Podcasts about ethisphere

In this episode of The Ethics Experts, Nick welcomes Leigh Mulholland. Leigh Mulholland serves as the Chief Compliance Officer at the Kansas City Board of Public Utilities (BPU), where she oversees regulatory compliance, regulatory, environmental policy and compliance, enterprise risk management, insurance, and internal audit for both water and electric operations. Before joining BPU, Leigh spent 16 years at Capital Power Corp (TSE:CPX), a Canadian-based independent power producer, where she served as Chief Compliance Officer from 2015 to 2023. Under her leadership, Capital Power earned Ethisphere's prestigious World's Most Ethical Companies designation from 2018 to 2023. Her prior roles at Capital Power spanned Corporate Strategy, Business Planning, M&A and Asset Valuation, Commercial Management, Real-time Operations, and Finance, showcasing her breadth of expertise in the energy sector.

World's Most Ethical Companies. And… see six companies that have been honored for 19 years! Plus, terrific alternative energy picks. By Ron Robins, MBA Transcript & Links, Episode 150, March 21, 2025 Hello, Ron Robins here. Welcome to my podcast episode 150, published March 21, 2025, titled “World's Most Ethical Companies. And...” It's presented by Investing for the Soul. Investingforthesoul.com is your site for vital global ethical and sustainable investing mentoring, news, commentary, information, and resources. Remember that you can find a full transcript and links to content – including stock symbols and bonus material – on this episode's podcast page at investingforthesoul.com/podcasts. Also, a reminder. I do not evaluate any of the stocks or funds mentioned in these podcasts, and I don't receive any compensation from anyone covered in these podcasts. Furthermore, I will reveal any investments I have in the investments mentioned herein. Additionally, quotes about individual companies are brief. Please go to this podcast's webpage for links to the articles and more company and stock information. ------------------------------------------------------------- World's Most Ethical Companies. And... Now, The 2025 World's Most Ethical Companies® listing by Ethisphere is where I'm beginning this podcast. It's always a great listing to review for ethical and sustainable investors. The following information is gleaned from Ethisphere's website and has been re-ordered for presentation here. Also, note that companies are not ranked. So, some quotes. “The World's Most Ethical Companies is an annual recognition… Earning this recognition involves a comprehensive application and evaluation of your Ethics and Compliance program through Ethisphere's proprietary Ethics Quotient® (EQ), which assesses a company's ethics and compliance program, culture, and governance practices. The listed 2025 World's Most Ethical Companies Honorees outperformed a comparable index of global companies by 7.8 percent from January 2020 to 2025. In 2025, 136 organizations are recognized for their unwavering commitment to business integrity. The honorees span 19 countries and 44 industries, and include 11 first-time honorees and 6 organizations that have been named to the honoree list 19 times, marking every year since its inception. The six organizations that have been recognized by Ethisphere as honorees for 19 consecutive years, since the inception of the World's Most Ethical Companies® list in 2007, are: Aflac (AFL), Ecolab (ECL), International Paper (IP), Kao Corporation (KAOOY), Milliken & Company (private), and PepsiCo (PEP).” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- Alternative Energy Stocks (1) This next article takes us to our ethical and sustainable investors' favorite sector. It's titled 4 Alternative Energy Stocks to Buy Amid Growing Investment Trends. It's by Aparajita Dutta and seen on finance.yahoo.com, though originally published on zacks.com. Here are some quotes from her article on her picks. “1. OPAL Fuels Inc. (OPAL) Based in Boston, MA, the company is a vertically integrated renewable fuels platform involved in the production and distribution of renewable natural gas for the heavy-duty truck market… The company currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). 2. Expand Energy Corporation (EXE) Based in Oklahoma City, OK, the company is an independent natural gas producer, principally in the United States… Expand Energy Corporation currently holds a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).  3. Bloom Energy Corporation (BE) Based in San Jose, CA, the company generates and distributes renewable energy… The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #2.  4. Constellation Energy Corporation (CEG) Based in Baltimore, MD, the company provides electric power, natural gas and energy management services to 2 million customers across the continental United States… The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #2.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- Alternative Energy Stocks (2) Now another article on our top sector. It's titled Top 4 Wind Energy Stocks to Consider. It's by Avisekh Bhattacharjee and seen on finance.yahoo.com though again first published on zacks.com. Here are some quotes from the article by Mr. Bhattacharjee. “1. OGE Energy (OGE) is the largest electric utility in Oklahoma. The company has been investing steadily to expand its renewable generation assets. As of Dec. 31, 2024, the company owned the 120 megawatts (MW) Centennial, 101 MW OU Spirit and 228 MW Crossroads wind farms. This Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company offers the Renewable Energy Credit purchase program, the Green Power Wind Rider and the Utility Solar Program, which are rate options that make renewable energy resources available as a voluntary option to all OG&E (wholly-owned subsidiary of OGE Energy) Oklahoma retail customers. 2. NextEra Energy (NEE) is a public utility holding company engaged in the generation, transmission, distribution and sale of electric energy. The company's competitive energy business NextEra Energy Resources LLC (“NEER”) is the world's leading generator of renewable energy from wind, based on 2024 MWh produced on a net generation basis… This Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company's major capital projects continue to proceed as per plan and the addition of new renewable projects continues to boost its renewable portfolio. 3. American Electric Power Company (AEP) has been investing steadily to enhance its renewable generation portfolio. Exiting 2024, wind, hydro and solar energy represented 21% of American Electric's generating capacity compared with 4% in 2005… As of Sept. 30, 2024, this Zacks Rank #3 company received regulatory approvals from various state regulatory commissions to acquire approximately 2,505 MWs of owned renewable generation facilities for roughly $6 billion. 4. DTE Energy (DTE) The company aims to invest more than $11 billion in clean energy transition over the next 10 years. Through this solid investment, DTE Energy aims to add 1,000 megawatts (MW) of new wind and solar energy annually, powering approximately 5.5 million homes with renewable energy by 2042… This Zacks Rank #3 company plans to reduce carbon emissions of its electric utility operations by 65% in 2028, 85% in 2032 and 90% within 2040 from the 2005 levels.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- Alternative Energy Stocks (3) Again on the subject of alternative energy is this article titled 11 Best Alternative Energy Stocks to Buy Now. It's by Fahim Tahir and can be found on fool.com. Here's some of what Mr. Tahir says about each of his picks. “We first picked companies operating in the alternative energy sector with market capitalization surpassing the $5 billion mark… The shortlisted stocks were then ranked using Insider Monkey's Hedge Fund Database as of Q4 2024, as per the number of hedge funds invested in them. The companies with the highest hedge fund interest were ranked in ascending order… our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. 