Inaugural Convening of the ESG Initiative
December 9, 2022
The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Building off the success of our first six months, this invitation-only event convened industry thought leaders, Wharton faculty and staff, and distinguished students to advance rigorous and practically relevant ESG research, programming, and discourse. The highly interactive design was structured to maximize both learning and engagement among attendees. The program included a keynote panel from senior ESG leaders and sessions on improving the measurement of impact and value; mobilizing for impact; climate-related risks and opportunities; and shining the light on political risk, corporate political activity, and human rights.
Keynote Speakers
Mary Karol Cline
Senior Policy Advisor, Ernst & Young Office of the Global Chairman
John Streur
President and CEO, Calvert Research and Management
Schedule
Friday, December 9
8:00 AM
Registration and Breakfast
9:00 AM
Opening Remarks
Joao Gomez (Wharton)
9:05 AM
Improving Measurement of Impact and Value
Moderated by Witold Henisz (Wharton)
Total Value Framework
Witold Henisz (Wharton), Rachelle Sampson (U Maryland), Fitzann Reid (Engine No 1)
Valuing Multi-Stakeholder Strategies
Rachelle Sampson (U Maryland), Allen He (FCLT)
ESG and Municipal Credit Risk
Chris Bruno (Wharton), Bill Delahunty (Morgan Stanley), David Kirsh (Morgan Stanley Investment Management)
Turner Impact Portfolio Challenge (TIPC)
Yuri Seung (Wharton), Sarah Norman (Bank of America Merrill Lynch), Sandi Maro Hunt (Wharton)
PNC’s Wharton ESG Integration Project
Sunny Jiang (Wharton), Nick Ashburn (PNC)
10:20 AM
Table Discussion
10:45 AM
Break
11:05 AM
Mobilizing for Impact
Moderated by Katherine Klein (Wharton)
Impact Finance Database
Katherine Klein (Wharton), Michael Brown (Wharton)
Pathways to Materiality
Michael Gavin (Wharton), Emily Watson (TIAA)
Penn Medicine – Wharton Fund for Health
Rajith Sebastian (Wharton), Tyler Jonas (Wharton), Brandon Grant (Penn Medicine), Courtney Bragg (Fabric Health)
11:55 AM
Table Discussion
12:15 PM
Lunch
1:00 PM
Keynote Panel
Moderated by Witold Henisz (Wharton)
Mary Karol Cline (EY), John Streur (Calvert)
2:05 PM
Break
2:20 PM
Climate Related Risks and Opportunities
Moderated by Arthur van Benthem (Wharton)
Evaluating Progress on Climate Commitments
Kevin Chuah (Northeastern), Jason Schwartz (Sunrise)
Leading Climate Research
Ben Keys (Wharton), John Paul MacDuffie (Wharton), Jisung Park (Wharton), Arthur Van Benthem (Wharton)
3:00 PM
Table Discussion
3:20 PM
Break
3:40 PM
Shining the Light on Political Risk, Corporate Political Activity, and Human Rights
Moderated by Mae McDonnell (Wharton)
EY + Wharton Political Risk & Identity Lab
Witold Henisz (Wharton), Courtney McCaffrey (EY), Ben-Ari Boukai (EY)
Imputing Corporate Political Activity from State-Level Data
Tony He (Rutgers), Fitzann Reid (Engine No 1)
Materiality of Indigenous Rights
Mae McDonnell (Wharton), Dan Garrett (Wharton), Bruce Freed (Center for Political Accountability)
4:35 PM
Table Discussion
4:55 PM
Closing Remarks
Witold Henisz (Wharton)
5:00 PM
Reception and Hors d’Oeuvres
About the ESG Initiative at Wharton
The Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Initiative conducts academically rigorous and practically relevant research with industry partners and across all Wharton departments to investigate when, where, and how ESG factors impact business value. Informed by research, we offer 30+ courses that MBA and undergraduate students can assemble into a major or concentration, over a dozen co-curricular experiences, and three Executive certificate programs. Led by Vice Dean Witold Henisz, the ESG Initiative advances Wharton’s best-in-class education of current and future leaders, enabling them to serve a world undergoing tremendous change.