Transforming Wall Street”.
Bjarne Graven Larsen – Former CIO, Ontario Teacher’s Pension Plan & Former CIO, ATP
Mr. Graven Larsen served as the Chief Investment Officer and Executive Vice President at Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan from February 2016 to April 2018, where he led the global investment program for Ontario Teachers. He previously served as the Chief Financial Officer at Novo A/S, the Co-Chief Executive Officer of FIH Erhvervsbank A/S, and the Chief Investment Officer of ATP Group. Mr. Graven Larsen has more than 25 years of experience in the investment and finance industries and is an Asset Management and Actuarial Department professional. He holds an M.A. in Economics from Aarhus University in Denmark.
Andrew Steer – President and CEO, World Resources Institute, Global Trustee, World Economic Forum, and Member, China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development
Dr. Andrew Steer is the President and CEO of the World Resources Institute, a global research organization that works in more than 50 countries, with offices in Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico and the United States. WRI’s more than 500 experts work with leaders to address six urgent global challenges at the intersection of economic development and the natural environment: food, forests, water, climate, energy and cities.
Dr. Steer joined WRI from the World Bank, where he served as Special Envoy for Climate Change from 2010 – 2012. From 2007 to 2010, he served as Director General at the UK Department of International Development (DFID) in London.
Dr. Steer is a Global Agenda Trustee for the World Economic Forum, and is a member of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED), the Leadership Council of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, the Energy Transitions Commission, the Champions 12.3 Coalition to reduce food loss and waste, the Sustainable Advisory Groups of both IKEA and the Bank of America, and he serves on the Executive Board of the UN Secretary General’s Sustainable Energy For All Initiative.
In earlier years, Andrew held several senior posts at the World Bank, including Director of the Environment Department. He also has directed World Bank operations in Vietnam and Indonesia and served as Chief of the Country Risk Division and Director and Chief Author of the 1992 World Development Report on Environment and Development.
Andrew was educated at St Andrews University, Scotland, the University of Pennsylvania, and Cambridge University. He has a PhD in economics.
Nancy Lockhart – Board Member, Loblaw Companies Limited, Atrium Mortgage Investment Corporation, and Former Board Member, Barrick Gold
Nancy Lockhart is a director of Loblaw Companies Limited where she is a member of the Risk Committee and The Governance, Employee Development, Nominating and Compensation Committee. She is Chair of the Board of Directors of Gluskin Sheff + Associates, Inc., and a member of its Compensation, Nominating and Governance Committee and is a member of the board of directors of Atrium Mortgage Investment Corporation. She is a former board member of Barrick Gold, Retirement Residence REIT and The Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Ms. Lockhart was the Chief Administrative Officer of Frum Development Group for 18 years and before that a Vice President of Shoppers Drug Mart Corporation. Ms. Lockhart is a director of The Royal Conservatory of Music and Chair Emeritus of Crow’s Theatre Company. She has volunteered on many not for profit boards including the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Foundation, The Canada Merit Scholarship Foundation and is a former Chair of the Ontario Science Centre, former President of the Canadian Club of Toronto and a former Chair of the Canadian Film Centre. Ms. Lockhart has been awarded the Order of Ontario and The Queen’s Jubilee Medal.
Richard Howitt – CEO, International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC)
Richard Howitt is Chief Executive Officer of the International Integrated Reporting Council. As such he is spearheading the adoption of integrated reporting globally and is a major thought-leader in international debates on good corporate governance, shifting investment to the long-term and inclusive capitalism.
Richard travels extensively internationally to meet with the over 1,500 global businesses who are adopting integrated reporting as well as with advocates of integrated reporting in policy and investor communities. He is a member of the B20 group of international business leaders who dialogue with G20 governments. He is also a member of the EU’s multistakeholder platform on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in the EU. Richard has spoken widely on issues of financial stability, sustainable development and capital market reform as part of the United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights, the OECD Forum on Responsible Business Conduct, the UNCTAD Expert Group on International Standards of Accounting and Reporting and at other international fora.
Richard has been involved in the evolution of integrated reporting from the outset, as a member of HRH The Prince of Wales Annual Forum on Accounting for Sustainability, and was at the original meeting of the Forum which led to the setting up of the IIRC in 2009. He subsequently served as an Ambassador for the IIRC representing it at international meetings including the Rio +20 UN Summit for Sustainable Development before taking over as Chief Executive Officer in November 2016.
Prior to being appointed to the IIRC, Richard served as an elected Member of the European Parliament for over twenty years and was rapporteur on corporate responsibility. In this capacity, he was key architect of the EU’s non-financial information directive, one of the biggest transformations in corporate disclosure anywhere in the world.