11. Centrais Elétricas Brasileiras S.A. – Eletrobrás (NYSE:EBR) Number of Hedge Funds Holders: 28 [The company] is a top company in Brazil's power industry. [It] produces electricity using hydro, thermal, nuclear, wind, and solar energy sources. It holds operations of 44 hydroelectric plants, five thermal plants, and two nuclear plants, as well as an extensive transmission network of over 66,000 kilometers… [The company] is well-positioned to capitalize on Brazil's renewable energy expansion. 10. Ormat Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:ORA) Hedge Funds Holders: 28 Ormat Technologies, Inc. is one of the top players in the geothermal and renewable energy industry. The company operates assets globally, including the U.S., Indonesia, Kenya, Turkey and other international markets… Its strategy [is] to capitalize on the increasing clean energy demand, as well as its expertise in geothermal and energy storage. 9. Clearway Energy, Inc. (NYSE:CWEN) Hedge Funds Holders: 28 Clearway Energy, Inc. is a leader in clean energy with a diversified portfolio including wind, solar, and battery storage assets across the U.S. Its renewable energy capacity of around 9 GW plays an important role in its transition toward sustainable energy solutions… While investors must be wary of potential market variability, the company's strong fundamentals and dedication to clean energy expansion make it one of the Best Clean Energy Stocks. 8. Enphase Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENPH) Hedge Funds Holders: 39 Enphase Energy, Inc. is one of the top global companies in microinverter-based solar and battery solutions, catering to residential and commercial demand globally. The company designs and manufactures advanced home energy systems, including IQ Microinverters, IQ Batteries, and energy management software, optimizing solar power usage and storage for homeowners. With its strong fundamentals and strategic partnerships, Enphase Energy, Inc. has the prospects of further growing its share price. 7. Nextracker Inc. (NASDAQ:NXT) Hedge Funds Holders: 41 Nextracker Inc. is one of the top providers of solar tracker and software solutions. The company focuses on energy production optimization for utility-scale solar projects globally. Its flagship products include NX Horizon and NX Horizon-XTR, enhancing solar efficiency through the adjustment of panel positioning based on site conditions… Its stock rose by 21.49% year-to-date, indicating investor confidence in its potential for growth. 6. NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NRG) Hedge Funds Holders: 53 NRG Energy, Inc. is a dominant energy supplier in the U.S. and Canada, offering home services, power generation, and retail electricity. With a portfolio covering solar, natural gas, and battery storage solutions, the company runs across multiple segments, including East, West, Texas, and Vivint Smart Home. Furthermore, NRG Energy reinforced its dedication to shareholder value by increasing its quarterly dividend by 8% to $0.44 per share… NRG continues to remain strongly positioned to implement its prolonged growth strategy. 5. First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) Hedge Funds Holders: 65 First Solar, Inc. is a top solar technology company, specializes in photovoltaic (PV) solar energy solutions. The company provides a lower-carbon alternative to conventional silicon-based modules as it manufactures thin-film cadmium telluride (CadTel) solar modules. First Solar caters to utilities, independent power producers, and commercial system owners, with operations spanning various international markets, including France, Chile, India, and the United States… First Solar, Inc. remains a key player in the renewable energy transition due to its innovative solar technology, firm market positions, and growing manufacturing footprint. 4. Talen Energy Corporation (NASDAQ:TLN) Hedge Funds Holders: 77 Talen Energy Corporation a stand-alone power producer and infrastructure company, sells and generates electricity across the United States. Talen Energy has a broad portfolio consisting of solar, fossil, nuclear, and coal power plants and is expanding its battery storage initiatives to solidify its clean energy transition… [The company] maintains its position as one of the best clean energy stocks and remains a prominent player in the evolving energy landscape with reaffirmed 2025 EBITDA guidance of up to $1.175 billion. 3. Constellation Energy Corporation (NASDAQ:CEG) Hedge Funds Holders: 85 Constellation Energy Corporation a prominent producer of emissions-free energy, provides nuclear, hydro, wind, natural gas, and solar power across the U.S. The company is at the front line of the clean energy transition with a generating capacity of 31,676 megawatts. Its position among the best clean energy stocks is strengthened by its robust financial growth and strategic investments… The company continues to lead the clean energy sector with major investments in solar, wind, hydroelectric power, and nuclear, and a strategic expansion plan. 2. GE Vernova Inc. (NYSE:GEV) Hedge Funds Holders: 111 GE Vernova Inc. an international energy company, offers a variety of products and services for electricity generation, transmission, and storage. The company functions through three segments: Power, Wind, and Electrification. Wind segments focus on onshore and offshore wind turbines, whereas the Power segment centers around gas, hydro, nuclear, and steam technologies. The Electrification segment, on the other hand, facilitates grid solutions, solar, storage, and electrification software… GE Vernova remains one of the best clean energy stocks for prolonged growth with its robust financial performance and continued investments in clean energy. 1. Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) Hedge Funds Holders: 120 Vistra Corp. a prominent integrated retail electricity and power generation company, continues to diversify its clean energy portfolio while retaining robust financial performance. Vistra Corp. is strategically positioned to meet the increasing demand for sustainable power solutions in the U.S. with a diverse generation capacity of nearly 41,000 megawatts.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- Additional article links 1. Title: Watch Faith-Based Investing on bloomberg.com. 2. Title: Investing in Nature: How Natural Capital Delivers Strong, Stable Returns on dividend.com. By Aaron Levitt. 3. Title: 7 Green Investments to Transform Your Retirement Funds on moneytalksnews.com. By MTN Staff. 4. Title: Explore These 30 Leading Water Funds and Water Stocks in the US and Europe on morningstar.com. By Boya Wang and Hortense Bioy. ------------------------------------------------------------- Ending Comment These are my top news stories with their stock and fund tips for this podcast, “World's Most Ethical Companies. And...” Please click the like and subscribe buttons wherever you download or listen to this podcast. That helps bring these podcasts to others like you. And please click the share buttons to share this podcast with your friends and family. Let's promote ethical and sustainable investing as a force for hope and prosperity in these troubled times! Contact me if you have any questions. Thank you for listening. I'll talk to you next on April 4th. Bye for now.   © 2025 Ron Robins, Investing for the Soul

