Thriving in the rapidly evolving US sustainable finance landscape

The Responsible Investor USA conference is back for its 15th year to provide sustainable finance professionals with an unrivalled platform to learn from the leaders in the industry and come away with actionable insights on current sustainability issues. With an agenda curated to spark conversation and find common ground amidst the anti-ESG backlash, hear from thought leaders on both sides of the debate on the practicalities of responsible investing. The speaker line-up includes representatives from Utah State Pension Fund, R Street, the Bipartisan Policy Center and more.

Connect with a global audience of senior-level executives and understand what asset owners are looking for in their next investment partner.

Gain insights from industry leaders on topical sustainable finance themes including:

  • fiduciary duty in the 21st century
  • disclosure standards and US corporates
  • biodiversity and engagement
  • corporate transition plans
  • navigating the ESG backlash

Join us at RI USA and be a part of the discussion that transcends differing perspectives to tackle industry challenges head-on.

Meet leading asset owners including:

2023 Speakers:

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Reasons to attend

Get real insight into the industry

RI USA’s program gets straight to the point on what sustainability means for business and investment in the real world. We ask the right questions and deliver the answers.

Build a long-lasting network

Our event attracts stakeholders from across the sustainable finance industry. Network in-person at our workshops, panels, private breakfasts, debates, and evening drinks reception.

Meet institutional investors

Hear from active asset owners honing their sustainable finance strategy and creating real impact. Asset owner attendees include Aflac, Alameda County Employee Retirement Association, CalSTRS, Pension Boards, Pension Boards United Church of Christ, Phoenix Group, Sierra Club Foundation, United Church Funds, Wespath, Office of the New York City Comptroller, and many more.

Key event themes

•  Acclimating to SEC disclosure: What are the implications and risks of ESG reporting for asset managers and asset owners?

•  Increasing demand for ESG data: What are the best practices for ESG measurement and management?

•  Operationalizing net-zero commitments: What role will new technologies, renewables, and carbon offsets play in the transition to net-zero?

•  The role of politics in sustainable finance: How will net-zero agendas and targets evolve with political fluctuations?

•  Managing physical and transition risk: How can investors quantify, manage and adapt to growing climate-related risks to assets and portfolios?

•  Navigating global regulatory differences: How will the regulatory landscape evolve amidst standardization debates?

•  Hydrogen, carbon capture, electrification, natural capital and beyond: What are the best sustainable investment opportunities today and what are key barriers to scale for emerging climate solutions?

Apply for a complimentary asset owner pass

A limited number of complimentary passes are available for eligible asset owners to join the event.

To qualify for a complimentary pass, you must meet the eligibility criteria in representing a pension fund, insurance company, sovereign wealth fund, foundation, endowment, trust, family office or corporate investment division.

Please register your interest and a member of our team will be in touch to confirm your eligibility.

Connect with investors & ESG professionals

Responsible Investor USA provides an opportunity to make connections with an exclusive audience of ESG and sustainable finance decision makers.

Share your solutions, collaborate and network with senior-level executives through bespoke sponsorship packages to meet your 2023 business goals.

For more information on speaking in 2023, please contact Joana Frade.

Joana.F@pei.group | +44 (0)203 879 3893

Download final agenda

2023 speakers include:

Carolyn Allwin

Adjunct Professor, Columbia University

Carolyn Kim Allwin is an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University and Bard Graduate Programs in Sustainability. She also runs a boutique sustainability consulting firm, Elysian Advisers. She has a specific sector focus on helping companies navigate r… Read full bio

Ulrich Atz

Research Fellow, NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business

Ulrich Atz is a Research Fellow at the Center for Sustainable Business and part of the NYU Stern Doctoral Program in Accounting. In his prior role as Associate Researcher, he provided quantitative expertise and co-authored the article on the Return o… Read full bio

Antoine Begasse

Finance Counsellor, Delegation of the European Union to the United States

Antoine Begasse is the EU Financial Counsellor at the Delegation of the European Union to the United States. He is in charge of Financial Services. Previously, he was a policy officer at the European Commission within DG FISMA (Financial Stability, F… Read full bio

Vicki Benjamin

President - Co-founder, Karner Blue Capital

Vicki is a co-founder of the Adviser and has been its Chief Executive Officer since it commenced operations as an investment adviser in 2018. Vicki maintains a 57% ownership stake in KBC. Ms. Benjamin was a partner at KPMG from September 2005 until F… Read full bio

Sarah Bernstein

Managing Principal/ Head of Sustainability, Meketa Investment Group, Inc.

Ms. Bernstein is an institutional investment consultant and has been focused on ESG and sustainability issues for over two decades. Ms. Bernstein joined the firm in 2019 as part of the merger between Meketa and Pension Consulting Alliance (PCA). She… Read full bio

Willie Botha

Program & Technical Director, IAASB

Willie joined the IAASB in January 2019. He leads the IAASB team in advancing the IAASB’s strategy and work program and works closely with the IAASB Chair in managing the activities of the Board. Willie has a broad range of experience in different as… Read full bio

Lisa Bozzelli

Sustainable Finance Advisor

Lisa has spent over 20 years in the financial markets, most recently with Fannie Mae where she managed Fannie Mae’s multifamily bond portfolio as the senior director of the multifamily capital markets trading desk and launched the firm’s market-leadi… Read full bio

Dan Byrd

Director - ESG Industry Practice Lead, Moody’s Analytics

Dan Byrd is the ESG Industry Practice Lead for Moody’s Analytics. He is an experienced legal professional, particularly with regard to how complex regulatory frameworks impact investment and business decisions. Prior to joining Moody’s, he was co-fou… Read full bio

Annette Capretta

Chief Counsel, ICI Global

Annette Capretta is Chief Counsel of ICI Global and guides the Investment Company Institute’s international legal program in Europe, Asia, and elsewhere for the benefit of ICI members and long-term investors. In previous positions at ICI, she served… Read full bio

David Carlin

Head of Risk, UNEP FI

David Carlin leads risk programming for UNEP- Finance Initiative (UNEP FI). He has worked with over 100 financial institutions on topics of climate scenarios, climate risk assessments, and sustainability regulation. He and his team support financial… Read full bio

Sabina Chatterjee

Director, Sustainable Finance & Advisory, Wells Fargo Corporate & Investment Banking

Sabina is a Director in Wells Fargo’s Sustainable Finance & Advisory (SFA) Group within the Corporate & Investment Bank, where she is responsible for driving sustainable finance and integrating ESG into various facets of client strategic advi… Read full bio

Daniel F. C. Crowley

Partner, K&L Gates LLP

Dan Crowley is a partner in the K&L Gates LLP Washington, D.C. office. His practice is focused on public policy issues relating to financial services and capital markets, and he leads the firm’s global financial services policy practice. In the decad… Read full bio

Rachel Curley

Director of Policy and Programs, US SIF: The Sustainable Investment Forum

Rachel leads US SIF's policy and programming work to advance the interests and perspective of the sustainable investment community with policymakers and stakeholders. Rachel brings significant organizing, coalition building and public policy experien… Read full bio

Colleen Davis

State Treasurer, State of Delaware

Colleen C. Davis was elected State Treasurer in November of 2018. In her capacity as State Treasurer, Colleen oversees the entirety of the State’s cash and investment portfolios, helps tens of thousands of State Employees save for retirement through… Read full bio

Sofia De La Parra

Investor Outreach Manager, FAIRR Initiative

Sofía De La Parra is an Investor Outreach Manager at the FAIRR Initiative. She is responsible for strengthening and expanding FAIRR’s investor network. Sofía leads FAIRR’s outreach work in the United States and collaborates on outreach in other globa… Read full bio

Tim Doyle

Senior Policy Advisor, Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC)

Tim Doyle is Senior Policy Advisor to the Bipartisan Policy Center and the Founder and Principal at Doyle Strategies, LLC. Tim previously was Principal and General Counsel at Guidepost Strategies, and prior to that Vice President of Policy and Genera… Read full bio

Svenja Dube

Associate Professor of Accountancy, Baruch College

Svenja Dube serves as an Associate Professor of Accountancy at the Zicklin School of Business, Baruch College. She obtained her PhD in 2019 from New York University's Stern School of Business. Prior to joining Baruch College, she worked as an Assista… Read full bio