Peter Dey – Chair, Paradigm Capital Inc. and the “godfather of Canadian governance”
Mr. Peter James Dey has been Chairman of Paradigm Capital Inc., an investment dealer, since November 2005. He has been a Director of Gran Tierra Energy Inc. since May 2015. From June 2006 to April 2017, Mr. Dey served as a Director of Goldcorp Inc. He was also a Director of Caracal Energy Inc. from March 2013 to July 2014, a Director of Enablence Technologies Inc. from October 2011 to October 2013, and a Director of Coventree Inc. from April 2008 to February 2012. Mr. Dey was a Partner of the law firm Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, where he specialized in corporate board issues and mergers and acquisitions, from 2001 to 2005, and prior to that from 1985 to 1994 and from 1973 to 1983.
From 1994 to 2001, Mr. Dey was Chairman of Morgan Stanley Canada Limited, where he helped develop the Canadian investment banking business and the overall strategic direction of Morgan Stanley in Canada. From 1993 to 1995, Mr. Dey chaired The Toronto Stock Exchange Committee on Corporate Governance in Canada that released the December 1994 report entitled “Where Were the Directors?”, known as the Dey Report.
Mr. Dey has also served as Chairman of the Ontario Securities Commission and was Canada’s representative to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development Task Force that developed the OECD Principles of Corporate Governance released in May of 1999. Mr. Dey is also a Director of the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. Mr. Dey attended Queen’s University, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in 1963 and Dalhousie University, where he earned his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1966. He received his Master of Laws degree from Harvard University in 1967.
Paul Druckman – Chair, World Benchmarking Alliance, Corporate Reporting Council, and Clear Insurance Management, Board Member, Shift, Founding CEO, International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC), Former Board Member, UK Financial Reporting Council, Former Executive Chair, Accounting for Sustainability, and Former President, Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales
Paul is a passionate global leader in capital market reform – from corporate governance to reporting & measurement; to auditing; and sustainability. He has recently taken on the role of Chairman of the World Benchmarking Alliance which will help ensure that reform takes place through measurement. Paul’s highlights include being a Board member of Shift, the leading centre of expertise on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights; being President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales; chairing The Prince’s Accounting for Sustainability Project (A4S) Executive Board and being on the City Takeover Panel. In addition, Paul was a Board member of the UK regulator, the Financial Reporting Council; and chaired its Corporate Reporting Council which sets UK accounting standards.
He has a variety of roles currently – from chairing Clear Insurance; to chairing a major FRC project on the Future of Corporate Reporting.
Paul is an Ambassador for A4S and an Honorary Professor at Durham Business School.
David Pitt-Watson –Formerly: Chair, Hermes Focus Asset Management, Chair, UN Environment Programme’s Finance Initiative, Director, International Corporate Governance Network, Currently: Independent Non-Executive, KPMG, and Executive Fellow, Judge Business School, Cambridge University
David Pitt-Watson is best known for his work on corporate governance and responsible investment. Until 2012, he was Chair of Hermes Focus Funds, and a board member of Hermes, one of Britain’s leading investment institutions. As co-founder and former CEO of the Focus Funds and Equity Ownership Service, he built and led the largest responsible investment group of any institutional fund manager in the world. These ventures were highly successful financially and became the seedbed for strategic change, improved corporate governance, and responsible investment practice in Britain.
Prior to Hermes, David worked for 17 years at Deloitte/Braxton, where he led its UK strategy consulting practice. Braxton was one of the pioneering strategy consultancies, which was purchased by Deloitte in 1984. He became Deloitte’s youngest consulting partner. In this role he acted as advisor to boards in the UK and around the world, including a number of groundbreaking assignments.
He has been involved in policy making in the UK, Europe and around the world, particularly in the field of corporate governance and financial market regulation. He established the RSA’s “Tomorrow’s Investor” programme. He was co-Chair of the UN Environment Programme’s Finance Initiative, in the run-up to the Paris climate talks, and a director of the International Corporate Governance Network, the global organisation of corporate governance investment professionals.
David is an Independent Non-Executive at KPMG, and an Executive Fellow at the Judge Business School, at Cambridge University.
Paul Dickinson – Founder and Executive Chair, CDP
Paul founded CDP in 2000 with an ambition of creating a global economic system that operates within sustainable environmental boundaries and prevents dangerous climate change. Paul previously co-founded Rufus Leonard Corporate Design and EyeNetwork, which was the largest videoconference booking service in Europe.
He has served as a member of the Environmental Research Group of the UK Faculty and Institute of Actuaries. Paul has authored various publications including the book Beautiful Corporations published in 2000 by Financial Times Prentice Hall. The book introduced the concept of sustainability product marketing which is growing in significance as a force in contemporary commerce.
Paul is Chair of the Trustees of the NGO ShareAction as well as a Trustee of the Findhorn Foundation in Scotland where he has established a program of seminars and retreats now used by the responsible investment community as well as emerging social businesses. He is an advisor to the NGO Influence Map and is a trustee of the grant-making Friends Provident Foundation.
