A company and investor engagement story

[vc_empty_space height=”10px”]

This session takes a deep dive into the sustainability lens from a large corporate view and how investors and corporates are working together to create lasting impact.[vc_quotes layout=”accordion” quotes=”%5B%7B%22name%22%3A%22Beatriz%20Perez%22%2C%22job_role%22%3A%22Chief%20sustainability%20officer%2C%20CocaCola%20(United%20States)%22%2C%22content%22%3A%22Beatriz%20Perez%20is%20the%20senior%20vice%20president%20and%20chief%20communications%2C%20public%20affairs%2C%20sustainability%20and%20marketing%20assets%20officer%20for%20The%20Coca-Cola%20Company.%20She%20leads%20an%20integrated%20team%20across%20public%20affairs%20and%20communications%2C%20sustainability%20and%20marketing%20assets%20to%20support%20the%20company%E2%80%99s%20new%20growth%20model%20and%20path%20to%20become%20a%20total%20beverage%20company.%20In%20this%20role%2C%20Perez%20aligns%20a%20diverse%20portfolio%20of%20work%20against%20critical%20business%20objectives%20to%20support%20brands%2C%20communities%2C%20consumers%20and%20partners%20worldwide.%20She%20continues%20to%20oversee%20the%20company%E2%80%99s%20sports%20and%20entertainment%20assets%2C%20including%20iconic%20partnerships%20with%20Olympics%2C%20Special%20Olympics%20and%20FIFA.%20She%20will%20continue%20to%20lead%20strategic%20and%20operational%20efforts%20for%20the%20company%E2%80%99s%20retail%2C%20licensing%20and%20attractions%20portfolio%20of%20assets.%20%5CnSince%202011%2C%20Perez%20served%20as%20The%20Coca-Cola%20Company%E2%80%99s%20first%20chief%20sustainability%20officer%2C%20where%20she%20developed%20and%20led%20progress%20against%20comprehensive%20global%20sustainability%20commitments%20with%20a%20focus%20on%20water%20stewardship%20and%20women%E2%80%99s%20economic%20empowerment.%20She%20advanced%20a%20global%20sustainability%20strategy%20designed%20to%20help%20grow%20the%20business%20while%20making%20a%20lasting%20positive%20difference%20for%20consumers%2C%20communities%20and%20the%20environment.%20%5CnPrior%20to%20leading%20the%20company%E2%80%99s%20sustainability%20efforts%2C%20she%20served%20as%20chief%20marketing%20officer%20for%20Coca-Cola%20North%20America%2C%20where%20she%20built%20brands%20by%20developing%20some%20of%20the%20company%E2%80%99s%20most%20historic%20relationships%2C%20including%20American%20Idol%20and%20NASCAR.%20She%20began%20her%20career%20at%20The%20Coca-Cola%20Company%20in%201996%20and%20held%20various%20roles%20in%20brand%20management%20and%20field%20operations%20before%20becoming%20CMO.%20%5CnAmong%20her%20recognitions%20are%20membership%20in%20the%20American%20Advertising%20Hall%20of%20Achievement%20and%20the%20Sports%20Business%20Journal%E2%80%99s%20Hall%20of%20Fame.%20The%20Association%20of%20Latino%20Professionals%20for%20America%20(ALPFA)%20named%20Perez%20to%20its%202017%2050%20Most%20Powerful%20Latinas%20ranking.%20She%20has%20been%20recognized%20as%20a%20%E2%80%9CConservation%20Trailblazer%E2%80%9D%20by%20The%20Trust%20for%20the%20Public%20Land.%20She%20was%20on%20Hispanic%20Executive%20magazine%E2%80%99s%20list%20of%20Top%2010%20Leaders%2C%20and%20she%20was%20featured%20as%20one%20of%20the%20%E2%80%9C25%20Most%20Powerful%20Latinas%E2%80%9D%20on%20CNN%20and%20in%20People%20en%20Espa%C3%B1ol.%20%5CnPerez%20is%20a%20strong%20advocate%20for%20community%20service%2C%20serving%20on%20various%20boards%20including%20The%20Coca-Cola%20Foundation%2C%20the%20company%E2%80%99s%20global%20philanthropic%20arm.%20She%20also%20serves%20on%20the%20corporate%20boards%20for%20Primerica%20and%20Grainger.%20She%20holds%20a%20Bachelor%20of%20Science%20degree%20in%20Marketing%20from%20the%20University%20of%20Maryland.%20%5Cn%22%2C%22image%22%3A%2233603%22%2C%22linkedin%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fbea-perez-8225919%2F%22%7D%2C%7B%22name%22%3A%22Peter%20van%20der%20Werf%22%2C%22job_role%22%3A%22Team%20lead%20engagement%2C%20active%20ownership%2C%20Robeco%20(The%20Netherlands)%22%2C%22content%22%3A%22Peter%20van%20der%20Werf%20is%20engagement%20specialist%2C%20covering%20the%20consumer%20staples%2C%20healthcare%20and%20shemicals%20sectors.%20His%20areas%20of%20expertise%20include%20impact%20investing%2C%20labor%20rights%2C%20supply%20chain%20management%2C%20access%20to%20medicine%20and%20nutrition%20and%20social%20and%20environmental%20issues%20in%20the%20food%20and%20agriculture%20sector.%20He%20is%20an%20advisory%20committee%20member%20of%20a%20number%20of%20PRI%20working%20groups%20such%20as%20Agricultural%20Supply%20Chain%2C%20Sustainable%20Palm%20Oil%20and%20Deforestation.%20He%20gained%20over%20four%20years%20of%20professional%20experience%20in%20business%20development%20in%20frontier%20markets%20before%20joining%20Robeco%20in%202011.%20He%20holds%20a%20Master%E2%80%99s%20in%20Environmental%20Sciences%20from%20Wageningen%20University.%22%2C%22image%22%3A%2233604%22%2C%22linkedin%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fphvanderwerf%2F%3ForiginalSubdomain%3Dnl%22%7D%5D” title=”Speaker” el_class=””][vc_quotes layout=”accordion” quotes=”%5B%7B%22name%22%3A%22Amanda%20White%22%2C%22job_role%22%3A%22Director%2C%20institutional%20content%2C%20Conexus%20Financial%20(Australia)%22%2C%22content%22%3A%22White%20is%20responsible%20for%20the%20content%20across%20all%20Conexus%20Financial%E2%80%99s%20institutional%20media%20and%20events.%20She%20is%20responsible%20for%20directing%20the%20bi-annual%20Fiduciary%20Investors%20Symposium%20which%20challenges%20global%20investors%20on%20investment%20best%20practice%20and%20aims%20to%20place%20the%20responsibilities%20of%20investors%20in%20wider%20societal%2C%20and%20political%20contexts%2C%20as%20well%20as%20promote%20the%20long-term%20stability%20of%20markets%20and%20sustainable%20retirement%20incomes.%20She%20is%20the%20editor%20of%20conexust1f.flywheelstaging.com%2C%20the%20online%20news%20and%20analysis%20site%20for%20the%20world%E2%80%99s%20largest%20institutional%20investors.%20White%20has%20been%20an%20investment%20journalist%20for%20more%20than%2020%20years%20and%20has%20edited%20industry%20journals%20including%20Investment%20%26%20Technology%2C%20Investor%20Weekly%20and%20MasterFunds%20Quarterly.%20She%20was%20previously%20editorial%20director%20of%20InvestorInfo%20and%20has%20worked%20as%20a%20freelance%20journalist%20for%20the%20Australian%20Financial%20Review%2C%20CFO%2C%20Asset%20and%20Asia%20Asset%20Management.%20She%20has%20a%20Bachelor%20of%20Economics%20from%20Sydney%20University%20and%20a%20Master%20of%20Arts%20in%20Journalism%20from%20the%20University%20of%20Technology%2C%20Sydney.%20She%20was%20previously%20a%20columnist%20for%20the%20Canadian%20publication%2C%20Corporate%20Knights%2C%20which%20is%20distributed%20by%20the%20Globe%20and%20Mail%20and%20The%20Washington%20Post.%20White%20is%20currently%20a%20fellow%20in%20the%20Finance%20Leaders%20Fellowship%20at%20the%20Aspen%20Institute.%20The%20two-year%20program%20consists%20of%2022%20fellows%20and%20seeks%20to%20develop%20the%20next%20generation%20of%20responsible%2C%20community-spirited%20leaders%20in%20the%20global%20finance%20industry.%22%2C%22image%22%3A%2233531%22%2C%22linkedin%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Famanda-white-101a7515%2F%3ForiginalSubdomain%3Dau%22%7D%5D” title=”Moderator” el_class=””][vc_empty_space height=”10px”]