Carolyn R. Eagle

Head of Americas - Sustainable Equity Index Product, FTSE Russell

Carolyn joined FTSE Russell’s Sustainable Investment team in 2018 and currently serves as the Head of Americas for the Sustainable Equity Index Product group. She is responsible for ESG and climate equity index product development and strategy. In th… Read full bio

Robert Eccles

Professor, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford

Robert G. Eccles is a leading authority on how companies and investors can create sustainable strategies through the integration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors in resource allocation decisions. The focus of his work is on how… Read full bio

Naomi English

Managing Director and Head of Climate Strategy, MSCI

Naomi English is Managing Director and Head of Climate Strategy, responsible for managing MSCI's global effort to provide cutting edge data, research and other tools to enable financial institutions to incorporate Climate across their organizations.… Read full bio

Mike Ferguson

Senior Director and Analytical Manager, S&P Global Ratings

Michael Ferguson is the Americas Analytical Manager for the Sustainable Finance group at S&P Global Ratings. He manages a team of 20 North American and LatAm Sustainable Finance Analysts. He has been involved in the development, roll-out, and upd… Read full bio

Azish Filabi

Executive Director, Maguire Center for Ethics, The American College of Financial Services

Azish Filabi, JD, MA, is the Executive Director of the American College Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics in Financial Services and the Charles Lamont Post Chair of Business Ethics and Associate Professor. Her career has spanned the private sector, n… Read full bio

Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker

Editor, Responsible Investor, PEI Group

Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker joined Responsible Investor as editor in 2022 from Euromoney magazine, where she was ESG editor. Prior to that, she was Euromoney’s editor for Central and Eastern Europe and contributing editor at GlobalCapital. She has covered… Read full bio

Danielle Fugere

President & Chief Counsel, As You Sow

Danielle Fugere, President & Chief Counsel, leads As You Sow’s program teams in creating lasting social and environmental change through shareholder advocacy and legal initiatives. She brings an in-depth knowledge of clean energy, sustainability,… Read full bio

Sonja Gibbs

Board Member / Managing Director and Head of Sustainable Finance, ICVCM / Institute of International Finance

Sonja leads the IIF’s work on sustainable finance and sovereign debt policy, focusing on research and advocacy for the Institute’s global membership across the financial services industry. Her research interests include the economic impact and financ… Read full bio

Simon Glynn

Founder, Zero Ideas

Simon Glynn is founder of Zero Ideas, a non-profit organization challenging business thinking on climate change. He was a partner at Oliver Wyman for 25 years (until September this year), including co-founding the firm’s climate and sustainability co… Read full bio

Rachel Mattes Greenberg

Senior Vice President, Head of Sustainability

Rachel Mattes Greenberg is Head of Sustainability at Citizens Financial Group (CFG). She is responsible for designing and driving strategic environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives across the bank, including planning, executing, and eng… Read full bio

Pedro Guazo

Representative of the Secretary-General for the investment of assets, United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund

Mr. Pedro Antonio Guazo Alonso was appointed the Representative of the Secretary-General for the investment of the assets of the UNJSPF on 29 July 2020. Mr. Guazo was the Finance Director at the United Nations in New York for almost eight years. He m… Read full bio

Cynthia Hanawalt

Director of Climate Finance and Regulation, Sabin Center for Climate Change Law

Ms. Cynthia Hanawalt is the Director of Climate Finance and Regulation at the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University. Her work supports regulatory and policy responses to climate-related financial risk at the federal and state lev… Read full bio

Kendra Haven

Director of Projects (US), InfluenceMap

Kendra joined InfluenceMap in 2020 after earning her Master’s in Sustainable Development from University College London. She has a degree in International Relations and English and completed a U.S. Fulbright fellowship in South Africa. With a backgro… Read full bio

Denise Hearn

Resident Senior Fellow, Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment

Denise Hearn is a writer and applied researcher who advises governments, financial institutions, companies, and nonprofits on antitrust, economic policy, and new economic thinking. She is currently a Resident Senior Fellow at the Columbia Center on S… Read full bio

Andreas Hoepner

Full Professor of Operational Risk, Banking & Finance, University College Dublin (UCD)

Professor Andreas G.F. Hoepner, Ph.D., is a Financial Data Scientist working towards the vision of a Conflict-Free Capitalism. While the vision is unlikely to be fully achievable, Andreas' view is that anyone can strive to make a regular contribution… Read full bio

John Hoeppner

Head of US Stewardship and Sustainable Investments, LGIM America

John Hoeppner is the Head of US Stewardship and Sustainable Investments at LGIM America. He is the US representative of the Corporate Governance team. John is charged with shaping the firm’s corporate engagements and driving demand for sustainable in… Read full bio

Andrew Howell

Senior Director of Sustainable Finance, EDF

Andrew Howell is Senior Director of Sustainable Finance at EDF, where he is responsible for engaging with the investor community to help accelerate the energy transition. He works on a range of sectors including oil & gas, petrochemicals, transpo… Read full bio

Betty Moy Huber

Partner, Global Co-Chair ESG, Latham & Watkins LLP

Betty Moy Huber, Global Co-Chair of Latham & Watkin’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Practice, advises clients on ESG matters, disclosures, and other regulatory guidance. Betty advises public and private companies, funds and their bo… Read full bio

Patricia Hudson

Executive Director, Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ)

Patricia Hudson is Executive Director for the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ). Previously Patricia spent nearly two decades in the investment management industry, most recently as Global Head of ESG Strategy at State Street. Before th… Read full bio

Matthew Illian

Director of Responsible Investing, United Church Funds

Matthew Illian is Director of Responsible Investing at United Church Funds which is a financial ministry related to the United Church of Christ. In this position Matthew oversees social and environmental shareholder advocacy work, proxy voting and in… Read full bio

Carol Jeppesen

Head of US, Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI)

Carol Jeppesen is Head of the US for the UN supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) and is responsible for PRI’s largest institutional investor market. The term “ESG investing” was coined in conjunction with PRI’s formation in 2006 and… Read full bio

Dave Jones

Director - Climate Risk Initiative, UC Berkekely Law, Center for Law, Energy and the Environment

Dave Jones is Director of the Climate Risk Initiative at UC Berkeley School of Law’s Center on Law, Energy and Environment (CLEE). Jones was Senior Director for Environmental Risk at The Nature Conservancy from January 2019 – June 2021 and a Distingu… Read full bio

Mirtha Kastrapeli

Sector Head for Consumer in Corporate Ratings, ISS ESG

Mirtha is an accomplished sustainable investment leader with a track record in developing cutting-edge research in the ESG space. She is also a Fellow at Columbia University’s Center on Sustainable Investment, CCSI. Most recently, Ms. Kastrapeli was… Read full bio

Colleen Keenan

Senior Financial Officer, World Bank

Colleen Keenan is a senior financial officer in the Investor Relations and Sustainable Finance team at the World Bank Treasury. She is responsible for outreach on the issuance programs of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBR… Read full bio

Chavi Keeney Nana

Director, Equitable Global Supply Chain Program, Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility

Ms. Nana/Chavi leads ICCR’s strategic campaign development, coordination with members and allies, and implementation and evaluation of investor actions related to ICCR’s corporate engagement on equitable global supply chains. Prior to joining ICCR, s… Read full bio

Dinah Koehler

Director of ESG Research, FactSet

Dr. Dinah A. Koehler is Vice President, Head of ESG Research at FactSet. In this role, she is responsible for research on cutting edge ESG topics and thought leadership. Prior to FactSet, she has worked 25+ years in corporate sustainability, includin… Read full bio

Cary Krosinsky

Co-Founder, Sustainable Finance Institute

A leading educator, author and senior advisor on sustainable finance, Cary Krosinsky teaches popular ongoing classes on the subject at Brown, NYU and Yale. He was a member of the NY State Common Decarbonization Advisory Panel appointed by Comptroller… Read full bio

Lydia Kuykendal

Director of Shareholder Advocacy, Mercy Investment Services, Inc.