Jessica Fries – Executive Chair, The Prince’s Accounting for Sustainability Project (A4S)
Ms. Fries has overall leadership responsibility for A4S.
She sits on the board of the Natural Capital Coalition and was also responsible in establishing and running the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC).
Previously, Jessica has held a number of roles at PwC, most recently leading global activities around integrated reporting. She has worked with a wide range of companies, governments, investors and not-for-profit organisations to help them integrate sustainability into core business processes and activities. She has extensive experience developing capability frameworks and designing training courses on a range of topics.
Jessica is a chartered accountant, a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, has an MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics and a BA in Economics from the University of Cambridge.
Robert H. Herz – Director, Morgan Stanley, Fannie Mae, Workiva Inc., SASB Foundation and Paxos and Former Chairman, FASB
Mr. Herz has served as a director of Workiva Inc. since its initial public offering. In October 2014, Mr. Herz was elected to the board of directors of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB). From 2011 to 2014, he served as a member of our advisory board. Since 2010, Mr. Herz has served as President of Robert H. Herz LLC, which has provided consulting services to us since 2012. Mr. Herz spent the majority of his career until 2002 as an audit partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers and its predecessor companies. From 2002 to 2010, Mr. Herz was the Chairman of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). He has served as a member of the board of directors of the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) since 2011 and of Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) since 2012.
Mr. Herz is also an executive-in-residence at the Columbia University Business School and a Trustee and Vice-Chair of the Kessler Foundation. He holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Manchester, England and is also a certified public accountant and a U.K. Chartered Accountant.
Thomas Thune Andersen – Chair, Lloyd’s Register Group Limited and Ørsted A/S, Vice-Chair, VKR Holding A/S, and Board Member, BW Offshore Limited and IMI plc
With almost 40 years in the maritime and energy sectors, Thomas is Chairman at Ørsted as well as Lloyd’s Register Group and Lloyd’s Register Foundation. He is also Vice Chairman at VKR Holding and Non-Executive Director at BW Offshore, IMI as well as ARCONSunmark. His previous positions include Chairman of DeepOcean Group Holding; Non-Executive Director of SSE and Petrofac; member of the Executive Management board at A. P. Moller-Maersk Group; president and CEO of Maersk Inc.; managing director of Maersk Company in the UK; EVP of A.P. Moller-Maersk and CEO of Maersk Oil. He is also Vice Chairman at the British Chamber of Commerce in Denmark and a freeman of the City of London.
Matt Arnold -Managing Director and Global Head of Sustainable Finance, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Matt is Managing Director and Global Head of Sustainable Finance at JPMorgan Chase. In that role he leads the firm’s client engagement on sustainability across all sectors globally. JPMorgan Chase helps clients navigate environmental and social risks, engages stakeholders and partners in advancing environmental and social progress, and structures targeted impact investment funds. The firm supports sustainable development through initiatives in global health, natural capital, the future of power, carbon asset risk and sustainable agriculture.
Matt was a Principal and leader of Sustainable Business Solutions at PwC and a founder of Sustainable Finance Ltd, acquired by PwC in December 2008.
He was Chief Operating Officer and acting President of the World Resources Institute and a founder of the Management Institute for Environment and Business, which merged with the World Resources Institute in 1996.
Matt is a Trustee at The Nature Conservancy’s New York Chapter and the Frankfurt Zoological Society.
Matt holds an AB degree in Psychobiology from Harvard College, an MA in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins University, and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.
Robert G. Eccles – >- Visiting Professor of Management Practice, University of Oxford, Founding Chair, Sustainability Accounting Standards Board, Founder, International Integrated Reporting Council, Former Professor, Harvard Business School
Robert G. Eccles is a leading authority on the integration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors in resource allocation decisions by companies and investors. He is also the world’s foremost academic expert on integrated reporting.
Currently, Eccles is a Visiting Professor of Management Practice at the Said Business School, University of Oxford where he is engaged in a number of research projects. He was a Professor at Harvard Business School and received tenure in 1989.
Eccles is a member of the Advisory Board of the JANA Impact Capital Fund and is an advisor to the non-profit Impact Management Project. He is on the board of the Mistra Center for Sustainable Markets at the Stockholm School of Economics, was the founding Chairman of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board, and was one of the founders of the International Integrated Reporting Council. In 2018 he was named by Barron’s as one of the top 20 influencers in ESG investing and cited for being an “ESG research trailblazer.” Also in 2018, he received “The CSR Lifetime Achievement Award” at “The 8th International Conference on Sustainability & Responsibility” in Cologne, Germany.
Georg Kell – Chair, Arabesque and Founding Director, United Nations Global Compact
Georg Kell is Chairman of Arabesque, an ESG Quant fund manager that uses self-learning quantitative models and big data to assess the performance and sustainability of globally listed companies.
He is the founding Director of the United Nations Global Compact, the world’s largest voluntary corporate sustainability initiative with over 9,000 corporate signatories from more than 160 countries. Through Georg’s leadership, the Global Compact became the foremost platform for the development, implementation, and disclosure of responsible and sustainable corporate policies and practices.
Georg also oversaw the conception and launch of the Global Compact’s sister initiatives, the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME), and the Sustainable Stock Exchanges (SSE) initiative.
Georg started his career as a research fellow in engineering at the Fraunhofer Institute in Berlin. He then worked as a financial analyst in various countries in Africa & Asia before joining the United Nations in 1987. Georg holds advanced degrees in economics and engineering from the Technical University of Berlin.
Georg has received numerous awards and recognitions from around the world.
Andrew Winston – Founder, Winston Eco-Strategies, Author of The Big Pivot and Co-Wrote International Bestseller Green to Gold
Andrew Winston, founder of Winston Eco-Strategies, is a globally recognized expert on how companies can profit from solving the world’s biggest challenges. His views on strategy have been sought after by many of the world’s leading companies, including 3M, DuPont, HP, Ingersoll Rand, J&J, Kimberly-Clark, Marriott, PepsiCo, PwC, and Unilever. Andrew’s book, The Big Pivot was selected as one of the “Best Business Books” by Strategy+Business magazine. Andrew’s first book, Green to Gold, was the top-selling green business title of the last decade, selling more than 100,000 copies in seven languages. Inc. Magazine included Green to Gold on its all-time list of 30 books that every manager should own. Andrew is also a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review, and other media outlets. He has been quoted in or appeared in major media such as Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, Time, BusinessWeek, New York Times, and CNBC. Andrew’s speeches around the globe, including a TED talk, provide a practical and optimistic roadmap to help leaders build thriving, resilient companies in a volatile world. He received degrees in economics, business, and environmental management from Princeton, Columbia, and Yale.
Jules Kortenhorst – CEO, Rocky Mountain Institute
Jules Kortenhorst is the Chief Executive Officer of Rocky Mountain Institute. He is a recognized leader on global energy issues and climate change. His background spans business, government, entrepreneurial, and nonprofit leadership.
Prior to RMI, Jules was the founding CEO of the European Climate Foundation (https://europeanclimate.org), the largest philanthropic organization dedicated to policy development and advocacy on climate change in Europe. Before launching ECF, he served as a member of the Dutch parliament for the Christian Democratic Party.
During the first 20 years of his career, Jules worked in the business world. He was the CEO for International Operations of ClientLogic Corporation, a global leader in outsourced customer relationship management (CRM) solutions. He worked for almost 10 years for Royal Dutch / Shell, among others as managing director of Shell Bulgaria, and he began his career as an analyst at McKinsey & Co.
Jules currently serves on the Energy Transition Commission http://www.energy-transitions.org, on the WEF Future Council on Energy and on the Board of Stedin Holding NV. Jules is married to Searl Vetter and has four children.
Michael Kobori – Vice-President, Sustainability, Levi Strauss & Co.
Michael Kobori has led sustainability at Levi Strauss & Co. since 2001.
Under Michael’s tenure, Levi Strauss & Co. has been a pioneer on sustainability through its Water<Less™ production techniques; commitment to Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals; establishment of a Science-based carbon emissions target; innovative Worker Well-being program; and Care for the Planet™ product labels to encourage consumer awareness of sustainable garment care.
A hallmark of Michael’s leadership has been a commitment to supporting a more sustainable apparel sector. All of the company’s sustainability innovations are open sourced to the rest of the industry.
Mr. Kobori is a Director of the Cotton Board and Council member of the Better Cotton Initiative. He is also a lecturer at the Haas Business School, University of California at Berkeley.
Michael holds a Masters Degree in Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley, where he also received his undergraduate education in Psychology and Asian Studies.
Amy Larkin – Author, Environmental Debt: The Hidden Costs of a Changing Global Economy, Former Vice Chair, World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Climate Change
Amy Larkin, an award-winning entrepreneur, activist, and producer, has been at the forefront of the environmental movement for decades. Her 2013 book Environmental Debt: The Hidden Costs of A Changing Global Economy revealed the links between our environmental and financial crises – both causes and solutions – and predicted the astronomical costs of climate chaos. From 2014-2016, she served as Vice Chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Climate Change.
Through her consulting firm Nature Means Business, Amy currently works on systemic solutions to dramatically reduce plastic production and consumption and to ensure a sustainable food supply that supports biodiversity and withstands extreme weather.
As Greenpeace Solutions Director, Amy led a radical collaboration with the Consumer Goods Forum (400 of the world’s largest brands and retailers) to remove HFCs from refrigeration systems across the sector. This led to the inclusion of HFCs in the Montreal Protocol, will eliminate over 1% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, and received the Roy Award from Harvard.