Welcome to the award-winning FCPA Compliance Report, the longest running podcast in compliance. In this episode, Tom welcomes Erica Salmon Byrne, Chief Strategy Officer at Ethisphere, on an exciting launch day for the 2025 World's Most Ethical Companies honoree list.  The World's Most Ethical companies list features 136 companies from 44 industries across 19 countries, the episode delves into the significance, process, and celebration behind this prestigious designation. Byrne discusses the impressive Ethics Premium, revealing that publicly traded honorees have outperformed a comparable index by 7.8%, underscoring the profitability of ethical business practices. Listeners will gain insights into the rigorous application process, the importance of cross-functional relationships, and the global nature of the honoree list. Byrne also previews the upcoming Global Ethics Summit and emphasizes the critical role of talent acquisition and retention in corporate success. Key Highlights  ·       What is Launch Day? ·       Ethics Premium Highlights ·       Overview of Honoree Companies ·       Global Ethics Summit Preview ·       Deep Dive into the Ethics Premium Resources Erica Salmon Bryne on LinkedIn Ethisphere World' Most Ethical Awards for 2025 Tom Fox Instagram Facebook YouTube Twitter LinkedIn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this eye-opening episode, we're joined by Erica Salmon Byrne, a leading expert in business ethics and compliance. Erica shares her fascinating journey from litigation attorney to becoming a key figure in shaping ethical business practices worldwide at Ethisphere. We dive deep into the upcoming announcement of the 2025 World's Most Ethical Companies, exploring what sets these organizations apart and why ethical behavior is not just good for society, but also for the bottom line. Whether you're a small business owner or part of a large corporation, this episode offers practical advice on how to integrate ethics into your daily operations and long-term strategy. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from one of the foremost experts in the field and discover how your organization can join the ranks of the world's most ethical companies. Erica is Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Chair of Ethisphere. Previously serving as CEO, she's now responsible for ensuring continuous and strong growth for the company while maintaining the key principle that good businesses do better. She's also the Chair of their Business Ethics Leadership Alliance, which serves ethics and compliance practitioners around the globe. You'll discover: The link between ethical practices and financial performance Why effective leadership skills are crucial in maintaining a strong, compliant company cultureThe importance of defining and communicating your organization's “why” to all stakeholdersThe criteria Ethisphere uses to select winners for the World's Most Ethical Companies awardHow to integrate ethics into your daily operations and long-term strategyCheck out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedInFollow Meredith on TwitterDownload the free ebook Listen Like a Pro

Hello and welcome to The Relatable Voice podcast! Today, we're heading to Northampton to chat with Jonathan Lash. Jonathan is a former federal prosecutor who was named one of the “100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics” by Ethisphere magazine in 2007. Now, he's using his colorful experiences to pen thrillers. His latest book, What Death Revealed, is out now. Find out more at: Jonathanlash.com  

Hello and welcome to The Relatable Voice podcast! Today, we're heading to Northampton to chat with Jonathan Lash. Jonathan is a former federal prosecutor who was named one of the “100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics” by Ethisphere magazine in 2007. Now, he's using his colorful experiences to pen thrillers. His latest book, What Death Revealed, is out now. Find out more at: Jonathanlash.com  

Top Eco-Friendly Stocks are from the Corporate Knights rankings. Plus, Reddit's best ethical companies and an article listing Shariah-compliant stocks. By Ron Robins, MBA Podcast: Top Eco-Friendly Stocks Transcript & Links, Episode 137, September 6, 2024 Hello, Ron Robins here. Welcome to this podcast episode 137 published September 6, 2024, titled “Top Eco-Friendly Stocks.” It's presented by Investing for the Soul. Investingforthesoul.com is your site for vital global ethical and sustainable investing mentoring, news, commentary, information, and resources. Now, remember that you can find a full transcript and links to content – including stock symbols and bonus material – on this episode's podcast page at investingforthesoul.com/podcasts. Also, a reminder. I do not evaluate any of the stocks or funds mentioned in these podcasts, and I don't receive any compensation from anyone covered in these podcasts. Furthermore, I will reveal any personal investments I have in the investments mentioned herein. Additionally, quotes about individual companies are brief. Please go to this podcast's webpage for links to the articles for more company and stock information. ------------------------------------------------------------- 7 Best Ethical Companies To Invest In According to Reddit The first article I'm reviewing is titled 7 Best Ethical Companies To Invest In According to Reddit. It's by Affan Mir and found on insidermonkey.com. Here are some quotes. “Our Methodology The companies are listed in ascending order of the number of hedge fund holders as of the second quarter of 2024. The hedge fund data was taken from our database of over 900 elite hedge funds… Our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. 7. HA Sustainable Infrastructure Capital, Inc. (NYSE:HASI) Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 16 The company invests in behind-the-meter (BTM) building or facility-specific distributed energy projects, which are tailored to reduce energy consumption or costs for specific buildings or facilities. 6. Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) Hedge Fund Holders: 42 Ecolab Inc. … initially, the company focused on innovative cleaning products but has since become a major player in the water, hygiene, and energy sectors. The company serves various industries, including food processing, healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing, by offering technology and services that ensure water quality and safety… In 2024, it was recognized as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere for the 18th consecutive year. 5. Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) Hedge Fund Holders: 49 Waste Management, Inc. … Over the years, the company has evolved into a comprehensive waste management company with a vast operational footprint. 4. First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) Hedge Fund Holders: 66 First Solar is an American company in the solar energy industry that specializes in manufacturing solar panels and developing utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) power plants. 3. Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) Hedge Fund Holders: 71 Costco Wholesale Corporation is a warehouse club that operates on a membership basis, offering a wide range of products. 2. NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NEE) Hedge Fund Holders: 73 NextEra Energy, Inc. … company operates a diverse portfolio through its subsidiaries, which include Florida Power & Light (FPL), NextEra Energy Resources (NEER), and NextEra Energy Partners. 1. NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) Hedge Fund Holders: 179 NVIDIA Corporation is a California-based prominent tech company… recognized for its groundbreaking advancements in graphics processing units (GPUs) and AI.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- Top 25 Eco-Friendly Companies in 2024 Now this next article should interest most of you. It's titled Top 25 Eco-Friendly Companies in 2024. It's by Meerub Anjum and found on finance.yahoo.com. Due to my time restrictions, the 25 companies are covered briefly. Go to the link on this episode's podcast page for the full article. Here are my brief quotes. “Methodology To compile our list of the top 25 eco-friendly companies in 2024, we utilized the sustainable investment ratio data for the global 100 companies from Corporate Knights. We then used the purchasing power parity revenue of companies as of 2023 to calculate the absolute sustainable revenue of companies. Finally, we ranked the top 25 eco-friendly companies in 2024 in ascending order of their absolute sustainable revenue. At Insider Monkey we are obsessed with the stocks that hedge funds pile into… Our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter's strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here). 25. Henkel AG & Co. (OTC:HENOF) In 2023, over 20% of its revenue was from sustainable products or services. 24. Risen Energy Co. Ltd. (SHE:300118) In 2023, Risen Energy Co Ltd generated 100% of its revenue from sustainable products and services. 23. Yadea Group Holdings Ltd. (OTC:YADGF) is an investment holding company engaged in the manufacturing and sale of two-wheeled electric vehicles and related accessories in China. 