FREE EVENT
28 June 2023 | 4-8 PM
Join us for a summer early evening drinks reception for inspiring wisdom, community and ideas for action.
We will be joined by Liz Benison, ISS CEO for UK and Ireland, Richard Morris, Mediabrands CEO for EMEA and UK and James Vaccaro, Climate Safe Landing Network Exec Director (previously Triodos Director of Corporate Strategy) to explore anti ESG sentiment, the forces limiting our efforts to be sustainable by 2030 and how we might we to turn them to our advantage.
For senior leaders and decision makers, this event will consider the complex question of what’s keeping things stuck and how to take a responsible and systemic approach to respond.
In current economic circumstances, pressures to act short term are only getting higher. It doesn’t help to repeat what we already know: that the sustainability agenda, and especially the climate emergency, are incredibly pressing issues.
Sir David Attenborough’s most recent series of documentaries describing the state we’re in being one more call for action. And it is incredible to hear that the UN General Assembly is seeking a legal opinion from the international court of justice (ICJ) to clarify states’ obligations to tackle the climate crisis – and specify any consequences countries should face for inaction.
How can organisations act most effectively in this context?
As a firm, Mannaz specialises in helping organisations deal with the complex social implications of making difficult change to happen – what some people call “wicked problems”. If advocacy and evidence of destruction are not enough, what else can we do to ensure effective and sustained action?
16:00 – Arrival: Refreshments and cake
16:30 – Welcome and Introduction from Mannaz
16:45 – Facilitated panel discussion
18:00 – Insights dialogue (in groups)
19:00 – 20:00 – Canapes and close
Time: Wednesday 28 June, 4-8 PM
Place:
16 St John’s Lane
London EC1M 4BS
Price: Free (By invitation)
Language: English
Liz Benison: CEO for ISS, UK&I business.
Liz has a track record of leadership positions with Business Services and Outsourcing.
Most recently, Liz ran Mainland Europe for Arriva PLC, with a focus on organic growth and standardisation. Before that she was involved in the operational turnarounds of Serco and CSC (now part of DXC) in the UK and Europe. And prior to that she held leadership roles in Capgemini and Xansa. (now part of Sopra Steria) In her early career, she trained as a manufacturing engineer in Jaguar and Ford.
Liz is a keen champion of gender diversity and D&I more generally, and more recently an advocate for responsible businesses to take a more driving roll in overcoming climate change.
Liz has a BEng. in Production Engineering and Management from Nottingham University in the UK and holds Companion status with the Chartered Management Institute.
Richard Morris: CEO, UK & EMEA, IPG Mediabrands.
Richard is CEO, UK and EMEA at IPG Mediabrands, the media and marketing arm of Interpublic Group, one of the world’s premier global advertising and marketing services companies.
In his role, he is responsible for driving strategy for media agencies, UM, Initiative and Mediahub in a consumer economy increasingly defined by digital media, data and continuous change. Previously UK CEO and EMEA President of Initiative, he has also held senior roles at two other media agencies, working with some of the most well-known brands in the world.
With a focus on creating a world-class integrated and collaborative offering for clients and an inspirational, exciting, and successful place to work for all his teams, Richard also remains committed to driving a positive step-change in both diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Richard sits on the governing body of the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA).
James Vaccaro: Executive Director, Climate Safe Lending Network / CEO, Repattern.
James is a sustainability strategist and systems thinker with a background of twenty-five years senior management experience in sustainable finance and business. He has provided leadership for organisations and projects and served on a wide range of business and charity boards and governing bodies.
James is CEO of RePattern.org, supporting organisations and their stakeholders in effective ecosystem innovation for sustainability transformation. He is currently Executive Director of the Climate Safe Lending Network – a multistakeholder initiative to catalyse the decarbonisation of the banking sector. Through RePattern, James is a strategy advisor to a number of regenerative agriculture-tech companies and has led the development of a Nature-based Solutions (NbS) Accelerator for WWF. James was previously Group Director of Strategy for Triodos Bank – Europe’s leading international sustainable bank and investment manager). In his career at Triodos, James set up and managed the UK investment business comprising corporate finance and crowdfunding services, venture capital fund management and fund distribution.
James served on the Global Steering Committee for the UNEP Finance Initiative and was one of the founding developers of the UN Principles for Responsible Banking launched in 2019. He is on the advisory panel for the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), the UK Government’s Transition Plan Taskforce and is an expert reviewer for the IPCC. James is a Senior Associate of the Cambridge Institute and senior fellow of the Finance Innovation Lab having previously served as the Chair of the Board of Trustees. James is a non-executive director of Regen and a Senior advisor for Club of Rome and Earth4All. He is also an advisor and investor in the Cambridge-based climate solutions venture-builder, Carbon-13. He is the author of several reports and papers on sustainable finance and impact investing (including the UN’s Global Environment Outlook on Sustainable Finance), a regular speaker at events and conferences on sustainable business and positive impact finance.
Stuart Turnbull: Head of International Consulting in Mannaz.
Stuart is based in London and has led Mannaz’ International Consulting practice since 2020.
Previously, he was a Partner in Oliver Wyman, directing strategy execution and transformation assignments for global clients in the energy, pharmaceuticals and technology industries.
He held global executive roles in the International Finance Corporation, Levi Strauss and Co. and Fujitsu after gaining a Masters degree in Organisational Change through Ashridge business school in the UK and a first degree in Mechanical Engineering.
David Stanners: PhD, FRSA, IEEP Board Member
David is an environmental scientist who has worked throughout his career at European and international levels to support environment and sustainability policymaking.
He worked as a founding staff member of the European Environment Agency and developed the first report on the state of the pan-European environment in 1995.
He currently acts as a Board Member for the Institute for European Environmental Policy UK, a leading think tank and center for environmental policies in Europe and beyond.