Prior to her work as an environmentalist, Amy spent 15 years as an arts producer in NYC, Seattle, and Europe, including two years as Executive Producer at Fabrica, Benetton’s Institute of Arts and Communications.
Amy has been a guest speaker on corporate, government and cultural platforms around the world including Google, the World Bank, SXSW, Facebook, the Kellogg Innovation Network, the National Diet of Japan, and the Bergen International Festival. She has also lectured at dozens of universities around the world including Columbia, University of Copenhagen, University of Costa Rica, and been a guest on media from NPR, Bloomberg to CNBC, with regular columns for The Guardian and Huffington Post. She has served as Chair of both BiomimicryNYC and the ARChive of Contemporary Music.
Always looking to combine her cultural and environmental passions, Amy recently finished writing her first film script.
Veena Ramani – Senior Program Director, Capital Market Systems, Ceres
Veena leads Ceres’ work on critical market levers that will help scale the transition to sustainable capital markets, including governance systems that companies should put in place at the corporate board level to allow for effective board sustainability oversight. She also oversees Ceres work on sustainability disclosure.
Veena has authored and co-authored a number of reports on board sustainability governance including View from the top: How corporate boards can engage on sustainability performance (2015), Lead from the top: Building sustainability competence on corporate boards (2017) Systems Rule: How board governance can drive sustainability performance (2018) and Getting Climate Smart: A primer for corporate directors in a changing environment (2018).
Veena has been interviewed in a number of corporate governance publications around governance for sustainability, including in the Cover Story of the 2017 Fall Edition of C Suite Magazine. Her work has been featured by NACD, Ethical Boardroom, GreenBiz, Huffington Post, Environmental Leader, and Responsible Investor.
From 2006 to 2015, Veena managed the relationships with a wide portfolio of Ceres Company Network members, including the financial services sector and the electric power sector. Veena worked with boards and senior company management on opportunities to integrate sustainability into their business structures and decision making, including policy and program development, disclosures and stakeholder engagement processes. Prior to Ceres, Veena worked as a management consultant with CDM, an environmental consulting firm and focused on providing a variety of sustainability services to clients in the public and private sectors. Veena also spent three years with Integrative Strategies Forum, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization working on developing national and international policy solutions on sustainable development, building consensus and coalitions among civil society groups on these issues and lobbying government representatives. Before that, Veena practiced law in India.
Veena received a Masters in Law degree from Washington University in St. Louis and a B.A. LL.B (Honors) degree from National Law School from India University, Bangalore.
Nik Gowing – Founder, Director, Co-author ‘Thinking the Unthinkable’; Main Presenter, BBC World News 1996-2014
In 2018 Nik Gowing co-authored (with Chris Langdon) “Thinking the Unthinkable”. In this era of a new disruption, leaders reveal that they are ‘scared’, ‘confused’ and ‘overwhelmed’ especially by the new short-termism. Nik founded the ongoing, dynamic project in 2014.
Nik was a main news presenter for BBC World News 1996-2014. He presented The Hub with Nik Gowing, BBC World Debates, Dateline London.
For 18 years he worked at ITN. He was bureau chief in Rome and Warsaw, and Diplomatic Editor for Channel Four News (1988-1996). He has been on the councils of Chatham House (1998–2004), the Royal United Services Institute (2005–present), the Overseas Development Institute (2007-2014), and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (1996-2005).
Nik has been a Visiting Professor at Kings College, London and Nanyang University (NTU), Singapore. In 2018, he advised the President of the UN General Assembly on leadership challenges.
Tim Youmans – Engagement Director, Hermes EOS, Former Research Scholar, Harvard Business School and the MIT Sloan School’s Family Office Program
Tim Youmans is a director at Hermes EOS and leads its North America efforts. Previously he was research director for the Strategic Investor Initiative at CECP – The CEO Force for Good. Tim has been a research scholar at Harvard Business School and the MIT Sloan School’s Family Office Program. He continues to work closely with Oxford Said Business School professor Robert G Eccles. Their research on Materiality in Corporate Governance: The Statement of Significant Audiences and Materiality and on other topics has, among many other publications, featured in the MIT Sloan Management Review, Forbes, the Economist, the Financial Times, Harvard Business School Working Knowledge, the Guardian, and the American Bar Association. Tim has a Masters in Public Administration, is a Lucius N Littauer Fellow from the Harvard Kennedy School and a research fellow of the British Academy’s Future Corporation Initiative. He spent 25 years in business running his own consulting firms, as executive vice president of a venture-funded start-up and running a large family office. He received an MBA from the University of Southern Maine and a Bachelor of Science in Management from the United States Coast Guard Academy. He was retired from the Coast Guard after serving both afloat and ashore in Alaska, Washington DC and Maine, and is a service-disabled military veteran. e (1998–2004), the Royal United Services Institute (2005–present), the Overseas Development Institute (2007-2014), the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (1996-2005).