22. Kering SA (OTC:PPRUF) in 2024… it generated 26.5% of its revenue from sustainable products in 2023. 21. Nordex SE (OTC:NRXXY) The company is involved in the manufacturing and distribution of onshore wind turbines. 20. Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (NYSE:HPE) is one of the most sustainable companies, boasting a sustainable revenue of 33.1%. 19. Li Auto Inc. (NASDAQ:LI) In 2023, Li Auto Inc generated 100% of its revenue from sustainable products. 18. Ricoh Company, Ltd. (OTC:RICOY) Ricoh Company, Ltd.'s sustainable revenue was 50.8% of its total revenue in 2023. 17. NIO Inc. (NYSE:NIO) is involved in the manufacturing and sale of smart electric vehicles in China. 16. Ørsted A/S (OTC:DNNGY) 65% of its revenue was from sustainable products and services in 2023. 15. SAP SE (NYSE:SAP) SAP SE generated nearly 30% of its revenue from sustainable products and services. 14. Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) In 2023, 46.8% of its revenue was generated from sustainable services and products. 13. Banco do Brasil S.A. (OTC:BDORY) generated 28.6% of its revenue from sustainable products and services in 2023. 12. Neste Oyj (OTC:NTOIY) Its renewable products include renewable diesel, sustainable aviation fuel, renewable solvents, and feedstock for bioplastics. 11. Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY) In 2023, 27.2% of its revenue was from eco-friendly products and services. 10. Alstom SA is involved in the manufacturing of monorails, light rails, metros, commuter trains, regional trains, high-speed trains, and locomotives. 9. Samsung SDI Co. Ltd. (KRX:006400) provides lithium-ion batteries used in smartphones, tablets, laptops, and other devices including electric bikes and scooters. 8. Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) aims to achieve net zero emissions by 2040 and also incorporate circularity in 100% of its new products and packaging by 2025. 7. Vestas Wind Systems (OTC:VWDRY) 100% of its revenue is generated from eco-friendly products. 6. Bank of China Limited (OTC:BACHF) Nearly 17% of its revenue, which amounts to $25.9 billion, was from sustainable sources in 2023. 5. XPeng Inc. (NYSE:XPEV) 100% of its revenue is generated from sustainable products and services. 4. Schneider Electric S.E. (OTC:SBGSY) is involved in the production of inverters, solar panels, solar equipment, wind farm microgrids, power metering systems, and smart monitoring solutions, among others. 3. HP Inc. (NYSE:HPQ) reduced its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 62% in 2023. 2. Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) In 2023, 100% of its revenue was generated from sustainable products and services. 1. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) In 2023, it generated nearly 70% of its revenue from sustainable products and services.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- Top 10 Shariah Compliant Stocks by Market Cap Many ethical investors might not know that Shariah investing has similarities to ethical investing. This article briefly explains Shariah-based investing and the ethical stocks favored by the article's authors. It's titled Top 10 Shariah Compliant Stocks by Market Cap. Author(s) not mentioned, but found on amalinvest.com. Here are some quotes. “Islamic finance has grown significantly in recent years, with more investors seeking stocks that align with Shariah principles. Let's explore the top 10 Shariah compliant stocks by market capitalization, examining what makes them attractive to ethical investors and how they stack up in the global market… Shariah law prohibits investment in companies involved in certain activities, such as alcohol, gambling, pork products, and conventional financial services. Additionally, there are financial ratios that companies must meet to be considered compliant. Compliance vs. Halal It's crucial to note that ‘Shariah compliant' doesn't necessarily mean ‘halal.' Compliant companies may still have some activities that aren't permissible under Shariah law, but they don't exceed certain thresholds that would make them impermissible for investment. Now, let's examine our top 10 list: 1. Apple Inc. (AAPL) Compliance: Halal The tech giant Apple leads our list with an impressive market cap of $3.45 trillion. 2. NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) Compliance: Halal NVIDIA, a leader in GPU technology and AI computing, comes in second with a market cap of $3.11 trillion. Its focus on cutting-edge technology and strong financial position contribute to its Shariah compliant status. 3. Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) Compliance: Doubtful Google's parent company, Alphabet, holds the third spot. Despite its massive market cap, its compliance status is marked as doubtful. This could be due to its diverse range of services, which may include activities not fully aligned with Shariah principles. Bottom of Form 4. Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) Compliance: Doubtful E-commerce giant Amazon is fourth on our list, but also carries a doubtful compliance status. This might be related to its involvement in streaming services that could include content not aligned with Shariah principles, or its financial services offerings. 5. Meta Platforms Inc. (META) Compliance: Doubtful Facebook's parent company, Meta, rounds out our top five. Its doubtful status could be due to concerns about content moderation and potential involvement in activities not fully aligned with Shariah law. 6. Eli Lilly and Co (LLY) Compliance: Halal Eli Lilly, a pharmaceutical company, is the first non-tech firm on our list. Its focus on healthcare and strong financial position contribute to its Shariah compliant status. 7. Broadcom Inc. (AVGO) Compliance: Halal Broadcom, a designer, developer, and global supplier of semiconductor devices, maintains a Shariah compliant status due to its focus on technology and solid financials. 8. Tesla Inc. (TSLA) Compliance: Halal Electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla is Shariah compliant, likely due to its focus on sustainable transportation and energy solutions, as well as its financial structure. 9. Walmart Inc. (WMT) Compliance: Doubtful Retail giant Walmart makes the list but with a doubtful compliance status. This could be due to the sale of products not permissible under Shariah law, such as alcohol or pork products. 10. Visa Inc. (V) Compliance: Halal Rounding out our top 10 is Visa, a financial services company. Its Shariah compliant status might surprise some, but it's likely due to its business model focusing on payment processing rather than traditional banking activities.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- 3 Green ETFs With Promising Upside And Long-Term Potential Now an article from Canada. It's titled 3 Green ETFs With Promising Upside And Long-Term Potential. It's by Pierre Raymond and seen on theglobeandmail.com. Here's some of what Mr. Raymond says about his picks. “1. iShare Climate Conscious & Transition MSCI USA (USCLi) One of the key objectives of the fund is to track the performance and investment results of large and mid-cap U.S. companies that are actively contributing to the low-carbon economy transition. Overall, the fund has delivered a one-year return of 23.10%, slightly below the benchmark of 23.16%. 2. Carbon Transition U.S. Equity ETF (JCTR) provides investors exposure to the broader U.S. market by positioning the fund to benefit from companies that invest in the low-carbon economy transition… The fund delivered one-year quarterly returns of 24.40%, similar to that of the JPMAM Carbon Transition U.S. Equity Index. 3. Xtrackers Net Zero Pathway Paris Aligned US Equity ETF (USNZ) which seeks to track the performance of the Solactive ISS ESG U.S. Net Zero Pathway Enhanced Index… The current one-year return is 24.44% versus 24.54% of the underlying index, and 24.56% of the S&P.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- One other great article that time didn't allow me to review here. 3 Franklin Templeton Mutual Funds for Sustainable Returns. It's by Zacks Equity Research and was found on finance.yahoo.com.  ------------------------------------------------------------- Ending Comment These are my top news stories with their stock and fund tips for this podcast “Top Eco-Friendly Stocks.” Please click the like and subscribe buttons wherever you download or listen to this podcast. That helps bring these podcasts to others like you. And please click the share buttons to share this podcast with your friends and family. Let's promote ethical and sustainable investing as a force for hope and prosperity in these troubled times! Contact me if you have any questions. Thank you for listening. Now my next podcast will be September 20th. I'll talk to you then! Bye for now.   © 2024 Ron Robins, Investing for the Soul  