Related reading

Navigating the ESG labyrinth SIX magazine: So you think sustainable investing is easy? Think again The big book of SI[vc_empty_space height=”10px”]

Key takeaways

Beatriz

• We set bold ambitions with decade-long timeframes.
• Even during the pandemic, positive work must keep moving. If something is truly core to your strategies, find a way to maintain momentum in the short-term to achieve long-term targets.
• Targets must be clearly defined and clearly understood.
• Business planning is critical to achieving growth, not just mitigating risk.
• There is significant value in having your impact data independently audited.
• CocaCola has created 1000 new recipes and this was in part due to strategy and sustainability engagement with Robeco.
• It is critically important to focus the business strategy around what the public most care about.
• The right behaviours must be incentivised appropriately for both short- and long-term.
• When investors demonstrate care through engagement, so will everybody else.
• ‘Robeco have made us better. They forced us to wake up. They forced us to make sure we did not become obsolete.’
• I cheer the investment community for driving investee companies in the right direction.

Peter

• We challenge companies on their strategic direction. It is important that investee companies have a clear North Star.
• Tension through the engagement process can help achieve better outcomes. Have the courage to ask investee companies whether their strategy transformation is moving fast enough.
• It is important to identify where sustainability efforts can be accelerated. There must be a long-term commitment to engagement.