Anirban Ghosh – Chief Sustainability Officer, Mahindra Group
Anirban Ghosh leads Sustainability at the USD 20.7 billion Mahindra Group. Under his leadership Mahindra has developed an award winning Sustainability framework, become a founding member of the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition and the first to commit to doubling energy productivity. He has, in partnership with the World Bank, facilitated the creation of the Sustainable Housing Leadership Consortium to accelerate the spread of green buildings in India. Anirban has been an invited speaker at Global Climate Action Summit, COP21, The Climate Week, World Circular Economy Forum, GRI Global, EE Global, etc. featured in The Climate Reality Project and acknowledged as a Distinguished Sustainability Officer.
Dianne Dillon-Ridgley – Former Board Member, Interface (1997-2014), Green Mountain Energy, Center for International Environmental Law (Chair) CEO, WEDO
Jonathan Drimmer – Partner, Paul Hastings, LLP; Former, Deputy General Counsel, Barrick Gold, Adjunct Professor, Georgetown Univ. Law Center; Board Member, The Trace Foundation and Global Compact Network Canada; Former Board Member, Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights
Helene Li – CEO and Co-Founder, GoImpact Capital Partners
Ingvild A. Sørensen – Senior Manager, Strategic Development, United Nations Global Compact
Julie Gebauer – Global Head of Human Capital & Benefits, Willis Towers Watson
Julie consults with companies on a broad range of HR issues, including total rewards, employee surveys, talent management, inclusion & diversity and workforce analytics. As both a business leader and consultant, Julie has a deep appreciation for the value that diverse talent brings to an inclusive organization. She is a frequent speaker on global talent trends, employee engagement and total rewards, and co-author of Closing the Engagement Gap.
Julie is the global Head of the Human Capital & Benefits (HCB) business segment for Willis Towers Watson and a member of the company’s Operating Committee. HCB is the largest business within Willis Towers Watson comprised of 15,000 practitioners around the world. HCB helps organizations address critical HR issues, design total rewards programs, drive performance-enhancing behavior, improve the talent experience and manage the cost and risk of employee benefit programs.
Prior to leading this $3+Billion business segment, Julie held a number of leadership positions including global head of the Talent & Rewards business, head of the U.S. East Division, the Global Workforce Effectiveness Practice leader and the Employee Survey Line of Business leader. She has been with the company for more than 30 years.
Julie received a B.S. in mathematics from the University of Nebraska, where she was honored as a Chancellor’s Scholar. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries. She was inducted into the YWCA’s Academy of Women Achievers.
Jane Diplock, AO – Chair, Regulatory Committee, Abu Dhabi Global Market, Deputy Chair, Lead Independent Director, International Integrated Reporting Council Board, Director, Singapore Exchange, Director, Australian Financial Services Group, and Former Chairman, Executive Committee, International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO)
Jane Diplock AO is a professional international company director. She has chaired and been a member of many boards and committees in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors and has been involved in standard setting at global and national levels. She was a member of the Council at inception.
She is currently Chairman of the Regulatory Committee of the Abu Dhabi Global Market, a director of the Singapore Exchange, a director of Australian Financial Services Group, a member of the Public Interest Oversight Board, a member of the International Advisory Committee to the China Securities Regulatory Commission and a member of the International Advisory Board to the Securities and Exchange Board of India.
Previously she was Chair of the Executive Committee of International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) for seven years and Chair of New Zealand Securities Commission for nine years, following an executive career in banking and public service.
She was awarded the honour of Officer of the Order of Australia in 2003.
Upkar Arora, FCPA, FCA, ICD.D – CEO, Rally Assets Inc. and Co founder and CEO, Illumina Partners Inc., Director of VanCity Community Investment Bank, Governor of University of Waterloo’s Board of Governors, and Former Director of Metrolinx Inc., Director of Institute for Canadian Citizenship, Chair of University of Waterloo School of Accounting and Finance Advisory Council, Director of Why Not Theatre, Director, Advisory Board of Inner Analytics, Former Chair of McMichael Canadian Art Collection and Canadian Arts
Upkar Arora is the CEO of Rally Assets Inc. (formerly Purpose Capital Limited) an impact investment advisory firm that mobilizes all forms of capital to accelerate social progress.
Prior to Purpose Capital, Upkar founded and led Illumina Partners, a boutique advisory firm that specialized in strategy, operations, M&A and finance. During the past thirty years, through Illumina and in companies such as Onex, Nortel, Trizec and Olympia & York, he has worked in a number of senior roles with some of Canada’s most successful entrepreneurs. He has acquired, operated and advised companies in Canada, the United States, Mexico and Europe and has completed more than $20 billion of mergers, acquisitions, restructurings, dispositions and financings. He has experience working as an entrepreneur, business owner, or advisor in organizations small and large, domestic and international, private and public, for profit and not for profit.