Welcome to the award-winning FCPA Compliance Report, the longest running podcast in compliance. In this edition of the FCPA Compliance Report, Tom Fox welcomes back Erica Salmon Byrne to discuss the recently released Ethisphere 2024 Ethical Culture Report: Closing the Speak Up Gap. They explore the genesis and findings of the report, focusing on the eight pillars of ethical culture and significant insights derived from data collected since 2020. Key topics include the importance of equipping managers to handle employee concerns, generational and tenure-based discrepancies in reporting misconduct, and the persistent issues of retaliation and employee dissatisfaction with the current reporting mechanisms. Additionally, Erica shares practical strategies for compliance teams to address these challenges and enhance their ethical culture. Highlights in this Episode Genesis of the 2024 Ethical Culture Report The Eight Pillars of Ethical Culture Key Insights: Closing the Speak Up Gap The Role of Managers in Compliance The Tenure Smile: Willingness to Speak Up Strategies for Improving Reporting Ethisphere's Future Plans and Masterclass   Resources: Erica Salmon Bryne on LinkedIn 2024 Ethical Culture Report: Closing the Speak Up Gap Tom Fox Instagram Facebook YouTube Twitter LinkedIn For more information on the Ethico ROI Calculator and a free White Paper on the ROI of Compliance, click here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Great Women in Compliance, Hemma visits with Erica Salmon Byrne, Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Chair of Ethisphere. Having long admired Ethisphere for its commitment to advancing business integrity in a meaningful way, Hemma invites Erica to share how her organization backs that up with research, data from industry benchmarking and culture assessments, and the creation of a strong compliance community. Erica shares her ethics and compliance origin story and critical insights on building a legacy of ethical value and business integrity. Highlights include the compliance value creation story and how not to be merely a cost center, how to stay outcome-driven rather than activity-based, what we can learn from decades of data on measuring culture, the crucial role of managers in ethics and compliance, the meaning of an employee-centered approach and treating employees as tangible assets, and the power of community in compliance. Erica is the Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Chair for Ethisphere, the global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices that fuel corporate character, marketplace trust, and business success. In this role, Ms. Salmon Byrne oversees product strategy and M&A initiatives for the company while advancing Ethisphere's founding ethos—that businesses that focus on the long term, commit to doing business with integrity, and invest in their stakeholder communities will outperform their peers. Erica is also the Chair of the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance (BELA), where she works with the BELA community to advance dialogue, collaboration, and best practices around ethics and governance. Over her tenure at Ethisphere, Erica has held several roles, including overseeing Ethisphere's products and solutions, including data-driven program assessments; The Sphere, which offers benchmarking against peers and best practices, along with expertise and related regulatory guidance; ethical culture assessments; and the World's Most Ethical Companies. To learn more about Ethisphere's work, visit www.ethisphere.com A prolific public speaker, Erica is known throughout the ethics and compliance industry as a leader, educator, and advocate for ESG, values-based leadership, and business integrity. In 2022, she was recognized as a Modern Governance 100 Leader by governance firm Diligent. Erica has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Fast Company, Forbes, SXSW, and various ethics and compliance publications and podcasts. You can join the LinkedIn podcast community. Join the Great Women in Compliance podcast community here. Resource: 2024 Ethical Culture Report: Closing the Speak Up Gap

Host Gregg N. Sofer welcomes Husch Blackwell attorney Rebecca Furdek back to the show to discuss recent government inquiries and enforcement actions concerning products and services related to artificial intelligence (AI). Gregg and Rebecca explore a few recent high-profile government investigations into so-called AI-washing and discuss the implications for businesses that are integrating AI into their workflows and product/service offerings. The discussion also covers how, in lieu of comprehensive federal legislation, agencies are using their existing powers to regulate AI. Finally, Gregg and Rebecca talk about some of the practical steps compliance departments can take to manage risks while seizing opportunities presented by AI.Gregg N. Sofer BiographyFull BiographyGregg counsels businesses and individuals in connection with a range of criminal, civil and regulatory matters, including government investigations, internal investigations, litigation, export control, sanctions, and regulatory compliance. Prior to entering private practice, Gregg served as the United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas—one of the largest and busiest United States Attorney's Offices in the country—where he supervised more than 300 employees handling a diverse caseload, including matters involving complex white-collar crime, government contract fraud, national security, cyber-crimes, public corruption, money laundering, export violations, trade secrets, tax, large-scale drug and human trafficking, immigration, child exploitation and violent crime.Rebecca Furdek BiographyFull BiographyA senior associate in Husch Blackwell's Milwaukee office, Rebecca is a member of the firm's White Collar, Internal Investigations & Compliance team and regularly helps clients navigate today's regulatory and government enforcement landscape. Before joining Husch, Rebecca served as Counsel to the Solicitor at the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), where she gained firsthand insight into federal agency rulemaking and administrative enforcement. Prior to her government service, Rebecca worked as an associate in the Washington, D.C. office of a global law firm, focusing on litigation and government enforcement, and began her legal career as a judicial law clerk at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. During law school, she served as a law clerk with the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.Additional ResourcesRichard Vanderford, “SEC Head Warns Against ‘AI Washing,' the High-Tech Version of ‘Greenwashing'” Wall Street Journal, December 5, 2023Michael Martinich-Sauter and Rebecca Furdek, “When the AI Does It, Does That Mean It Is Not Illegal?” Ethisphere, Winter 2024Securities and Exchange Commission, “SEC Charges Two Investment Advisers with Making False and Misleading Statements About Their Use of Artificial Intelligence,” March 18, 2024Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC Charges Founder of AI Hiring Startup Joonko with Fraud, June 11, 2024U.S. Department of Justice, “Founder And Former CEO Of Artificial Intelligence Company Charged With Securities Fraud,” June 11, 2024 © 2024 Husch Blackwell LLP. All rights reserved. This information is intended only to provide general information in summary form on legal and business topics of the day. The contents hereof do not constitute legal advice and should not be relied on as such. Specific legal advice should be sought in particular matters.