Lydia Kuykendal has spent the last 15 years in health advocacy leading issue campaigns, managing coalitions, acting as a media spokesperson, cultivating strategic partnerships and lobbying elected officials. Her current position as Director of Shareh… Read full bio

Eli Lehrer

President, The R Street Institute

Eli Lehrer is the President of the R Street Institute. He co-founded R Street in 2012 and has played a key role in establishing it as an important center-right voice in the Washington, D.C. policy scene. Prior to R Street he served as vice president… Read full bio

Maria Lettini

Chief Investment Officer, US Sustainable Investment Forum

Maria Lettini is the Chief Executive Officer of US SIF: The Sustainable Investment Forum. She joined US SIF in May of 2023 and is an innovative leader within the fields of sustainability and finance. She is recognized for building meaningful partners… Read full bio

Sanford Lewis

Director, Shareholder Rights Group

Sanford Lewis is an attorney who represents investors in Securities and Exchange Commission matters related to shareholder proposals and disclosure. He is also founder and director of the Shareholder Rights Group, and alliance of leading investment o… Read full bio

Kerstin Lopatta

Professor of Financial Accounting - Auditing and Sustainability, University of Hamburg

Kerstin Lopatta is professor of Financial Accounting, Auditing and Sustainability at the University of Hamburg and adjunct professor at the Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance at the University of Luxembourg. Furthermore, she is affiliated with Cit… Read full bio

Carmen X. W. Lu

Counsel, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz

Carmen X. W. Lu is Counsel in Wachtell Lipton’s Corporate Department where she advises public and private companies and boards of directors across industries on ESG and corporate governance matters and evolving market trends, expectations and practic… Read full bio

Lauren Lynch

Manager, Blue Oceans

Lauren Lynch is the Manager for Blue Finance (Ocean ESG) on the WWF-US team, leading the expansion of WWF’s financial institution engagement into key blue economy sectors including shipping, marine renewables and coastal development. Lauren’s team wo… Read full bio

Divya Mankikar

Sustainability Market Engagement, S&P Global Sustainable1

Divya Mankikar brings over 15 years of sustainable investment experience to S&P Global. She is responsible for leading S&P Sustainable1’s efforts to engage with policy makers, regulators, standard setters, multi-lateral agencies, trade bodies… Read full bio

Renaye Manley

Deputy Director, Strategic Initiatives Department, Service Employees International Union (SEIU)

Renaye Manley brings strategy, innovation and advocacy to the world of finance and pension funds infusing a lens of racial and gender equity. She currently serves as Deputy Director of the Service Employees International Strategic Initiatives departm… Read full bio

Whitney Mann

Manager, RMI

Whitney is a Manager for RMI’s Center for Climate-Aligned Finance where she works on enabling financial institutions to align their investing and lending decisions with climate goals. In the wake of IRA, she works on leveraging Federal funding incent… Read full bio

Aeisha Mastagni

Portfolio manager, CalSTRS

Aeisha Mastagni is a portfolio manager in the Sustainable Investment and Stewardship Strategies unit of the California State Teachers’ Retirement System, the largest educator-only pension fund in the world. She is responsible for working with a dedic… Read full bio

Ryan McQueeney

Manager, Investments Marketing and Communications, Wespath / Communications Co-Lead, Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance

Ryan supports investment-related marketing and communications at Wespath, one of the largest reporting faith-based pension funds in the world. Wespath is also member of the UN-convened Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance, where Ryan serves as the co-lead o… Read full bio

Joellen Meckley

Executive Director, Center for Women in Financial Services, The American College of Financial Services

Joellen Meckley is the Executive Director of two centers of excellence at The American College of Financial Services- the Center for Women in Financial Services and the Center for Special Needs. At the Center for Women in Financial Services, Joellen… Read full bio

Radhika Mehrotra

Associate Director- Capital Markets, CDP North America

Radhika Mehrotra is the Associate Director of Capital Markets for CDP North America. Radhika leads investor engagement for CDP North America and is responsible for driving capital markets interactions with CDP data through portfolio assessment tools,… Read full bio

Bill Mills

CEO, KPX LLC

Bill is a native of Louisville Kentucky. He attended the University of Louisville where he was granted a bachelor’s degree in finance with a minor in economics. Upon graduation and for the following thirteen years Bill served in various CFO roles in… Read full bio

Sara E. Murphy

Chief Strategy Officer, The Shareholder Commons

Sara joined The Shareholder Commons in 2020 after 22 years working in sustainable investing and environmental and social advocacy. Sara began her career working for NGOs in the international development and disaster response fields. In 2001, she tran… Read full bio

Patricia Pina

Head of Product Research & Innovation, Clarity AI

Patricia specializes in measuring sustainability and impact to help companies, governments, and individuals make environmentally and socially sustainable decisions. She has extensive experience in crafting strategic plans and evaluating major develop… Read full bio

Lisa Pinheiro

Managing Principal, Analysis Group

Ms. Pinheiro has an extensive background in quantitative analysis and data science, which she has applied to various practice areas, including antitrust, finance, intellectual property, and biostatistics. In the antitrust field, she has acted as an e… Read full bio

Mitali Prasad

Lead Portfolio Manager and Research Analyst, Trillium

Mitali is the Lead Portfolio Manager on the Growth and Income strategy and a Portfolio Manager on the Small/Mid Cap Core and Large Cap Core strategies. She is also a Research Analyst covering Industrials and Materials sectors. She joined Trillium in… Read full bio

Anand Rajagopal

Sustainability Lead – Private Markets, Phoenix Group

Anand Rajagopal is the Private Markets Sustainability Lead at the Phoenix Group’s Asset Management division. Anand leads Sustainability and ESG integration efforts for Private Markets investments executed through the firm’s asset manager partners as… Read full bio

Shivaram Rajgopal

Kester and Byrnes Professor of Accounting and Auditing, Columbia Business School

Shiva Rajgopal is the Kester and Byrnes Professor of Accounting and Auditing at Columbia Business School. He has also been a faculty member at the Duke University, Emory University and the University of Washington. Professor Rajgopal’s research inter… Read full bio

Tracey Rembert

Associate Director, Climate Change and Environmental Justice, Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility

Tracey leads our work on Paris-aligned corporate climate lobbying. With over 23 years of experience in shareholder engagement and responsible investment, Tracey has brought expertise in climate change impacts, global active ownership strategies, corp… Read full bio

Danielle Reyes

Partner, Goodwin Procter LLP

Danielle Reyes is a partner and co-chair of the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) & Impact practice at Goodwin. She provides broad regulatory compliance advice with a focus on responsible investment, financial regulatory matters, human r… Read full bio

Andreas Ross

Head of New Product Research and Development, ZAIS Group

Dr. Ross serves as Head of New Product Research and Development and Managing Director at ZAIS. Prior to assuming his current role in 2021, he was a member of the Structured Credit Portfolio Management Team at ZAIS responsible for trading Credit Deriv… Read full bio

Samantha Ross

Founder, AssuranceMark, The Investors' Consortium for Assurance

Samantha Ross is an Affiliated Scholar with the Center for Innovation. She is the Founder of AssuranceMark, the Investors Consortium for Assurance, which she established to promote investors’ interest in high-quality, reliable reporting and assurance… Read full bio

Steven M. Rothstein

Managing Director, Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets

The Ceres Accelerator aims to transform the practices and policies that govern capital markets in order to accelerate reduction of the worst financial impacts of the climate crisis and other sustainability threats. Steven’s 40 years of experience wil… Read full bio

Laurie Schoeman

Senior Advisor Climate Resilience, Executive Office of the President, CEQ

Laurie is a deeply committed to buiding and protect housing from climate risk. With 20 years of experience working in affordable housing, climate finance, community and economic development, equity and environmental justice, and federal and local pol… Read full bio

Lucas Schoeppner

Manager - Sustainable Investment Stewardship, Wespath

Lucas joined Wespath in April 2023. He manages the investment stewardship and engagement activities of Wespath and its subsidiaries’ investment programs and supports their efforts to integrate material ESG risk consideration into the investment selec… Read full bio

Ned Shell

Counselor to the Under Secretary for Domestic Finance, U.S. Department of Treasury

Ned Shell is a Counselor to the Under Secretary for Domestic Finance at the U.S. Treasury Department where he leads and supports work related to climate-related financial risk, private sector net-zero financing and investment, voluntary carbon market… Read full bio

John D. Skjervem

Chief Investment Officer, Utah State Retirement Systems

John D. Skjervem is Chief Investment Officer for Utah Retirement Systems (URS) which manages a financial and real asset portfolio totaling $54 billion as of December 31, 2021 and comprises both defined benefit and defined contribution retirement prog… Read full bio

