Walking the talk
Thursday Oct 3rd, 2024
Maison Alcan, 1188 Sherbrooke St W
Building a community of doers
The whirlwinds of change are inexorably and rapidly evolving companies’ understanding of sustainability reporting not as an end in itself, but as an accountability mechanism for managing their material impacts, dependencies, risks, and opportunities. In other words, they have to walk the talk. Only by doing so can they create value, both for themselves and for society.
Deepen relationships with global ESG leaders
Hear from industry analysts, regulators, thought leaders, and sustainability pioneers. Build relationships with your peers—fellow ESG practitioners and executive stakeholders.
To foster connection and meaningful dialogue, the conference is intentionally limited to 200 guests and will follow Chatham House rules.
Agenda
This invite-only event will be delivered via Chatham house rules meaning that you will have exclusive access to the candid thoughts of ESG practitioners and global regulators.
October 2nd
October 3rd
To kick off the 2024 Forum, David Metcalfe, CEO of Verdantix, will deliver a comprehensive, research-based keynote on the current state of the ESG market. Verdantix is a research and advisory firm that provides in-depth analysis, market insights, and strategic guidance on ESG and sustainability topics, helping organizations navigate the complex landscape of ESG reporting, technology, and services. The keynote will be followed by an interactive Q+A.
Novisto
Verdantix
Ranked 7th in sustainability globally by TIME Magazine, Sanofi’s pioneering path towards CSRD compliance will be the focal point of this fireside chat. Laurent will offer valuable do’s and don’ts from Sanofi’s experience, covering challenges like data collection, quality assurance, double materiality assessments, and drafting narratives. Attendees will gain practical insights into tackling CSRD demands, including strategies for collaborating with cross-functional teams, ecosystem engagement, and leveraging digital solutions for streamlined reporting.
This session will provide actionable takeaways for companies at various stages of CSRD compliance, drawing from Sanofi’s efforts in building a CSRD program from scratch.
Novisto
Moderator
Sanofi
Our Chief Product Officer will explore how the Novisto ESG data management and reporting platform is evolving to meet the demands of the rapidly changing sustainability disclosure landscape. Centered on an overview of Novisto’s short- and long-term product vision, Marc will detail the strategic enhancements and innovations planned for the platform. The keynote session will be followed by an interactive Q+A.
Novisto
Companies are being overwhelmed by new reporting requirements that are shifting sustainability to a complex compliance activity. However, it would be a mistake to dive into compliance without really understanding the implications of reporting—especially where performance is not being managed. The solution lies in rethinking sustainability in terms of performance and innovation.
Bain Advisory Network
FinComm Services
Moderator
Nawar Alsaadi, a top corporate sustainability voice on LinkedIn and founder of Kanata Advisors, will be accompanied by a panel of ESG leaders to discuss the vectors of value creation in ESG. Attendees will leave with practical insights and experiences from their peers in addition to a framework on how to develop a strong narrative around creating value through ESG—whether it be through revenue generation, driving efficiencies or risk mitigation.
Kanata Advisors
Moderator
ICAEW
CAE
Aspen Technology Inc
Join seasoned ESG professionals in this interactive panel session as they share insights on forming effective internal ESG committees and fostering interdepartmental collaboration. Panelists will discuss strategies for assembling impactful committees, overcoming challenges in cross-functional initiatives, and aligning ESG goals with business objectives.
Engage in a dynamic Q&A session and share experiences and challenges with peers. Gain practical takeaways to enhance your organization’s sustainability efforts through improved internal governance and relationships, whether you’re new to ESG committees or optimizing existing teams.
Novisto
Moderator
LPL Financial
Reconomy
Manulife Investment Management
The paradigm shift in corporate sustainability reporting towards regulated disclosures is also driving the external assurance of those disclosures to make them as reliable as possible. Producing audit-ready disclosures is neither a simple nor a quick task. Even as they grapple with collecting their data and complying with comprehensive reporting standards, sustainability practitioners need to simultaneously set the wheels in motion to be ready for external assurance when the time comes.
KPMG
FinComm Services
Moderator
Esteemed ESG practitioners share their practical takeaways from the day’s events to help you continue “walking the talk” in your own organizations. Leave with valuable perspectives and strategies to advance your organization’s ESG efforts and turn insights into action.