Transcript & Links, Episode 125, March 8, 2024 Hello, Ron Robins here. So, welcome to this podcast episode 125 titled “Top Ethical Companies and ESG Dividend Stocks.” It's presented by Investing for the Soul. Investingforthesoul.com is your site for vital global ethical and sustainable investing mentoring, news, commentary, information, and resources. Now, remember that you can find a full transcript, and links to content – including stock symbols and bonus material – on this episode's podcast page located at investingforthesoul.com/podcasts. Also, a reminder. I do not evaluate any of the stocks or funds mentioned in these podcasts, nor do I receive any compensation from anyone covered in these podcasts. Furthermore, I will reveal to you any personal investments I have in the investments mentioned herein. Additionally, quotes about individual companies are brief. Please go to this podcast's webpage for links to the actual articles for more company and stock information. Also, some companies might be covered more than once and there are also 5 article links below that time didn't allow me to review them here. ------------------------------------------------------------- 1. World's Most Ethical Companies in 2024 The first article for this episode is another great company ranking I've been following for many years. A press release titled World's Most Ethical Companies in 2024 best describes this ranking. It was found on finance.yahoo.com. Here are some quotes from it. “Ethisphere, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices, today announced the 136 companies that have earned the coveted designation of the World's Most Ethical Companies in 2024. This year's honorees span 20 countries and 44 industries. 2024 marks the 18th annual World's Most Ethical Companies recognition. As in previous years, honorees have demonstrated a commitment to ethical business practices through robust programs that positively impact employees, communities, and broader stakeholders, as well as contributing to sustainable, long-term business growth. The full list of the 2024 World's Most Ethical Companies can be found on Ethisphere's website. There are also six companies—Aflac (AFL), Ecolab (ECL), International Paper (IP), Kao Corporation (KAO0.MU), Milliken & Company (Private), and PepsiCo (PEP)—that have been recognized 18 times, every year since the inception of the World's Most Ethical Companies® in 2007… The Ethics Premium: Integrity Outperforms Ethisphere's Five Year Ethics Premium for 2024 is 12.3% This represents the margin by which publicly traded companies recognized in this year's World's Most Ethical Companies outperformed a comparable index of global companies over a five-year period from January 2019 to January 2024… Methodology The World's Most Ethical Companies assessment is grounded in Ethisphere's proprietary Ethics Quotient®, an extensive questionnaire that requires companies to provide over 240 different proof points on their culture of ethics; environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices; ethics and compliance program; diversity, equity, & inclusion efforts; and initiatives that support a strong value chain. That data undergoes further qualitative analysis by our panel of experts who spend thousands of hours vetting and evaluating each year's group of applicants. This process serves as an operating framework to capture and codify truly best-in-class practices from organizations across industries and from around the world…” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- 2. 13 Best Environmental Dividend Stocks To Invest In According To Analysts The next two articles are by Vardah Gill who does a terrific job of identifying the top ESG dividend-paying stocks from two perspectives. This first article focuses on dividends from stocks that also have at least a 15% stock price gain potential according to analysts. It's titled 13 Best Environmental Dividend Stocks To Invest In According To Analysts and found on finance.yahoo.com. Here are some quotes from this first article by Ms. Gill, starting with how she conducted her research. “We scanned the holdings of Vanguard ESG U.S. Stock ETF (ESGV), which is a market capitalization-weighted index composed of large-, mid-, and small-cap stocks of companies located in the United States that are screened for certain environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) criteria by the index provider, which is independent of Vanguard. From the index, we picked 13 stocks that pay dividends and have a projected upside potential of over 15% based on analyst price targets. The stocks are ranked according to their upside potential, as of February 23. Note: the quoted upside potentials and dividend yields are as of February 23. 13. S&P Global Inc. (NYSE:SPGI) Upside Potential: 15.2% S&P Global Inc. is a leading provider of financial market intelligence, including credit ratings, indices, data, and analytics… (It) currently offers a quarterly dividend of $0.91 per share…  The stock's dividend yield: 0.83%. 12. Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) Upside Potential: 15.4% An American biotech and pharmaceutical company… The company offers a quarterly dividend of $0.42 per share and has a dividend yield of 6.05%. 11. Mid-America Apartment Communities, Inc. (NYSE:MAA) Upside Potential: 15.9% Mid-America Apartment Communities is a real estate investment trust company that focuses on the acquisition, development, redevelopment, and management of multifamily apartment communities… The stock has a dividend yield of 4.65%. 10. Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) Upside Potential: 16.4% Morgan Stanley is a global financial services firm that provides a wide range of related services to its consumers… Morgan Stanley…  currently offers a quarterly dividend of $0.85 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.93%. 9. Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Upside Potential: 16.5% Becton, Dickinson and Company is a global medical technology company that specializes in the development, manufacturing, and sale of medical devices, instrument systems, and reagents… The stock's dividend yield… came in at 1.54%. 8. Realty Income Corporation (NYSE:O) Upside Potential: 16.69% It currently pays a monthly dividend of $0.2565 per share and has a dividend yield of 5.81%. 7. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) Upside Potential: 16.8% Microsoft Corporation… pays a quarterly dividend of $0.75 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.73%. 6. Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (NYSE:ADM) Upside Potential: 17.04% The global food processing and commodities trading company… currently pays a quarterly dividend of $0.50 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.74%. 5. NIKE, Inc. (NYSE:NKE) Upside Potential: 17.60% NIKE is a multinational corporation that designs, develops, markets, and sells athletic footwear, apparel, equipment, accessories, and services worldwide… currently pays a quarterly dividend of $0.37 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.40%. 4. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) Upside Potential: 18.16% Air Products and Chemicals is an American gases company that specializes in producing and distributing atmospheric gases, process gases, and specialty gases… the stock has a dividend yield of 3.04%. 3. Albemarle Corporation (NYSE:ALB) Upside Potential: 22.08% Albemarle Corporation is a global specialty chemicals company that develops, manufactures, and markets a wide range of chemicals and chemical-based products… The stock's dividend yield: 1.33%. 2. AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) Upside Potential: 22.3% AT&T is an American multinational telecommunications conglomerate… It currently pays a quarterly dividend of $0.2775 per share and has a dividend yield of 6.61%. 1. American Tower Corporation (NYSE:AMT) Upside Potential: 26.6% An American real estate investment trust company, American Tower Corporation tops our list of the best environmental dividend stocks… The company… currently pays a quarterly dividend of $1.70 per share… the stock offers a dividend yield of 3.58%.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- 3. 12 Best ESG Dividend Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds This second article by Ms. Gill is titled 12 Best ESG Dividend Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds. The companies – though also derived from the Vanguard U.S. Stock ETF – are ranked by hedge fund ownership. The only duplicate company in the two lists is Microsoft. So, here's Ms. Gill's description of her methodology and edited brief quotes about the selected companies. “We scanned the holdings of Vanguard ESG U.S. Stock ETF (ESGV) which is a market capitalization-weighted index composed of large-, mid-, and small-cap stocks of companies located in the US that are screened for certain environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) criteria by the index provider, which is independent of Vanguard. From the index, we picked 12 stocks that pay dividends and have garnered the most attention from hedge fund investors by the conclusion of Q4 2023, using data from Insider Monkey's database. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of the number of hedge funds having stakes in them. Hedge funds' top 10 consensus stock picks outperformed the S&P 500 Index by more than 140 percentage points over the last 10 years (see the details here). Note: quoted dividend yields are as of February 28. 12. The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 71 The Procter & Gamble Company is an Ohio-based multinational consumer goods company… (It) currently offers a quarterly dividend of $0.9407 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.36%. 11. AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV) Hedge Fund Holders: 76 The global biopharmaceutical company's… dividend yield: 3.46%. 10. Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) Hedge Fund Holders: 91 Broadcom is a multinational technology company that designs, develops, and supplies a broad range of semiconductor and infrastructure software solutions. The company pays a quarterly dividend of $5.25 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.62%. 9. Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Hedge Fund Holders: 98 Merck & Co. is an American multinational pharmaceutical company… The company currently offers a quarterly dividend of $0.77 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.39%. 8. Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) Hedge Fund Holders: 102 An American pharmaceutical company, Eli Lilly… offers a quarterly dividend of $1.30 per share… The stock's dividend yield came in at 0.68%. 7. JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) Hedge Fund Holders: 103 JPMorgan Chase & Co. provides a wide range of banking services to individuals, businesses, and institutions… it pays a quarterly dividend of $1.05 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.29%. 6. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) Hedge Fund Holders: 113 UnitedHealth Group Incorporated… offers a per-share dividend of $1.88 every quarter… the stock has a dividend yield of 1.52%. 5. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) Hedge Fund Holders: 131 Apple declared a quarterly dividend of $0.24 per share on February 1… The stock's dividend yield: 0.53%. 4. Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) Hedge Fund Holders: 141 The global financial tech company… offers a quarterly dividend of $0.66 per share… with a dividend yield of 0.56%. 3. Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) Hedge Fund Holders: 162 It offers a quarterly dividend of $0.52 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.74%. 2. NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) Hedge Fund Holders: 173 On February 22, the company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.04 per share… The stock has a dividend yield of 0.02%. 1. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) Hedge Fund Holders: 302 Microsoft Corporation tops our list of the best ESG dividend stocks… The company… pays a quarterly dividend of $0.75 per share. The stock's dividend yield: 0.74%.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- 4. 4 Clean Energy Stocks That Have Defied the Odds Now, since clean energy stocks have had such a hard time recently, I thought that this article would interest many of you. It's titled 4 Clean Energy Stocks That Have Defied the Odds. It's by Avi Salzman and seen on barrons.com. Here's a key chart from the article. “Clean energy stocks had a miserable 2023… The WilderHill Clean Energy Index is down 47% in the past year… It's worth understanding what has set the handful of winning stocks apart. Several of them help facilitate clean energy projects, without being on the hook for financing them. Green Energy Winners Company / Ticker Recent Price Market Value (billion) YTD Price Change 2024 P/E Nextracker / NXT $57.94 $8.4 23.7% 20 MYR Group / MYRG 163.66 2.7 13.2 25 Quanta Services / PWR 234.39 34.2 8.6 28 Gentherm / THRM 55.68 1.8 6.3 21 Source: FactSet” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- Other Honorable Mentions – not in any order. 1. Title: 12 Best Wind Power and Solar Stocks To Buy on yahoo.com. By Fahad Saleem. 2. Title: 7 Renewable Energy Stocks That Could be Overlooked Gems on investorplace.com. By Chris Markoch. 3. Title: 5 Biggest Clean Energy ETFs in 2024 on nasdaq.com. By Melissa Pistilli. 4. Title: 8 Best Green Stocks and ETFs to Buy for 2024 on money.usnews.com. By Matt Whittaker. 5. Title: The Top 3 Infrastructure Stocks to Buy in March 2024  on investorplace.com. By Charles Munyi. ------------------------------------------------------------- Ending Comment Well, these are my top news stories with their stock and fund tips -- for this podcast titled: “Top Ethical Companies and ESG Dividend Stocks.” Now, please be sure to click the like and subscribe buttons on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever you download or listen to this podcast. That helps bring these podcasts to others like you. And please click the share buttons to share this podcast with your friends and family. Let's promote ethical and sustainable investing as a force for hope and prosperity in these deeply troubled times! Contact me if you have any questions. Thank you for listening. I'll talk to you next on March 22nd. Bye for now.   © 2024 Ron Robins, Investing for the Soul

Welcome to the award-winning FCPA Compliance Report, the longest-running podcast in compliance. In this special Thursday edition of the FCPA Compliance Report, Tom welcomes back Erica Salmon Byrne, Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Chair, at Ethisphere to discuss the announcement of the 2024 World's Most Ethical Designations and the new Ethics Premium. Erica Salmon Byrne is a renowned figure in the realm of ethical business practices, recognized for her significant role in the annual announcement and recognition of the world's most ethical companies. Byrne views this list as a crucial acknowledgement of companies globally that are making a positive impact, with representation across 20 countries and 44 industries. Her experiences in leading changes to the program's methodology, such as the introduction of a third-party management category and a heightened focus on governance and culture, have shaped her perspective on the continuous evolution and improvement of the evaluation process. She sees the list as a valuable tool for companies to demonstrate their commitment to ethics and compliance, and as a source of inspiration for others in the compliance community to strive for ethical excellence. Key Highlights: Global Recognition for Ethical Business Practices Enhanced Scoring System Emphasizing Governance and Culture Global Representation of Ethical Industry Leaders Ethics Quotient Evaluation for Recognized Companies Resources: Erica Salmon Byrne on LinkedIn Ethisphere World's Most Ethical Companies for 2024 Tom Fox Instagram Facebook YouTube Twitter LinkedIn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you're involved in corporate law or corporate governance, or just care about business and society, Charles needs no introduction.He is seemingly ubiquitous and has been for four decades. He is the Executive Editor of Directors & Boards. He's the retired Edgar S. Woolard Chair in Corporate Governance and the founding director of the John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance at the University of Delaware.His other academic credentials include more than a decade as a law professor at Stetson, visiting professorships at the law schools of the University of Illinois, Cordell and Maryland. He was also a Herbert Smith Freehills Fellow at Cambridge University in the UK. He has written extensively on boards of directors, served on advisory boards for both the National Association of Corporate Directors and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.He is and has been a director at myriad of companies. His hard work and thought leadership has been recognized with honors from Directorship, Treasury and Risk Management, Global Proxy Watch and Ethisphere, Charles is also public spirited, having served as a trustee for such non profit organizations as the Big Apple Circus, Tampa Museum of Art, Delaware Museum of Natural History, Museum of American Finance and the Brandywine Conservancy.