Over the past nine years Upkar has channeled his energies to bring innovative thinking, informed by business experience, to solve complex social and environmental issues, use business as a force for good and fuel the movement of capital to impact investments – those designed to generate measurable, beneficial, social and/or environmental impact along with a financial return.
Upkar has served on the Boards of several organizations in areas such as education, health, arts and culture, transportation and infrastructure, citizenship and inclusion.
Upkar is an FCPA, FCA, having been awarded the accounting profession’s highest mark of distinction, the Fellow designation in 2017. He holds the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors through Rotman and is a BMW Foundation Global Responsible Leader. He obtained his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in accounting and economics from the University of Waterloo. As adjunct lecturer at the University of Waterloo, he teaches “Success beyond the Classroom – Conversations and Perspectives”, a course he created in 2014 to help students develop the leadership skills that really matter in a rapidly changing world.
Wes Hall, ICD.D – Executive Chairman and Founder, Kingsdale Advisors
Expert. Innovator. Entrepreneur. With over 20 years of experience in corporate governance and shareholder communications, Wes Hall has established himself as the preeminent leader in shareholder advisory services and proxy solicitation. Canada’s leading newspaper The Globe & Mail has called him one of the nation’s “most influential powerbrokers” and Canadian Business magazine named him one of the “most powerful business people” in 2016.
Wes founded Kingsdale Advisors in 2003 to provide clients with best-in-class services for communicating with shareholders and managing any transaction or event that requires a shareholder vote. Wes has since enhanced Kingsdale’s wide range of services by building a unique governance advisory practice, specializing in helping issuers meet the changing expectations of shareholders and their proxy advisors, a strategic communications division and creative department.
Under Wes’ leadership Kingsdale has set itself apart by delivering an unparalleled track record of success for North America’s biggest names including: Air Canada, Barrick, BHP Billiton, Citigroup, CN, CP, Encana, Goldcorp, Talisman, and Suncor. He has been sought out to lead some of the highest profile deals and proxy contests in North America. They include Enbridge’s $37 billion merger with Spectra Energy, Agrium, and Potash Corp.’s $36 billion merger, Tim Hortons’ $12.5 billion merger with Burger King, Pershing Square Capital Management’s campaign to replace the board of Canadian Pacific Railway, and Petro Canada’s $19 billion merger with Suncor Energy.
Committed to sharing his expertise and setting a new standard in governance leadership, Wes was a founding board member of the Canadian Society of Corporate Secretaries (CSCS) and is regularly featured on BNN, Bloomberg TV, and in The Globe & Mail, Financial Post, The Wall Street Journal, and has appeared on the cover of the Report on Business as “The Fixer.”
Other accomplishments include the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2009 award for Ontario and, in 2011, Wes received the designation ICD.D from the Institute of Corporate Directors’ (ICD) in partnership with the Rotman School of Management of the University of Toronto. In 2015, Wes was the recipient of the Vice Chancellor’s Award and in 2017 an honorary doctorate both from the University of the West Indies. He is currently a director of SickKids Foundation, board member of Pathways to Education and Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), and former Chairman of the Board of Difference Capital Financial, former Director of Equity Financial Holdings Inc., Longford Energy, Wellgreen Platinum Ltd. and the Exempt Market Dealers Association of Canada.
Samuel A. Di Piazza, Jr – Board Member, AT&T, Inc, Jones Lang LaSalle, ProAssurance, and Regions Financial, Chairman, Board of Trustees of The Mayo Clinic and Formerly; Global CEO, PwC, Chairman, World Business Council for Sustainable Development, Board of Trustees, World Economic Forum, UN Global Compact, Financial Accounting Foundation, and International Foundation for Reporting Standards
Naomi Diamant – Assistant Dean, NYU Stern Executive Programs, Academic Director, EMBA Programs, Clinical Assistant Professor of Management Communications
Naomi Diamant joined New York University Stern School of Business in January 2012 as Deputy Dean for TRIUM, Assistant Dean of NYU Stern Global Degree Programs and Clinical Assistant Professor of Management Communications. She oversees academic planning and delivery for NYU Stern’s global programs, and teaches courses in business communication. Prior to joining Stern, Professor Diamant served as Assistant Vice Provost for Academic Initiatives at New York University.
Professor Diamant received her B.A. in English from the University of Cape Town, South Africa; her M.A. in English from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel; and her Ph.D. in English and Comparative Literature from Columbia University.