Verdantix
PagerDuty
Balchem
First Financial Bank
Millani Inc.
Featured speakers
Marie David, MSc, CPA
Marie David is a partner in the Audit practice of KPMG Montreal since 2017, with over 16 years of experience in auditing small to large-size businesses, both listed and non-listed, in various industries, including manufacturing and distribution, services, mining and technologies.
She worked on the initial public offerings and on the first post-RTO audit of some of her audit clients and has a strong financial advisory experience in special audits, deals and offering documents. Marie is also the Quebec ESG Audit Leader, working closely with clients to develop their ESG strategy, reporting and assurance readiness.
Before that, she was the Quebec Audit Innovation Leader for 3 years, understanding and leveraging the most recent technological and innovative tools such as data analytics, artificial intelligence, robotic process automation and blockchain.
Nawar Alsaadi, FSA, SIPC
I am the founder and CEO at Kanata Advisors, an ESG Fintech advisory firm based in Toronto, Canada. Kanata operates at the intersection of finance, sustainability, and technology.
My advisory work focuses on four areas: product-market fit, strategy development, communication, and partnerships sourcing.
Kanata's advisory approach is structured for the long term and is designed to ensure total alignment between myself and clients. Accordingly, and to ensure quality delivery and minimize potential business conflicts, Kanata works with a small, select, number of clients at any given time.
Prior to establishing Kanata, I held several senior ESG-related positions, including Chief Impact Officer at ScopeFour Capital, Senior Portfolio Manager for ESG Investing at Canada Post Pension Plan, and Director of ESG Insights at the ethical investment firm NEI Investments, among other executive and advisory roles.
David Metcalfe
David is the CEO of Verdantix and co-founded the firm in 2008. Based on his 20 years of experience in technology strategy and research roles he provides guidance on digital strategies to C-level executives at technology providers, partners at private equity firms and function heads at large corporations. His current focus is on helping clients understand their market opportunity tied to ESG investment trends and their impact on corporate sustainability strategies. During his 12 years running Verdantix – including 4 leading the New York office – he has helped dozens of clients grow their businesses through fund raising, acquisitions and international growth. David was previously SVP Research at Forrester and Head of Analysis & Forecasting at BT. He holds a PhD from Cambridge University and also worked as a Research Associate at the Harvard Business School.
Charles Assaf
Charles is a tech entrepreneur with over 16 years of executive leadership experience founding and scaling enterprise software companies. Before co-founding Novisto, he served as CRO at Explorance, a global experience management solutions provider. He currently advises several leading software firms and sits on the boards of various charitable organizations.
Charles leverages his extensive experience to lead the Novisto team and drive our vision for next-generation sustainability management. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering from McGill University and a Master of Engineering from MIT.
Marie-Josée Privyk
Marie-Josée Privyk is an independent advisor providing individuals and companies with information and advice on ESG and corporate sustainability reporting. An experienced capital markets practitioner, she combines her knowledge of financial analysis, capital markets, business valuation, corporate reporting, and investor relations with deep subject-matter expertise in ESG and sustainability reporting.
She aspires to contribute to systems-level change towards an ecosystem model that meets the needs of all people within the means of the planet.
Dr. Mario Abela
I have considerable leadership experience in both the private and public sectors. In particular, I have extensive experience in senior management, leading both large and small professional teams to deliver results. As a professional accountant (dual qualified FCPA and FCMA), I have financial management expertise with strong technical accounting skills in standard setting, especially IFRS and corporate and sustainability reporting more generally. I have considerable experience in sustainability reporting and governance and have led working group and expert panels. I also have considerable experience in government policy development, analysis and execution have held senior government positions in Australia, Belgium and the United Kingdom.
My strengths are in problem solving, delivering complex projects and managing stakeholder relationships. I am a lateral and creative thinker and keen to challenge the status quo and consider more effective alternatives. I have excellent communication skills and frequently speak at international conferences.
Zoë Frances
Zoë is an expert in technology, ESG, and EHS, specializing in digitizing sustainability programs for multinational corporations. As head of product marketing, Zoë's mission is to connect with companies that can most benefit from the value of Novisto’s ESG management software.
A lifelong environmentalist, Zoë gives back to her community as a Butterfly Ranger with the David Suzuki Foundation. She holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from Queen’s University and an MBA in Sustainability and Finance from the Schulich School of Business.