Tim Smith

Senior Policy Advisor, Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility

Tim currently serves as ICCR’s Senior Policy Advisor, where he supports ICCR’s work around responsible political engagement, deepening engagements with asset managers, and responding to the pushback on ESG. Tim served as ICCR staff for 30 years inclu… Read full bio

Tara Mei Smith

ESG Integration Officer, Bureau of Asset Management, Office of New York City Comptroller

Tara Mei Smith is the ESG Integration Officer for the Bureau of Asset Management, Office of NYC Comptroller. The Office of NYC Comptroller serves as the dedicated investment advisor and custodian for New York City’s five retirement funds, totaling ab… Read full bio

Anya Solovieva

Global Commercial Lead - Climate Solutions, Morningstar Sustainalytics

As the Global Commercial Lead for Morningstar Sustainalytics’ Climate Solutions, Anya guides her team’s focus on developing and implementing commercial strategies for the firm’s climate product suite designed to meet the rapidly evolving needs of glo… Read full bio

Meagen Stack

Manager ESG Reporting, Chevron

Meagen is currently the ESG Reporting Manager in Chevron’s Strategy & Sustainability organization. This role is responsible for delivering Chevron’s voluntary ESG-related reports such as the Corporate Sustainability Report and Climate Change Resi… Read full bio

Georgia Stewart

CEO, Tumelo

Georgia is CEO of Tumelo, one of the UK’s fastest-growing financial technology scale-ups. Founded in 2018, Georgia and her two co-founders, Will Goodwin and Ben King, recognised a two-pronged problem with the current proxy-voting system: fund manager… Read full bio

Neil Stewart

Director of Corporate Outreach, ISSB / IFRS Foundation

Neil Stewart is the New York-based Director of Corporate Outreach for the IFRS Foundation, which houses the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), the SASB Standards and the Integrate… Read full bio

Jérôme Tagger

Partner and Co-Founder, WhiteLabel Impact

Jerome is a Partner at WhiteLabel Impact and the CEO of Preventable Surprises, a think tank sparking difficult conversations about responsible finance. He was a founding COO of the Principles for Responsible Investment, an executive at the Global Imp… Read full bio

Alison Taylor

Clinical Associate Professor, NYU

Alison Taylor is a clinical associate professor at NYU Stern School of Business, and the executive director at Ethical Systems. She is currently writing a book on the new landscape for business ethics, for Harvard Business Review Press. Her previous… Read full bio

Andrew Teras

Client Strategy Lead, Sustainable Finance, ICE

Andrew Teras is the Client Strategy Lead for ICE Sustainable Finance. In this role, Andrew advises on product development efforts and works with clients to help them leverage ICE’s sustainable finance data solutions. Andrew was previously Director, M… Read full bio

Jerry Theodorou

Policy Director, Finance, Insurance and Trade, R Street

Jerry Theodorou is the Director of the Finance, Insurance and Trade Policy Program. Jerry develops and advances effective free market public policy solutions to complex issues where federal and state governments have intervened. Since Jerry joined R… Read full bio

Diana van Maasdijk

Co-Founder & CEO, Equileap

Diana van Maasdijk is the Co-Founder & CEO of Equileap, the leading provider of data and insights on gender equality in the corporate sector. Equileap researches and ranks 4000 public companies around the world using a unique and comprehensive Gender… Read full bio

Paul Verney

Features Writer, Responsible Investor

Paul joined RI’s editorial team in 2017 and was recently promoted to features writer, taking deeper dives into the most topical issues in the responsible investment space. He has a particular interest in shareholder engagement, climate lobbying and t… Read full bio

Heidi Welsh

Founding Executive Director, Sustainable Investments Institute (Si2)

Heidi Welsh, executive director of the Sustainable Investments Institute (Si2), has analyzed corporate responsibility since 1987. Si2 is supported mainly by subscriptions from large institutional investors. Starting at the Investor Responsibility Res… Read full bio

Courtney Wicks

Executive Director, ISAJ

Courtney Wicks has served as the Executive Director of IASJ since October 2021. Wicks is an experienced professional with proven management skills and a strong record of accomplishment in the development and implementation of Diversity, Equity, and I… Read full bio

Jessica Wirth Strine

Managing Partner, CEO Sustainable Governance Partners

Jessica Wirth Strine is a co-founder of Sustainable Governance Partners, an independent, practitioner-driven advisory firm that advises public companies on corporate governance, investor engagement, and ESG strategy. With nearly twenty years of exper… Read full bio

Heather E. Wright

Vice President, World Wildlife Fund

Heather Wright currently serves as the Vice President for the Markets Program at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) where she leads work to advance sustainable supply chain initiatives with key partners to achieve positive conservation impacts in critical… Read full bio

Ethan Zindler

Climate Counselor to the Secretary, U.S. Department of Treasury

Ethan Zindler serves as the Treasury Department’s Climate Counselor where he leads the Treasury’s efforts to facilitate an unlock the financing needed for investments to achieve a net-zero economy at home and abroad. Zindler most recently served as H… Read full bio

For more information on the agenda, please contact Joana Frade.

Joana.F@pei.group | +44 (0)203 879 3893

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Day 1 Day 2
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Agenda

RI USA 2023 - Wednesday 15th

08:00 - 08:45

Registration

Plenary
08:45 - 08:55

Welcome remarks from Responsible Investor

Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker

Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker, Editor, Responsible Investor

A speaker photo for Lucy  Fitzgeorge-Parker

Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker

Editor, Responsible Investor

Read bio
08:55 - 09:10

Opening remarks

Daniel F. C. Crowley

Daniel Crowley, Partner, K&L Gates LLP

A speaker photo for Daniel F. C. Crowley

Daniel F. C. Crowley

Partner, K&L Gates LLP

Read bio
09:10 - 10:00

Plenary 1: Net zero: Interim targets and external challenges

Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker, Simon Glynn, Divya Mankikar, Ned Shell
  • What challenges will financial institutions face in meeting the first round of net zero targets?
  • Could net zero targets encourage divestment from higher-emitting sectors and jurisdictions?
  • Is meeting short-term net zero targets compatible with financing the energy transition?
  • How is the role of GFANZ in driving net zero evolving?

Moderator: Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker, Editor, Responsible Investor

A speaker photo for Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker

Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker

Editor, Responsible Investor, PEI Group

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A speaker photo for Simon Glynn

Simon Glynn

Founder, Zero Ideas

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A speaker photo for Divya Mankikar

Divya Mankikar

Sustainability Market Engagement, S&P Global Sustainable1

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A speaker photo for Ned Shell

Ned Shell

Counselor to the Under Secretary for Domestic Finance, U.S. Department of Treasury

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10:00 - 10:50

Plenary 2: Setting the baseline: Disclosure standards and US corporates

Andrew Howell, Robert Eccles, Betty Moy Huber, Meagen Stack, Neil Stewart
  • Will the ISSB standards meet investor expectations and requirements?
  • What level of uptake of ISSB is expected in the US?
  • How are corporates preparing for SEC and/or ISSB reporting?
  • How can regulators and standard setters alleviate the reporting burdens on companies?

Moderator: Andrew Howell, Director of Investor Influence, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) 

A speaker photo for Andrew Howell

Andrew Howell

Senior Director of Sustainable Finance, EDF

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A speaker photo for Robert Eccles

Robert Eccles

Professor, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford

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A speaker photo for Betty Moy Huber

Betty Moy Huber

Partner, Global Co-Chair ESG, Latham & Watkins LLP

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A speaker photo for Meagen Stack

Meagen Stack

Manager ESG Reporting, Chevron

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A speaker photo for Neil Stewart

Neil Stewart

Director of Corporate Outreach, ISSB / IFRS Foundation

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10:50 - 11:20

Networking break

Plenary
11:20 - 11:40

Keynote: ESG and the energy transition

Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker, John D. Skjervem
  • The divestment divide: the challenge for responsible investors
  • ESG regulation: the implications for US asset owners
  • The anti-ESG movement: where next?