The Honourable John Manley, P.C., O.C. – Former Deputy Prime Minister of Canada, Former Chair of a Cabinet Committee on Public Security and Anti-terrorism, Chair of CIBC, CIBC Bank USA, and CAE, Former President and Chief Executive Officer of the Business Council of Canada, Founding member of the Wilson Center Global Advisory Council, Chair of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute (CGAI) Advisory Council
The Honourable John Manley served in the Canadian Parliament from 1988 to 2004 as M.P. for Ottawa South. From 1993 to 2003 he was a Minister in the governments of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, serving in the portfolios of Industry, Foreign Affairs and Finance, in addition to being Deputy Prime Minister.
Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Mr. Manley was named Chair of a Cabinet Committee on Public Security and Anti-terrorism, serving as counterpart to Governor Tom Ridge, the first U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security. In recognition of the role he played following 9/11, TIME Canada named him “2001 Newsmaker of the Year”.
After a 16-year career in politics, Mr. Manley returned to the private sector in 2004 where he has continued to be active in public policy, as a media commentator, speaker and adviser to governments of differing political stripes.
In the private sector, Mr. Manley has practiced law, and served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Business Council of Canada from 2010 to 2018. He has been a very active corporate director, and serves as the Chair of CIBC, CIBC Bank USA, and CAE, and is a board member of TELUS. He is a founding member of the Wilson Center Global Advisory Council and Chair of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute (CGAI) Advisory Council.
An Officer of the Order of Canada, Mr. Manley graduated from Carleton University and in law from the University of Ottawa where he was the gold medalist in his class. He is the recipient of many awards and honors, including honorary doctorates from Carleton University and the universities of Ottawa, Toronto, Western Ontario, Windsor and York.
He is born, raised and continues to live in Ottawa. His every day is made better by his 3 grandsons who are perfect in every way.
Caroline Casey – Founder, The Valuable 500, a TED speaker, Ashoka Fellow, Eisenhower Fellow, past Advisor Clinton Global Initiative, Counsellor, One Young World and Young Global Leader, World Economic Forum
Caroline Casey is the founder of Kanchi and the O2 Ability Awards and is also an international speaker and adventurer. A social entrepreneur, Caroline set up The Aisling Foundation (known today as Kanchi) in 2000, with the aim of changing the way people think about disability. Under the new name of Kanchi, Caroline will continue to deliver a deeper level of engagement with society, business, media and politics to affect change through positive solution based thinking.
Over the past nine years, Caroline has brought a unique blend of leadership and vision to the business and political world in relation to promoting the abilities of those with disabilities on a national and international level. She has received several high profile awards in recognition of her work worldwide. She became the first Irish person to be appointed a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum in 2006. In the same year, Caroline was awarded an honorary doctorate from NUI Ireland, became the first Ashoka fellow from Ireland and the UK and received the Eisenhower Fellowship in 2007. Caroline is continually invited back to the World Economic Forum in Davos, where she presents on a variety of issues relating to the area of disability and diversity.
The new name for The Aisling Foundation, Kanchi, stems from Caroline’s trip to India in 2001, when she trained to become an elephant handler with an elephant called Kanchi. Caroline is also involved with many projects and is a founding trustee of elephant family in the UK, a board member of the Jack and Jill Foundation, Sightsavers International, the Irish Charity Tax Reform Group and 98FM.
Launched in 2004 by The Aisling Foundation, the O2 Ability Awards were created to establish best practice for the employment and inclusion of people with disabilities within business. The Ability Awards included the development of a unique assessment tool and intensive communications campaign. Establishing a business standard; they are also pioneering an achievable vision for leadership engagement whilst constructively challenging the relationship between business and people with disabilities.
International interest in the awards has created the opportunity to replicate them outside of Ireland and through O2’s parent company, Telefonica, the O2 Ability Awards will be brought to Spain later this year.
A former management consultant with Accenture, Caroline is visually impaired to the degree that she is registered as legally blind. www.kanchi.org
Craig Keilburger, O.C – Co-founder, WE Movement – WE Charity, ME to WE Social Enterprise and WE Day, New York Times Bestselling Author, and Recipient, The Order of Canada, the Nelson Mandela Freedom Medal and the World Children’s Prize
Craig Keilburger is the youngest ever graduate from the Kellogg-Schulich Executive MBA program. He has also received 15 honorary doctorates and degrees for his work in the fields of education and human rights. Craig is a New York Times bestselling author, who has published 12 books, as well as a nationally syndicated columnist. Craig has received The Order of Canada, the Nelson Mandela Freedom Medal and the World Children’s Prize. He was recently voted by Canadians as one of Canada’s top most trusted influencers in a Readers Digest poll, and along with his brother Marc, he was named Canada’s Most Admired CEO in the public sector in 2015.
Andrew Wallis OBE – CEO, Unseen and Modern Slavery Helpline, Fellow, Centre for Social Justice, and chaired the landmark Centre for Social Justice report ‘It Happens Here’
Andrew Wallis is the CEO of anti-slavery organisation