Marc Sell
Marc Sell is an experienced leader with 20+ years in product management, and 12+ years leading product teams. He has developed a diverse B2B software background working in multiple industries at startups/scale-ups and global enterprises such as Amazon, Deloitte, and Experian.
Previously, Marc was CPO at Mesaurabl, an ESG platform for the commercial real estate market.
Marc holds an MBA from Temple University and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas at Austin. He currently lives in San Diego, California.
Pyarali Jamal, FRSA
I have worked on ESG issues for most of my career dating back to when I was Head of the EY Canada Corporate Finance Renewable Energy and Cleantech team. I spent ten years at EY in different roles in the Transaction Advisory Services group - i.e. in Canada, in the Global offices in London, and in the UK & Ireland firm based in London.
Since leaving EY at the end of 2011, I have predominantly worked with small and large organisations on issues spanning governance and strategic planning, ESG integration, sustainable finance regulations (e.g. SFDR), financing and transaction due diligence, market development, operational improvement and expansion. From 2014 to 2017 I was CEO and COO of a London-based circular economy business. Most recently I was the UK Head of ESG and Sustainable Finance for a boutique global consulting firm. In addition, I have sat on the boards of two UK impact investors, one of which I chaired for six years.
I am an accredited External Assurance Reviewer for the UK government’s Infrastructure and Projects Authority, a member of the coalition of the International Platform for Climate Finance, on the Advisory Council for the Centre for Building Sustainable Value at the Ivey Business School in Canada, and a member of the Sustainability Committee of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales ("ICAEW"). I have conducted over thirty-five workshops on ESG metrics (with a focus on outcomes) and on the impact pathway / theory of change for organisations in various sectors, have spoken at various conferences, and have guest-lectured to business school students at several universities.
I am a British and Canadian citizen. I was born in Tanzania, have lived in Canada, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, and have travelled to 42 other countries. My academic and professional credentials include two master degrees, along with professional diplomas and certificates in clean energy and climate change, sustainability, advanced management accounting, urban land economics, social impact monitoring and evaluation, and ESG investing.
Leslie Dunham
Leslie Dunham is Head of Sustainability for LPL Financial with oversight of the company’s corporate sustainability strategy, reporting, data governance, and chair of the ESG Steering Committee. In addition, Leslie sits on the board of the LPL Foundation. She joined LPL in 2018 and has more than 20 years of financial industry experience. Previously, she worked as vice president at United Capital Financial Advisors, where she was responsible for internal and external advisor communications, public relations, and brand management.
Roddell McCullough
Asheen Phansey
Denis Sangulin
Denis Sangulin has extensive work experience in finance and auditing. Denis started their career at PwC as a Senior Associate Business Assurance from 1996 to 1999. Denis then joined IBM, where they held various roles including Senior Accountant, Accounting Manager, and Senior Manager from 1999 to 2014. In 2014, Denis joined Balchem Corporation as an Assistant Controller and later became the Director of Finance. Denis then served as the Corporate Controller and eventually took on the role of Senior Director, Internal Audit (CAE) and Global Head of Sustainability. Denis Sangulin's expertise lies in financial management, auditing, and sustainability.
Denis Sangulin pursued their education from 1992 to 1996, earning a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting from LIU Post. There is no information available regarding any additional certifications obtained by Denis Sangulin.
Jennifer Dudgeon
With over 20 years of dedicated experience working toward reducing global GHG emissions and increasing transparency around environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, Jennifer Dudgeon is a passionate and results-oriented leader in the field of sustainability. Her diverse expertise spans multiple industries, including local, federal, and international governments, fuel production, manufacturing, and software.
Currently serving as the Sustainability Director for Aspen Technology, Inc, Jennifer is responsible for the development and implementation of their ESG strategy, aligning it with business value. Jennifer drives global organization change by influencing, motivating, and inspiring teams across various disciplines and geographies. She also leads all corporate sustainability disclosure efforts, transparently reflecting the organization’s sustainability commitments and achievements.
Milla Craig
Milla is Founder, CEO and President of Millani Inc., an independent advisory firm helping investors integrate ESG issues and impact into their investment decisions, companies communicate their material ESG and impact issues to investors, boards of directors understand their ESG and impact related responsibilities and capital markets participants create their proprietary ESG and impact strategies.
