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.

Sponsored Content

Leave a Comment

China ESG risk: the next unknown

China ESG risk: the next unknown

One of the most important, upcoming challenges at CalSTRS is how the fund should evaluate Chinese investments from a human capital and environmental standpoint, says Chris Ailman, chief investment officer at the giant pension fund.

Sort content by

The challenge of tracking climate change

Climate change has started to significantly affect many firms, but properly quantifying firm-level exposure to climate change risks and opportunities is a challenge for investors, regulators and policy makers.

Carbon reductions and climate risk

William Nordhaus favors a carbon tax to slow climate change but his own model shows that the UN’s target would make humanity poorer than doing nothing at all about climate change.

William Nordhaus versus the UN

William Nordhaus favors a carbon tax to slow climate change but his own model shows that the UN’s target would make humanity poorer than doing nothing at all about climate change.

Impact investing won’t save capitalism

If we really want to reform capitalism, then impact investing as it is traditionally conceived will not be enough.

Impact investing’s third phase

The impact investing movement has overcome many challenges, however more obstacles lie ahead even as there is untapped potential for growth.

The alpha in impact

How operating with an impact objective can add financial value for investors. 

Previous