Moderator: Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker, Editor, Responsible Investor

John Skjervem, CIO, Utah Retirement Systems

 

A speaker photo for Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker

Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker

Editor, Responsible Investor, PEI Group

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A speaker photo for John D. Skjervem

John D. Skjervem

Chief Investment Officer, Utah State Retirement Systems

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11:40 - 12:30

Plenary 3: Fiduciary duty in the 21st century

Steven M. Rothstein, Tim Doyle, Pedro Guazo, Aeisha Mastagni, Sara E. Murphy
  • Has increased consideration of environmental, social and governance risks shifted understanding of fiduciary duty?
  • Could investors have a legal case to answer in relation to fiduciary duty and ESG?
  • The case against anti-ESG: studies on losses by limiting investment universes
  • Can any values-based, ethical or responsible investing be compatible with fiduciary duty?

Moderator: Steven Rothstein, Managing Director, Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets

A speaker photo for Steven M. Rothstein

Steven M. Rothstein

Managing Director, Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets

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A speaker photo for Tim Doyle

Tim Doyle

Senior Policy Advisor, Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC)

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A speaker photo for Pedro Guazo

Pedro Guazo

Representative of the Secretary-General for the investment of assets, United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund

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A speaker photo for Aeisha Mastagni

Aeisha Mastagni

Portfolio manager, CalSTRS

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A speaker photo for Sara E. Murphy

Sara E. Murphy

Chief Strategy Officer, The Shareholder Commons

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12:30 - 13:20

Plenary 4: Engaging with nature: best practice for investors

Heather E. Wright, Naomi English, Mirtha Kastrapeli, Dinah Koehler, Tara Mei Smith
  • TNFD: what does it mean for corporates and investors?
  • Tools and methodologies for assessing biodiversity risk to portfolios
  • The importance of considering the nature-climate nexus
  • Can engagement move the needle on biodiversity?

Moderator: Heather Wright, Vice President, Markets, World Wildlife Fund

A speaker photo for Heather E. Wright

Heather E. Wright

Vice President, World Wildlife Fund

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A speaker photo for Naomi English

Naomi English

Managing Director and Head of Climate Strategy, MSCI

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A speaker photo for Mirtha Kastrapeli

Mirtha Kastrapeli

Sector Head for Consumer in Corporate Ratings, ISS ESG

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A speaker photo for Dinah Koehler

Dinah Koehler

Director of ESG Research, FactSet

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A speaker photo for Tara Mei Smith

Tara Mei Smith

ESG Integration Officer, Bureau of Asset Management, Office of New York City Comptroller

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13:20 - 14:20

Lunch

Stream A
14:20 - 15:05

A1: Physical climate risk and resilience

Carolyn Allwin, Cary Krosinsky, Andrew Teras, Anya Solovieva
  • Do investors have the necessary data to understand and act on climate resilience?
  • What are the barriers to channelling private sector finance into climate resilience?
  • How can policy promote private finance flows into the sector?
  • Where is climate resilience financing most urgently needed in the US?
  • How does the increased unavailability of insurance impact resilience and what can be done to make sure insurance is available?

Moderator: Carolyn Allwin, Adjunct Professor, Columbia University

 

A speaker photo for Carolyn  Allwin

Carolyn Allwin

Adjunct Professor, Columbia University

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A speaker photo for Cary Krosinsky

Cary Krosinsky

Co-Founder, Sustainable Finance Institute

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A speaker photo for Andrew Teras

Andrew Teras

Client Strategy Lead, Sustainable Finance, ICE

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A speaker photo for Anya Solovieva

Anya Solovieva

Global Commercial Lead - Climate Solutions, Morningstar Sustainalytics

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15:05 - 15:25

Networking break

15:25 - 16:10

A2: Methane: Data, risk and engagement

Andrew Howell, Sofia De La Parra, Lucas Schoeppner
  • Are investors doing enough to understand portfolio methane emissions?
  • What tools and methodologies can investors access to understand methane emissions?
  • How should investors be engaging with corporates on methane?
  • The policy and regulatory outlook on methane emissions

Moderator: Andrew Howell, Senior Director of Sustainable Finance, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)

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Andrew Howell

Senior Director of Sustainable Finance, EDF

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A speaker photo for Sofia De La Parra

Sofia De La Parra

Investor Outreach Manager, FAIRR Initiative

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A speaker photo for Lucas Schoeppner

Lucas Schoeppner

Manager - Sustainable Investment Stewardship, Wespath

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16:10 - 16:30

Networking break

16:30 - 17:15

A3: Climate lobbying: Behind closed doors

Paul Verney, Kendra Haven, Tracey Rembert
  • Assessing corporates’ governance of climate policy advocacy: what is best practice?
  • Have investors been tough enough on climate lobbying?
  • How and when should investors escalate on climate lobbying?
  • What is misaligned with Paris when it comes to lobbying?

Moderator: Paul Verney, Features Writer, Responsible Investor

A speaker photo for Paul  Verney

Paul Verney

Features Writer, Responsible Investor

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A speaker photo for Kendra Haven

Kendra Haven

Director of Projects (US), InfluenceMap

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A speaker photo for Tracey Rembert

Tracey Rembert

Associate Director, Climate Change and Environmental Justice, Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility

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Stream B
14:20 - 15:05

B1: Will antitrust kill collective engagement?

Jérôme Tagger, Sarah Bernstein, Denise Hearn, Lisa Pinheiro, John Hoeppner
  •  Is big better or are smaller targeted engagements more effective?
  • Are investors being put off signing up by increased scrutiny from lawmakers?
  • Do antitrust and competition investigations pose a credible threat?
  • How can and should the largest collaborative initiatives move forward in this environment?

Moderator: Jérôme Tagger, Chief Executive Officer, Preventable Surprises

A speaker photo for Jérôme  Tagger

Jérôme Tagger

Partner and Co-Founder, WhiteLabel Impact

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A speaker photo for Sarah Bernstein

Sarah Bernstein

Managing Principal/ Head of Sustainability, Meketa Investment Group, Inc.

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A speaker photo for Denise Hearn

Denise Hearn

Resident Senior Fellow, Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment

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A speaker photo for Lisa Pinheiro

Lisa Pinheiro

Managing Principal, Analysis Group

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A speaker photo for John Hoeppner

John Hoeppner

Head of US Stewardship and Sustainable Investments, LGIM America

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15:05 - 15:25

Networking break

15:25 - 16:10

B2: Proxy voting: Evolution and advice

Georgia Stewart, Jerry Theodorou, Heidi Welsh, Jessica Wirth Strine
  •  Have E&S shareholder proposals become more prescriptive?
  • How has the anti-ESG backlash impacted proxy voting and proxy advice?
  • Asset owners are increasingly setting their own voting policies. How does that affect manager engagement with companies?
  • In the wake of the Exxon and Engine No 1 case, is ESG becoming a board vote issue?

Moderator: Georgia Stewart, CEO, Tumelo

A speaker photo for Georgia Stewart

Georgia Stewart

CEO, Tumelo

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A speaker photo for Jerry Theodorou

Jerry Theodorou

Policy Director, Finance, Insurance and Trade, R Street

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A speaker photo for Heidi Welsh

Heidi Welsh

Founding Executive Director, Sustainable Investments Institute (Si2)

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A speaker photo for Jessica Wirth Strine

Jessica Wirth Strine

Managing Partner, CEO Sustainable Governance Partners

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16:10 - 16:30

Networking break

16:30 - 17:15

B3: Gender and investment: bridging the gap

Joellen Meckley, Diana van Maasdijk, Andreas Hoepner, Carol Jeppesen
  • Are investors doing enough on gender?
  • What metrics are most relevant for investors?
  • How can investors effectively engage corporates on gender?
  • How does gender fit into the broader DE&I landscape?

Moderator: Joellen Meckley, Executive Director, Center for Special Needs & Center for Women in Financial Services, American College of Financial Services

A speaker photo for Joellen Meckley

Joellen Meckley

Executive Director, Center for Women in Financial Services, The American College of Financial Services

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A speaker photo for Diana van Maasdijk

Diana van Maasdijk

Co-Founder & CEO, Equileap

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A speaker photo for Andreas Hoepner

Andreas Hoepner

Full Professor of Operational Risk, Banking & Finance, University College Dublin (UCD)

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A speaker photo for Carol  Jeppesen

Carol Jeppesen

Head of US, Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI)

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Stream C
14:20 - 15:05

C1: Nature data and metrics

Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker, Lauren Lynch, Vicki Benjamin
  • Are companies and investors ready for TNFD reporting?
  • How are data providers gearing up to support them?
  • Where are the biggest gaps in biodiversity data?
  • How is technology helping to meet the biodiversity data challenge?