Throughout her career, Milla has worked very closely with senior management and investor relations teams of Canadian publicly-listed companies, as well as financial analysts and investment managers of several Canadian pension and investment funds. Prior to founding Millani in 2008, she worked for more than 15 years in the institutional equity markets for major Canadian financial institutions such as RBC Dominion Securities and Scotia Capital, where she was consistently ranked as a top-tier salesperson. Later, as Deloitte's Leader – Sustainability, for the Quebec Region, she was actively involved in the development of sustainability strategy, management, stakeholder engagement, and reporting for a variety of Canadian organizations.
Milla sat on the board of the Responsible Investment Association (RIA) and chaired its Nomination Committee from 2020 to 2024. She is past Co-Chair of the Steering Committee of the Finance and Sustainability Initiative of Finance Montréal. Milla is recipient of the 2017 Clean16 Award, and in 2020 was awarded Montreal’s Y Foundation Women of Distinction Award, in the Business & Entrepreneurship category. Milla is also a faculty of the Institute of Corporate Directors Social Issues course since 2021.
Constance Drilhon
Constance Drilhon is the Director of Sustainability Strategy and Reporting at CAE, which cover the social, environmental and governance aspects. In this role, she engages with all stakeholders impacted by or interested in CAE’s sustainability performance, including customers and investors. In collaboration with all the teams responsible for different aspects of the program, she sets goals, tracks progress, and reports on CAE’s multi-year sustainability strategy both internally and externally. Constance leverages her insights into market and regulatory trends, as well as stakeholder signals, to influence the organization to enhance its social and environmental impact. She ensures that CAE’s sustainability reporting meets the highest standards of transparency. In addition, she is in charge of DE&I.
Constance has a rich background in strategy consulting in Paris, where she led multiple strategy and operational performance assignments, engaging with diverse players in the Aerospace, Defence, and Transportation industries. At CAE, she has led the Corporate Strategic Planning process and reporting up to the Board of Directors. She was also in charge of enterprise risk management and investor relations. Constance has always been passionate about social responsibility, both in her personal time and throughout her academic journey. Her various roles at CAE have increasingly focused on sustainability impact, making her transition to her current role a natural progression. She brings strong analytical skills and strategic perspectives to her position.
Constance holds a Master’s degree from the business school HEC Paris, specializing in Large Project Management in partnership with ISAE-Supaero (aerospace engineering).
David Ung
David is a director on Manulife Investment Management’s global sustainable investing team, responsible for ESG integration and stewardship initiatives to support our Canadian portfolio management teams. Prior to joining the firm, David worked in the financial sector for over ten years and has been particularly involved in the responsible investment industry for the past eight years as an ESG consultant for Millani, the HEC Montréal Pension Plan, and Vigeo Eiris. David is the president of the advisory committee of the PRI Quebec Network and also served as interim president of the Quebec Responsible Investment Club in 2020/2021. Education: M.Sc., Finance, HEC Montréal; B.B.A, Finance, ESG UQÀM
Diane Crowe
Having worked for one of the UK’s largest construction services companies for over twenty years and more recently in the circular economy sector Diane has been responsible for the development and delivery of effective sustainability strategy and policy.
At Reconomy she also has responsibility for implementing the governance structure for ESG data along with voluntary and mandatory sustainability reporting standards and frameworks. As part of this she put in place the award-winning RSVP Reconomy Social Value Programme and the Reconomy Environment Action Plan which focuses on the organisations net zero carbon commitments.
Diane is a member of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) and holds both an MSc in Environmental Management and Technology, as well as a BSc (Hons) in Environmental Earth Science.
David Hageraats
David has practical ESG reporting experience which he uses to help customers achieve their sustainability goals. Previously, he worked at a large Canadian bank and various start-ups, managing multi-stakeholder projects and engaging teams on their ESG data.
David has a BSc in Environmental Science and Biology from McGill University and an MSc in Sustainability Management from the University of Toronto. He holds the Fundamentals of Sustainability Accounting (FSA) Credential, issued by SASB (IFRS Foundation).
Experience the charm of Montréal
Forge new connections in vibrant Montréal, recognized as one of the top 15 global cities in the 2023 Corporate Knights Sustainable Cities Index. From the cobblestone streets of the Old Port to the iconic Golden Square Mile, make your conference visit an opportunity for a memorable getaway.
