How Investor Relations and Corporate Governance teams can collaborate to respond to investor expectations on material Environmental, Social and Governance risks (and opportunities.)

• “Our shareholders and investors don’t ask ESG questions” – what isn’t being said in your engagements but is influencing investment and voting decisions? How big is the gap between corporate and investors’ definition of material ESG risks?
• How important is the role of proxy advisors, rating agencies and sustainability indexes? How should you work better with these parties?
• How better to leverage knowledge and resources within your companies?

Moderator: Ben Ashwell, digital editor, IR Magazine
Danielle Chesebrough, Senior analyst of investor relations, UN PRI
Friederike Edelmann, Director of investor relations, Criteo
Brian Matt, Director and global head of strategy and innovation, Ipreo by IHS Markit

Hear an overview of the ESG trends related to shareholder proposals in a short and concise format.

Arielle Katman, Senior associate, Shearman & Sterling

Hear discussions about the hot issues that have topped the list of shareholder proposals, then discuss what you, and the actions that management can take to address these concerns.

Moderator: Ben Ashwell, digital editor, IR Magazine
Alexandra Higgins, Managing director, Okapi Partners

This session focuses on engaging with your current, and prospective investors looking at engagement best practices

• Who is responsible for engaging on ESG, should it be investor relations, or corporate governance? What relationships and lines of communication need to be set up with the buyside and the sell-side?
• Is there a need for separate ESG or corporate governance roadshows, and how can you make the most out of these activities?
• Does better ESG performance open-up new pools of capital? What do family offices, socially responsible investors and pension funds want to see?

Moderator: Bruce Goldfarb, Chief executive officer, Okapi Partners
Yafit Cohn, Associate group general counsel, Travelers
Amanda Cimaglia, Director of investor relations and corporate communication, Hannon Armstrong
Jack Robinson, Vice chair and portfolio manager, Trillium Asset Management

This session will debate the importance of disclosure and how to use reporting to improve ESG performance.

• What impact does disclosure have on stock performance?
• Reporting, survey filings and disclosure is expensive – if we put those resources towards better ESG performance does that provide better value for investors?
• How do I navigate the alphabet soup of reporting frameworks?
• What surveys should be prioritized and what do investors first look at when they pick up a sustainability report?

Moderator: Stephen Giove, Partner, Shearman & sterling
Wesley Gee, Director of sustainability, The works design communications
Kurt Kuehn, Former chief financial officer, UPS
Brian Tomlinson, Research director, Strategic investor initiative

Your opportunity to connect with investors and hear directly about their expectations on Environmental, Social and Governance factors, and to have your biggest questions answered.

Moderator: Amy Springsteel, Assistant vice president of corporate responsibility, Voya Financial
Verity Chegar, ESG integration and sustainable investing, Blackrock
Alessia Falsarone, Managing director of portfolio strategy and risk, PineBridge Investments
Daniel Kern, Chief investment officer, TFC Financial
Bill Page, Senior vice president and senior portfolio manager, Essex Investment Management
Anna Snider, Managing director head of CIO due diligence, Bank of America Merryl Lynch

A summary of the day’s discussions and what both investor relations and corporate governance need to do to take a more cohesive approach to satisfy investor expectations on Environmental, Social and Governance factors.

Moderator: Ben Ashwell, digital editor, IR Magazine
Anton Gorodniuk, Sector analyst for financials, Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB)