Meeting Overview:
This September, hear how global brand leaders are transforming business-as-usual models into emerging and purpose-driven catalysts for a more regenerative tomorrow. Together we’ll examine the various complexities and challenges brands are encountering, including compliance frameworks and customer communication, as they navigate towards achieving transparent and transformational governance. You’ll learn how corporate executives are championing ESG initiatives and working across stakeholder groups to embrace and meet today’s sustainability opportunities and connect with like-minded peers to share knowledge and build future collaborations.
*We encourage Members to rideshare with one another from Cedarbrook Lodge or the Marriott to the Alaska Airlines Hub (19235 International Boulevard). If you are driving a car, please park across the street at Alaska Airlines Headquarters (19300 International Boulevard) and walk to the Hub.
Member Meeting Agenda:
Wednesday, September 7, 2022:
1:00 pm - Welcome
Darren Beck, Sustainable Brands
What is transformational leadership, and how can brands catalyze this mindset into a movement they can leverage for a more sustainable and regenerative business framework? Kick off our two-day meeting with VP of Membership Darren Beck as we explore the many pathways that today's brands, and their chief leaders, are trekking toward systems-changing ESG objectives.
1:30 pm - Executive Panel Discussion: Making the Case for Transformational Leadership
Diana Birkett Rakow, Alaska Airlines
Evangeline Marzec, Microsoft
Peter ter Weeme, British Columbia Lottery Corporation
Susan Livingston, PCC Community Markets
Each day, corporate executives and brand leaders are charged with driving their organizations forward toward a spectrum of business goals, all while facing the urgency and uncertainty of accelerating environmental and social disruptions. The complexities embedded in achieving organizational KPIs, satisfying stakeholder expectations, adhering to escalating disclosures, and an evolving customer are top of mind for today’s acute executive. How are chief leaders and officers examining the whole landscape to make a valuable case for true transformational leadership? Even then, in what ways are leaders propelling this change through the organization to spark authentic brand transformation? Hear from Alaska Airlines SVP of Public Affairs & Sustainability Diana Birkett Rakow on how the industry-leading airline paved its own roadway to success, and ways other key brands such as Microsoft and British Columbia Lottery Corporation are taking the lead in shifting their own industries toward a new business as usual.
2:30 pm - Break
2:45 pm - Understanding and Adopting Corporate Political Responsibility
Elizabeth Doty, Erb Institute
Senator Reuven Carlyle (D.)
At the intersection of environmental, social and governance objectives lies Corporate Political Responsibility (CPR) and the dynamic pillars that support this foundational framework. Amid rising reputational risks, escalating pressure across economic and social systems, and calls for authentic accountability and leadership, corporations are being challenged to activate their enterprises for greater, systemic change. Learn about CPR from brand-agnostic academic leaders at the University of Michigan’s Erb Institute, and hear how their Corporate Political Responsibility Taskforce is creating a new standard for corporate engagement. Hear from Washington State Senator Reuven Carlyle (D.), chair of the Senate Environment, Energy & Technology Committee and the lead sponsor of the Climate Commitment Act, in a fireside chat on how the newly passed cap-and-trade system is accelerating decarbonization in Washington state and beyond. Then, participate in a two-part interactive session to examine, review and deliberate best practices, tools, and guidelines for CPR in businesses today
3:45 pm - Purposeful Break
4:15 pm - Examining and Applying CPR Principles: Erb Institute
(Workshop Round I)
4:45 pm - Examining and Applying CPR Principles: Erb Institute
(Workshop Round II)
5:15 pm - Workshop Reflection and CPR Taskforce
Elizabeth Doty, Erb Institute
5:30 pm - End of Day Reflection
Darren Beck, Sustainable Brands
Thursday, September 8th, 2022
8:00 am - Day 2 Welcome and Agenda Review
Darren Beck, Sustainable Brands
8:15 am - Recognizing the Barriers to ESG Leadership
Amy Meyer, World Resources Institute
Mike Stopka, Buro Happold
Transformative business leaders generate change that thoughtfully uplifts the planet and the people living on it while innovating consumer solutions to accelerate sustainable behaviors at scale. How are brands aligning their environmental SBTIs to societal impacts for a more mindful and equitable transition to net zero? What complexities are corporations facing as they restructure, reassign, and re-envision the sustainable frameworks of the future that will prioritize today's triple bottom line? In this dynamic two-part session, we'll discuss evolving systems-level barriers to shifting corporate and brand leadership toward more progressive practices, touching on what's hindering adaptation, engagement, and cultural changes within the business and how deeper collaboration can provide systemic solutions. Join globally renowned World Resources Institute and Just-labeled social impact experts Buro Happold to examine high-level ecosystem and brand-level organizational barriers to climate, societal and political engagement leadership.
10:00 am - Purposeful Break
10:30 am - Beyond Beauty: Accelerating Systems-level Impact Through Purpose-driven Brand Influence
Rachel Zipperian, Procter & Gamble Companies
For brands tackling the interconnected sustainability challenges of tomorrow, the need to rethink our conventional patterns and frameworks is more imperative than ever. Beauty and care products sit at the helm of personal choice and trust, presenting brands the opportunity to encourage sustainable consumer change, provide products with purpose, and normalize ethical expectations that ripple beyond the bathroom counter. Join P&G Principal Scientist and Communications Director Rachel Zipperian as she reframes our approach to leading a regenerative business. True industry leaders, learn how P&G is shaping the future of brand ESG through a systems-level lens to responsible and thoughtful sourcing, inclusive design, and catalytic impact.
11:30 am - Bridging Transformation through the Brand Value Chain
Sarah Bostwick, Philip Morris International
Discover how companies are grounding their sustainable business transformation in a more responsible, engaged, and committed governance. Examine protocols, metrics, and insights to support brands eager to strengthen their integrated leadership and bring it to life across their brand purpose, strategy, long-term goal setting, and measuring and reporting. In a league of their own, learn how Philip Morris International has created, and elevated, its internal management through a new sustainability index initiative, executive KPIs, and driving business transformation through internal change agents and ESG champions.
12:30 pm - Meeting Reflection, Areas of Activation, and Next Steps
1:00 pm - Meeting Ends
Who should attend:
Sustainable Brands curates Member-exclusive experiences for our network to help guide their journeys toward becoming truly sustainable brands. This meeting is available to the SB Corporate Member and Affiliate Member networks only.
*All SB member meetings operate under the Chatham House Rule.
Registration details:
Please note that the deadline to register is Thursday, September 1, 2022.