Moderator: Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker, Editor, Responsible Investor

A speaker photo for Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker

Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker

Editor, Responsible Investor, PEI Group

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A speaker photo for Lauren Lynch

Lauren Lynch

Manager, Blue Oceans

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A speaker photo for Vicki Benjamin

Vicki Benjamin

President - Co-founder, Karner Blue Capital

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15:05 - 15:25

Networking break

15:25 - 16:10

C2: ESG bonds: Building ambition

Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker, Lisa Bozzelli, Anand Rajagopal, Colleen Keenan
  •  How has the labelled bond market been impacted by the anti-ESG movement?
  • What sectors, labels and issuers provide the best prospects for growth in 2024?
  • Where do US muni bonds fit into the ESG-labelled market?
  • SLBs vs transition bonds: which is more effective in driving decarbonisation?

Moderator: Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker, Editor, Responsible Investor

A speaker photo for Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker

Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker

Editor, Responsible Investor, PEI Group

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A speaker photo for Lisa Bozzelli

Lisa Bozzelli

Sustainable Finance Advisor

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A speaker photo for Anand Rajagopal

Anand Rajagopal

Sustainability Lead – Private Markets, Phoenix Group

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A speaker photo for Colleen Keenan

Colleen Keenan

Senior Financial Officer, World Bank

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16:10 - 16:30

Networking break

16:30 - 17:15

C3: ESG data: Evolution and innovation

Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker, Ulrich Atz, Patricia Pina, Mitali Prasad
  • How is investors’ approach to ESG data evolving?
  • What will new corporate disclosures regimes mean for ESG data users and providers?
  • Sovereigns to Scope 3: filling the ESG data gaps
  • What are the use cases for AI in ESG data use and provision?

Moderator: Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker, Editor, Responsible Investor

A speaker photo for Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker

Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker

Editor, Responsible Investor, PEI Group

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A speaker photo for Ulrich Atz

Ulrich Atz

Research Fellow, NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business

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A speaker photo for Patricia Pina

Patricia Pina

Head of Product Research & Innovation, Clarity AI

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A speaker photo for Mitali Prasad

Mitali Prasad

Lead Portfolio Manager and Research Analyst, Trillium

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17:15 - 18:45

Networking drinks reception & End of Day One

17:25 - 17:45

Gender Equity Investing Awards

Patricia Pina, Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker, Andreas Hoepner, Marlene Timberlake D’Adamo

The Gender Equity Investing Awards have shortlisted 10 mutual funds based on their official SEC reported holdings for their intentional gender focus and their measurable performance of investing in firms with relatively high gender equity among top executives, measured as the shares held by female execs in relation to the shares held by all execs. An esteemed jury will reflect on the impact additionality of the short listed funds to determine the winners. The jury is co-chaired by award organisers Marlene Timberlake D’Adamo & Andreas Hoepner and includes inter alia former PRI CEO Fiona Reynolds, former UN Women Deputy Executive Director Anita Bhatia, US SIF CEO Maria Lettini, Women of the World Endowment CEO Patience Marime-Ball, Solactive Founder & CEO Steffen Scheuble and many more.


Patricia Pina, Head of Product Research & Innovation, Clarity AI
 

Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker, Editor, Responsible Investor

Andreas Hoepner, Professor of Operational Risk, Banking & Finance, University College Dublin

Marlene Timberlake D’Adamo, Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer, CalPERS

A speaker photo for Patricia Pina

Patricia Pina

Head of Product Research & Innovation, Clarity AI

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A speaker photo for Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker

Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker

Editor, Responsible Investor, PEI Group

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A speaker photo for Andreas Hoepner

Andreas Hoepner

Full Professor of Operational Risk, Banking & Finance, University College Dublin (UCD)

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Marlene D'Adamo

Marlene Timberlake D’Adamo

Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, CalPERS

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Agenda

RI USA 2023 - Thursday 16th

08:00 - 09:00

Registration and refreshments

Stream A
09:00 - 09:45

A4: Racial equity and engagement

Paul Verney, Lydia Kuykendal, Renaye Manley, Courtney Wicks
  •  How is best practice in engaging on racial justice evolving?
  • What role do racial justice audits play in the stewardship toolkit?
  • What lessons have been learned from the first generation of racial justice audits?
  • Has the anti-ESG movement affected investor appetite for engagement on racial issues?

Moderator: Paul Verney, Features Writer, Responsible Investor

A speaker photo for Paul  Verney

Paul Verney

Features Writer, Responsible Investor

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A speaker photo for Lydia Kuykendal

Lydia Kuykendal

Director of Shareholder Advocacy, Mercy Investment Services, Inc.

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A speaker photo for Renaye Manley

Renaye Manley

Deputy Director, Strategic Initiatives Department, Service Employees International Union (SEIU)

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A speaker photo for Courtney Wicks

Courtney Wicks

Executive Director, ISAJ

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09:45 - 10:00

Networking break

10:00 - 10:45

A5: Workers rights in the US and abroad

Alison Taylor, Matthew Illian, Chavi Keeney Nana
  • What does the return of unionisation in the US mean for investors?
  • How are investors addressing workers’ rights from an ESG perspective a) in the US, b) globally?
  • How can investors manage reputational and regulatory risks from labour issues in global supply chains?
  • Is workers’ rights an issue that can cross the ESG political divide?

Moderator: Alison Taylor, Clinical Professor, NYU Stern School of Business

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Alison Taylor

Clinical Associate Professor, NYU

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A speaker photo for Matthew Illian

Matthew Illian

Director of Responsible Investing, United Church Funds

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A speaker photo for Chavi Keeney Nana

Chavi Keeney Nana

Director, Equitable Global Supply Chain Program, Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility

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10:45 - 11:15

Networking break

11:15 - 12:00

A6: The evolving role of benchmarks in ESG investing

Svenja Dube, Carolyn R. Eagle, Bill Mills
  • Why is ‘standardisation and transparency’ of ESG benchmarks important?
  • Should there be minimum ESG requirements for broad market benchmarks?
  • Should ESG funds use broad market benchmarks for construction and reporting?

Moderator: Svenja Dube, Associate Professor, Baruch College, City University of New York

A speaker photo for Svenja Dube

Svenja Dube

Associate Professor of Accountancy, Baruch College

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A speaker photo for Carolyn R. Eagle

Carolyn R. Eagle

Head of Americas - Sustainable Equity Index Product, FTSE Russell

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A speaker photo for Bill Mills

Bill Mills

CEO, KPX LLC

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Stream B
09:00 - 09:45

B4: Deep dive workshop: SEC climate disclosure rules

Azish Filabi, Dan Byrd, Rachel Curley, Danielle Reyes
  • What challenges do the SEC’s climate disclosure rules present for corporates?
  • How do the SEC’s rules fit with other standards, ISSB and ESRS?
  • Have the SEC’s rules been blunted by the threat of legal action and ESG backlash?
  • Are the climate rules a precursor to standards on other environmental and/or social issues?
  • Will the SEC’s proposed ESG fund naming rule prevent greenwashing?

Moderator: Azish Filabi, Executive Director, Maguire Center for Ethics, The American College of Financial Services

A speaker photo for Azish Filabi

Azish Filabi

Executive Director, Maguire Center for Ethics, The American College of Financial Services

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A speaker photo for Dan Byrd

Dan Byrd

Director - ESG Industry Practice Lead, Moody’s Analytics

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A speaker photo for Rachel Curley

Rachel Curley

Director of Policy and Programs, US SIF: The Sustainable Investment Forum

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A speaker photo for Danielle Reyes

Danielle Reyes

Partner, Goodwin Procter LLP

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09:45 - 10:00

Networking break

10:00 - 10:45

B5: E&S proposals: A blunt instrument?

Paul Verney, Sanford Lewis, Heidi Welsh
  •  What are the implications of the recent surge in numbers of E&S proposals for investors and corporates?
  • Are E&S proposals effective in driving change?
  • How do shareholder proposals fit into the investor engagement toolkit?
  • Will investors fight for the right to file proposals if Republicans seek to weaken shareholder rights?

