CEOs Speaker Series Launches

Wednesday, October 25

8 – 9:30 am (Registration & Breakfast at 7:30 am)

Covestro BrightSpace, Energy Innovation Center, 1435 Bedford Avenue, Pittsburgh 15219

To advance the uptake of sustainable business practices and help businesses throughout the Pittsburgh region realize the benefits, CEOs for Sustainability presents this inaugural series of executive briefings. The first event in the series: How C-Suites Are Responding to Increasing Stakeholder Demand.

Seeing a strong link between corporate sustainability performance and financial performance, more than 70 percent of investors say sustainability is central to their investment decisions, according to a 2016 survey by MIT Sloan Management Review and The Boston Consulting Group. Sustainability has been a focus of shareholder engagement as well, pressuring change at corporations from ExxonMobil to Kraft Heinz. This trend will only grow with rising customer pressures, all fueled by demographic shifts and the increasing proliferation of non-financial ratings and data.

Keynote Speaker:

Integrated reporting consultant and BrownFlynn Senior Advisor Mike Krzus will describe global drivers of change in business valuation, including demographic and technological trends, the potential impact on companies and the executives who lead them, and how those trends may change the information needs of investors. He will also address how businesses are positioning strategically and tactically through winning sustainable business strategies.

Additional presenters to be confirmed.

Who Should Attend:

Executives in Human Resources, Corporate Social Responsibility, Operations, Facilities, Communications, Marketing, Business Strategy
Sustainability and CSR Practitioners
Institutional Investors, Asset Managers, Wealth Advisors

The CEOs for Sustainability Speaker Series is presented by Covestro and IKEA through the CEOs for Sustainability executive council. Through CEOs for Sustainability, CEOs of the region’s companies share best sustainable business practices and collaborate in growing the ranks of businesses that reap the benefits of a triple bottom line — for people, planet, and profits.

Savvy business leaders are the driving force behind transformational sustainability strategies, linking business sustainability performance, financial performance, and regional quality of life. Recognizing executives’ critical role in achieving these tremendous potential benefits, CEOs from leading private-sector companies throughout the Pittsburgh region have established the CEOs for Sustainability executive council. Their vision:

CEOs for Sustainability is exemplary executive leadership and collaboration to drive positive change in the region. By demonstrating responsibility and creativity in the use of precious resources (human, natural, energy, capital and materials), we ensure enduring economic and social prosperity for our businesses and for our regional community.

Improving Business Performance and Quality of Life in the Region

Through CEOs for Sustainability, CEOs of the region’s leading companies share best sustainable business practices and collaborate in growing the ranks of those around the region that reap the benefits of a triple bottom line — for people, planet, and profits. The group is working to increase the number of businesses that practice, measure, and publicly report their sustainable business performance. The CEOs recognize that prosperous businesses are the foundation of a successful, strong region.

To demonstrate their commitment and inspire other companies in the region, 100 percent of the CEOs for Sustainability companies have achieved the Southwestern Pennsylvania Sustainable Business Compact On Ramp. Through the On Ramp, businesses can assess their sustainability performance, commit to progress, and follow a roadmap to Compact achievement.

About the CEOs

Co-chaired by WindStax Energy Founder and CEO Ron Gdovic and Covestro LLC President Jerry MacCleary, CEOs for Sustainability is an outcomes-based leadership network.

Co-Chair Ron Gdovic

Founder and CEO

Co-Chair Jerry MacCleary

President

The group is facilitated by Bill O’Rourke, the former Vice President of Sustainability, Environment, Health and Safety at Alcoa. Sustainable Pittsburgh coordinates the initiative in concert with its Champions for Sustainability business network.

CEOs for Sustainability is guided by the vision and sustainability leadership of participating executives.