Moderator: Paul Verney, Features Writer, Responsible Investor

A speaker photo for Paul  Verney

Paul Verney

Features Writer, Responsible Investor

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A speaker photo for Sanford Lewis

Sanford Lewis

Director, Shareholder Rights Group

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A speaker photo for Heidi Welsh

Heidi Welsh

Founding Executive Director, Sustainable Investments Institute (Si2)

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10:45 - 11:15

Networking break

11:15 - 12:00

B6: Corporate transition plans: credibility, consistency, scrutiny

Carolyn Allwin, Patricia Hudson, Radhika Mehrotra, Andreas Ross
  • What constitutes a credible transition plan in 2023?
  • Are investors providing consistent messaging to companies with their voting?
  • Say on Climate: does opposition mean the mechanism is working?
  • Rebaselining: will it become a standard ask from investors?

Moderator: Carolyn Allwin, Adjunct Professor, Columbia University

A speaker photo for Carolyn  Allwin

Carolyn Allwin

Adjunct Professor, Columbia University

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A speaker photo for Patricia Hudson

Patricia Hudson

Executive Director, Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ)

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A speaker photo for Radhika Mehrotra

Radhika Mehrotra

Associate Director- Capital Markets, CDP North America

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A speaker photo for Andreas Ross

Andreas Ross

Head of New Product Research and Development, ZAIS Group

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Stream C
09:00 - 09:45

C4: US banks and the energy transition

Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker, Sabina Chatterjee, Rachel Mattes Greenberg, Steven M. Rothstein
  • Where are the opportunities for banks in financing the US energy transition?
  • Has the anti-ESG movement impacted banks’ ability to provide green finance?
  • What are the implications of net zero for investment banking?
  • How should investors engage banks on transition financing?

Moderator: Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker, Editor, Responsible Investor

A speaker photo for Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker

Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker

Editor, Responsible Investor, PEI Group

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A speaker photo for Sabina Chatterjee

Sabina Chatterjee

Director, Sustainable Finance & Advisory, Wells Fargo Corporate & Investment Banking

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A speaker photo for Rachel Mattes Greenberg

Rachel Mattes Greenberg

Senior Vice President, Head of Sustainability

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A speaker photo for Steven M. Rothstein

Steven M. Rothstein

Managing Director, Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets

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09:45 - 10:00

Networking break

10:00 - 10:45

C5: Auditing and assurance and the ESG disclosure push

Shivaram Rajgopal, Willie Botha, Carmen X. W. Lu, Samantha Ross
  • How are auditors gearing up for the expected surge in ESG reporting?
  • What are the key challenges in assuring sustainability information?
  • The growing role of materiality assessments in ESG reporting
  • How valuable is limited assurance to investors?

Moderator: Shivaram Rajgopal, Kester and Byrnes Professor of Accounting and Auditing, Columbia Business School

A speaker photo for Shivaram Rajgopal

Shivaram Rajgopal

Kester and Byrnes Professor of Accounting and Auditing, Columbia Business School

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A speaker photo for Willie Botha

Willie Botha

Program & Technical Director, IAASB

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A speaker photo for Carmen X. W.  Lu

Carmen X. W. Lu

Counsel, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz

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A speaker photo for Samantha Ross

Samantha Ross

Founder, AssuranceMark, The Investors' Consortium for Assurance

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10:45 - 11:15

Networking break

11:15 - 12:00

C6: ESG litigation: the next battlefield

Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker, Cynthia Hanawalt, Carmen X. W. Lu
  • Understanding the risks of ESG litigation for investors and corporates
  • How can and should investors leverage litigation to achieve sustainability goals?
  • Lessons from key recent and upcoming cases
  • Litigation and the anti-ESG movement

Moderator: Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker, Editor, Responsible Investor

A speaker photo for Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker

Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker

Editor, Responsible Investor, PEI Group

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A speaker photo for Cynthia Hanawalt

Cynthia Hanawalt

Director of Climate Finance and Regulation, Sabin Center for Climate Change Law

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A speaker photo for Carmen X. W.  Lu

Carmen X. W. Lu

Counsel, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz

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12:00 - 13:00

Lunch

Plenary
13:00 - 13:20

Fireside chat

Paul Verney, Maria Lettini

Moderator: Paul Verney, Features Writer, Responsible Investor

A speaker photo for Paul  Verney

Paul Verney

Features Writer, Responsible Investor

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A speaker photo for Maria Lettini

Maria Lettini

Chief Investment Officer, US Sustainable Investment Forum

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13:20 - 13:40

Keynote 2

Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker, Ethan Zindler

Moderator: Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker, Editor, Responsible Investor

A speaker photo for Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker

Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker

Editor, Responsible Investor, PEI Group

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A speaker photo for Ethan Zindler

Ethan Zindler

Climate Counselor to the Secretary, U.S. Department of Treasury

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13:40 - 14:25

Plenary 5: The long arm of the EU: How will European regulation affect US investors?

Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker, Antoine Begasse, Annette Capretta, Andreas Hoepner
  • Taking stock of EU regulation: has SFDR improved sustainability disclosures for US asset managers with funds covered by the rules?
  • What challenges will investors and corporates face in navigating the EU approach alongside incoming SEC rules?
  • Are US companies prepared for the EU’s corporate sustainability reporting directive (CSRD)?
  • Are proposed EU due diligence disclosure rules (CSDDD) fit for purpose? Will they provide the data US investors need?

Moderator: Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker, Editor, Responsible Investor

A speaker photo for Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker

Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker

Editor, Responsible Investor, PEI Group

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A speaker photo for Antoine Begasse

Antoine Begasse

Finance Counsellor, Delegation of the European Union to the United States

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A speaker photo for Annette Capretta

Annette Capretta

Chief Counsel, ICI Global

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A speaker photo for Andreas Hoepner

Andreas Hoepner

Full Professor of Operational Risk, Banking & Finance, University College Dublin (UCD)

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14:25 - 14:40

Networking break

Plenary
14:40 - 15:25

Plenary 6: Shifting the green centre of gravity: the IRA and the US

Sonja Gibbs, Mike Ferguson, Whitney Mann
  • Has the US taken the top spot globally for climate investments by focusing on real economy policies over disclosures?
  • The IRA and investor allocation strategies: the outlook for public and private markets
  • How effective have previous US policy initiatives been in boosting climate investment?
  • Can the IRA help to bridge the political divide on sustainability?

Moderator: Sonja Gibbs, Head of Sustainable Finance, Institute of International Finance

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Sonja Gibbs

Board Member / Managing Director and Head of Sustainable Finance, ICVCM / Institute of International Finance

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A speaker photo for Mike Ferguson

Mike Ferguson

Senior Director and Analytical Manager, S&P Global Ratings

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A speaker photo for Whitney Mann

Whitney Mann

Manager, RMI

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15:25 - 16:25

Plenary 7: Navigating the ESG backlash: the challenges for investors

Robert Eccles, Colleen Davis, Eli Lehrer, Ryan McQueeney, Tim Smith
  • How are asset owners responding to the anti-ESG movement?
  • Who is paying the price for blacklisting: financial firms or public sector funds?
  • Will asset managers be able to avoid taking sides on ESG?
  • ESG communications: from greenwashing to green hushing

Moderator: Robert Eccles, Professor, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford

A speaker photo for Robert Eccles

Robert Eccles

Professor, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford

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A speaker photo for Colleen  Davis

Colleen Davis

State Treasurer, State of Delaware

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A speaker photo for Eli Lehrer

Eli Lehrer

President, The R Street Institute

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A speaker photo for Ryan McQueeney

Ryan McQueeney

Manager, Investments Marketing and Communications, Wespath / Communications Co-Lead, Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance

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A speaker photo for Tim Smith

Tim Smith

Senior Policy Advisor, Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility

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16:25 - 16:35

Closing remarks

Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker

Moderator: Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker, Editor, Responsible Investor

A speaker photo for Lucy  Fitzgeorge-Parker

Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker

Editor, Responsible Investor

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16:35 - 16:35

End of conference

Network at America's leading responsible investment event

Meet America’s sustainability leaders

Network with active asset owners, banks, insurers in the industry. Benefit from also our expansive and multistakeholder community who will be in attendance throughout the conference.

Network in-person in New York

Connect with your peers at interactive workshops, networking breaks, evening drinks reception, roundtable discussions and invite-only breakfasts.

Build valuable connections

Our past attendees included British Columbia Investment Management Corporation, Caisse de Dépôt et Placement du Québec, CalPERS, Chicago Teacher’s Pension Fund, Credit Suisse, Office of the New York City Comptroller, Seattle City Employees’ Retirement System, and many others.

Connect with active investors

AP Pension
British Columbia Investment Management Corporation
Caisse de Dépôt et Placement du Québec
California Public Employees' Retirement System
California State Teachers' Retirement System
Chicago Teacher’s Pension Fund
Government Pension Investment Fund
LifeBank Foundation
Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association
New York State Common Retirement Fund
Office of the New York City Comptroller
OMERS
PGGM
Seattle City Employees’ Retirement System
State of New Jersey
Toyota Tsusho Corporate Pension Fund
World Bank Group

Be recognised as driving the future of sustainable finance

Responsible Investor USA provides an opportunity to make connections with an exclusive audience of ESG and sustainable finance decision makers. Share your solutions, collaborate and network with senior-level executives through bespoke sponsorship packages to meet your 2023 business goals.

Enquire about sponsorship

Be recognised as driving the future of sustainable finance to institutional investors in the US

Sponsoring at Responsible Investor global events positions your company at the forefront of key decision-makers and ensures your profile gains a competitive advantage within the industry. Enquire about bespoke sponsorship packages to:

  • Align your brand with Responsible Investor’s authoritative content-led event portfolio and be seen as a go-to solution provider for senior ESG and sustainable finance professionals.
  • Stand tall amongst your competitors by positioning your company at Responsible Investor USA and embed your brand as a major player to senior institutional investors.
  • Raise your profile as a thought leader within the industry to overcome the key challenges within responsible investing.
  • Showcase your institutional investor solutions, in-person to new global audiences and generate new business opportunities to achieve your targets.

View sponsorship opportunities

2023 sponsors already signed up include:

Associate Sponsor Level

View all sponsors

Cocktail Reception Sponsor

View all sponsors

Connect with responsible investment investors

African Development Bank
AGF Investments
AIMCo
Alberta Investment Management Corporation
Allegra Wealth
Allianz Global Investors
Allstate Investments
Alphinity investments
AMP Capital
Aon
Atlantic Bank
Aviva Canada
AXA Investment Managers
Axia Real Assets
Baillie Gifford
Banister & Company
Bank of America
Bank of Canada
Banque Nationale Investissements
BC Pension Corp
BCI
BentallGreenOak
BHP Foundation
BlackRock
BlueOrchard
BMO
BMO Global Asset Management
BNP Paribas
British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI)
Brookfield
Brookfield Asset Management Inc.
Brookfield Properties
BTG Pactual
CalPERS
Canada Climate Law Initiative
Canada Life
Canada Post Corporation Pension Plan
Canadian Institute for Climate Choices
Capstone Infrastructure
CDPQ

Hiroshi Komori

Senior Director, Stewardship & ESG, GPIF

RI events around the world have been beneficial to catch up on ongoing ESG issues and network with great people.

Andrea Palmer

ESG Lead, PGGM

I appreciate the quality of the delegates and the conversations. It’s the go-to venue to gauge developments in ESG integration.

Asset owners at RI USA 2023

The Responsible Investor USA provides an unrivalled platform for asset owners investing in sustainable finance.

A limited number of complimentary passes for the event are available for asset owners. Check out the benefits of joining the conference and learn who among your peers attends. Apply for a complimentary pass for you or your team now.


Asset owners at RI USA 2023

The event is the largest meeting place for asset owners and top level corporates for two days of networking and insight sharing.

Check out the benefits of joining the conference and who among your peers you will be joining. 

Download investor prospectus

What to expect?

Network with your peers

Enrich your network, build lasting relationships, and exchange valuable perspectives with your investor peers through investor-only breakfasts, networking breaks, lunches and much more.

Gain expert insights

Hear from our industry-leading speaker line-up, discover the latest trends and stay aligned with future innovations in the market.

Stay aligned to developments and opportunities

Discover remarkable investment opportunities and leverage ESG expertise focused on regulation, human rights, biodiversity, net zero and more.

Meet with the best and brightest funds

Connect and arrange one-to-one meetings with the biggest and best ESG managers in the market.

Connect with active investors

Alecta
AP2
Bayerische Versorgungskammer (BVK)
Border to Coast Pensions Partnership
Brunel Pension Partnership
Cambridge Associates
Children's Investment Fund Foundation
Church of England Pensions Board
Friends Provident Foundation
Irish Life
Local Pensions Partnership
MP Investments
NEST Corporation
Nestlé UK Pensions
Nordea Life & Pension
Scottish Widows
Wellcome Trust
The Health Foundation
London Pensions Fund Authority
BBC Pension Trust
Folketrygdfondet
British Airways Pension Investment Management
Folksam
ING
VBV Pensionskasse
LGIM
Cambridge University Endowment
Migros Pension Fund
Caisse des depots et Consignations
Baloise
Strathclyde Pension Fund
GPIF
San Francisco Employees' Retirement System
OMERS
Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan
State of New Jersey
New York City Comptroller
Canada Post Corporation Pension Plan
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board
HOOPP

Apply for a complimentary asset owner pass

A limited number of complimentary passes are available for eligible asset owners to join the event.

To qualify for a complimentary pass, you must meet the eligibility criteria in representing a pension fund, insurance company, sovereign wealth fund, foundation, endowment, trust, family office or corporate investment division.

Please register your interest and a member of our team will be in touch to confirm your eligibility.

 

Apply for a complimentary pass 


Our leading advisory board in 2023

David Carlin

Head of Risk, UNEP FI

David Carlin leads risk programming for UNEP- Finance Initiative (UNEP FI). He has worked with over 100 financial institutions on topics of climate scenarios, climate risk assessments, and sustainability regulation. He and his team support financial… Read full bio

Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker

Editor, Responsible Investor, PEI Group

Lucy Fitzgeorge-Parker joined Responsible Investor as editor in 2022 from Euromoney magazine, where she was ESG editor. Prior to that, she was Euromoney’s editor for Central and Eastern Europe and contributing editor at GlobalCapital. She has covered… Read full bio

Cary Krosinsky

Co-Founder, Sustainable Finance Institute

A leading educator, author and senior advisor on sustainable finance, Cary Krosinsky teaches popular ongoing classes on the subject at Brown, NYU and Yale. He was a member of the NY State Common Decarbonization Advisory Panel appointed by Comptroller… Read full bio

Maria Lettini

Chief Investment Officer, US Sustainable Investment Forum

Maria Lettini is the Chief Executive Officer of US SIF: The Sustainable Investment Forum. She joined US SIF in May of 2023 and is an innovative leader within the fields of sustainability and finance. She is recognized for building meaningful partners… Read full bio

Ryan McQueeney

Manager, Investments Marketing and Communications, Wespath / Communications Co-Lead, Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance

Ryan supports investment-related marketing and communications at Wespath, one of the largest reporting faith-based pension funds in the world. Wespath is also member of the UN-convened Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance, where Ryan serves as the co-lead o… Read full bio

Steven M. Rothstein

Managing Director, Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets

The Ceres Accelerator aims to transform the practices and policies that govern capital markets in order to accelerate reduction of the worst financial impacts of the climate crisis and other sustainability threats. Steven’s 40 years of experience wil… Read full bio

Georgia Stewart

CEO, Tumelo

Georgia is CEO of Tumelo, one of the UK’s fastest-growing financial technology scale-ups. Founded in 2018, Georgia and her two co-founders, Will Goodwin and Ben King, recognised a two-pronged problem with the current proxy-voting system: fund manager… Read full bio

Alison Taylor

Clinical Associate Professor, NYU

Alison Taylor is a clinical associate professor at NYU Stern School of Business, and the executive director at Ethical Systems. She is currently writing a book on the new landscape for business ethics, for Harvard Business Review Press. Her previous… Read full bio

Heidi Welsh

Founding Executive Director, Sustainable Investments Institute (Si2)

Heidi Welsh, executive director of the Sustainable Investments Institute (Si2), has analyzed corporate responsibility since 1987. Si2 is supported mainly by subscriptions from large institutional investors. Starting at the Investor Responsibility Res… Read full bio