Today we're talking about the big topic of Sustainability within big business. Former Chief Sustainability & Social Impact Officer at McDonalds, Bob Langert, joins the show and shares his three decade long journey in making environmental change happen at one of the biggest organizations in the world.An environmental activist at heart, Bob shares how he was able to take a topic he cared deeply about but was low on the company priority list, and over time use his passion to make people notice and act. Sustainability started as Corporate Social Responsibility and Bob recalls how in the 1980's it was just starting to gain prominence and it took a long time for the topic to reach the mainstream status it has today in business. Companies need to be willing to change if they want to compete in a future environment 20 years from now which will look different to how it does today. Bob stresses the need for change agents within that; fewer people laying low and trying to stay out of trouble, more people who are open, patient and bring big ideas. Ultimately that passion and persistence helps the business, because as Bob says, “Businesses that are satisfied and content are going to die.”Bob does recognize that a key challenge in getting action on sustainability issues is trying to force it, either by being too emotional or pushing too hard. He describes how over time he achieved success by creating connections with people inside and outside the organization. These relationships rested on truthfulness, trust and empathy; putting yourself in others' shoes to see different ways of influencing them. That empathy allows you to see new allies, as often we assume people don't care, or will not be supportive, but they can surprise you. In fact some of your harshest critics can become your collaboration partners for change, or even your public advocates.Jo and Bob also discuss the need for companies to be more proactive and preemptive, but that often, that comes with little glory, as a hero in a crisis is easy to find, but credit for preventing a problem often never happens. But issues, like critics, will never stop coming, and Bob says that's a reality you need to accept, and a target you need to bear on your back, when part of a big organization that needs to make money (and there's nothing wrong with that).--To look outside, Bob reads a lot, particularly other perspectives of leadership and change through biographies. He also relies on travel to observe people across settings and cultures. He treats these as learning experiences that help him see things differently and promote a push beyond complacency, or accepting that 'things are the way they are'.--Bob Langert led McDonald's Corporate Social Responsibility & Sustainability efforts for more than twenty-five years before retiring in 2015. Currently, he provides corporate sustainability consulting through Mainstream Sustainability. Bob has been engaged in social responsibility issues at a global level since the late 1980s, leading environmental affairs, animal welfare, and Ronald McDonald Children's Charities' grants. He was appointed McDonald's first vice president to lead sustainability in 2006 with contributions spanning sustainable fish, coffee, palm oil, beef, packaging, extensive animal welfare progress, protecting the Amazon rainforest, nutrition strategy and CSR reporting, measurement, and accountability. His book about McDonald's sustainability journey, The Battle To Do Good: Inside McDonald's Sustainability Journey, was published in January 2019.Langert received his BA from Lewis University and his MBA from Northwestern University. In 2007, Langert was named as one of the 100 Most Influential in Business Ethics by Ethisphere. Follow Bob on

In this unique moment in human history, the climate emergency is increasingly defining our lives. While artificial intelligence is unlocking potential positive impact on a scale never seen before. So what does the future hold for us and our children? How will technology help us show up more responsibly to people and the planet? And what does that look like in practical terms– so that our individual efforts compound in ways that will course correct our future? Faith Taylor is the Global Sustainability and ESG Officer at Kyndryl, the world's largest provider of IT infrastructure services, with a goal of powering human progress through strong, purpose-driven practices that deliver value to employees, customers, stakeholders, and communities. In this episode, she explains how IT infrastructure and AI can address your sustainability ambitions in ways that will serve your business, and how the power of collaboration and its ripple effect can ensure we address the climate crisis for all of our futures. Lead With We is Produced by Goal 17 Media - https://goal17media.com Faith Taylor:  Faith Taylor is Global Sustainability Officer at Kyndryl, a $19 Billion and 90,000 employee spin-off from IBM. Prior to Kyndryl, she was the Global Environmental Social Governance (ESG) leader at Tesla where she worked with their Board of Directors, investors and leadership teams to develop their strategies, structures and targets. Before joining Tesla, Faith served as the Senior Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility and Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) of Wyndham Worldwide from 2005 to 2018. Under her leadership, she helped to build their sustainability program leading to the company's recognition by the Dow Jones Sustainability Index as a World and North American hospitality leader. In addition, Ethisphere recognized Wyndham as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies. As the CSO, Taylor was responsible for the company's global environmental, social and governance (ESG) programs including policies, strategies and risk management. Prior to her role as CSO, Faith was a brand marketing and new business development leader managing businesses that delivered $100 million to $600 million in revenues. She helped to restructure brands and developed innovative products and markets to deliver rapid growth. Faith was a professor at the Feliciano School of Business at Montclair State teaching Corporate Social Responsibility, Brand Marketing and Sustainability and was a co-founder of the University's Global Human Trafficking and social entrepreneurship center. She is currently President of the Women's Association of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and a member of their board. She is also a member of the Executive Women of New Jersey and served on the boards of the World Travel and Tourism Council, and the United States Green Building Council. In 2022, Business Chief and Sustainability magazines ranked Taylor among the top 10 U.S. women of the inaugural Top 100 Women in Sustainability list. Raised in Seattle and born in Japan, Taylor earned a B.A. from Stanford University and an M.B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. She and her husband have two children and live in West Orange, N.J. Faith is an avid gardener. Resources: Learn more about Kyndryl at: https://www.kyndryl.com/us/en/about-us Connect with Faith on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/faithlouisetaylor/ Visit leadwithwe.com to learn more about Simon's new book or search for "Lead With We" on Amazon, Google Books, or Barnes & Noble.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Top Lithium and Hydrogen Stocks. Prepare for a carbon-free future with these lithium and hydrogen stocks. Investors like these socially responsible ESG ETFs and funds. Transcript & Links, Episode 114, September 22, 2023 Hello, Ron Robins here. So, welcome to this podcast episode 114 titled “Top Lithium and Hydrogen Stocks.” It's presented by Investing for the Soul. Investingforthesoul.com is your site for vital global ethical and sustainable investing mentoring, news, commentary, information, and resources. And look at my newly revised website at investingforthesoul.com! Tell me what you think. Now, remember that you can find a full transcript, and links to content – including stock symbols and bonus material – on this episode's podcast page located at investingforthesoul.com/podcasts. Also, a reminder. I do not evaluate any of the stocks or funds mentioned in these podcasts, nor do I receive any compensation from anyone covered in these podcasts. Furthermore, I will reveal to you any personal investments I have in the investments mentioned herein. Additionally, quotes about individual companies are brief. Please go to this podcast's webpage for links to the actual articles for more company and stock information. Also, some companies might be covered more than once and there is also 1 article link below that time didn't allow me to review here. ------------------------------------------------------------- 1) Top Lithium and Hydrogen Stocks Now many ethical and sustainable investors are excited about investing in battery metals, so I thought to begin this podcast with this article. It's titled What are the top five largest lithium companies in the world? It's by Joseph Morton and found on mugglehead.com. Here's some of what he has to say. “1. Ganfeng Lithium (SZSE: 002460) (SEHK: 1772) Largest lithium salt producer in China, and third in the world Ganfeng Lithium is a global company specializing in the production of lithium, lithium-based products, various metals and batteries. Established by Li Liangbin in the year 2000, the company is headquartered in Xinyu, Jiangxi, China and operates both domestically and internationally… With a market capitalization of approximately $35 billion, it holds a significant presence in the lithium industry. The company doesn't just have one property, but instead actively engages in overseas investments in lithium companies and projects as part of its strategy to secure long-term competitive resources. The company holds ownership of three lithium brine projects located in Argentina and serves as the largest shareholder of Lithium Americas (TSX: LAC) (NYSE: LAC). 2. Albemarle (NYSE: ALB) World's largest supplier of lithium for EV Albemarle Corporation is a U.S.-based specialty chemicals manufacturing company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. The company operates in three main divisions: lithium, bromine specialties, and catalysts… When it comes to global lithium and lithium storage product production, Albemarle, along with lithium companies SQM  Sociedad Quimica y Minr de Chile SA  (NYSE: SQM) and Livent Corporation (NYSE: LTHM), collectively account for slightly over half of the total production. Meanwhile, just under half of the world's lithium supply is produced by various entities within China. Greenbushes in Western Australia is one of Albemarle's largest projects. It's a joint venture mine shared with Talison Lithium, a subsidiary of the Tianqi Lithium Corporation (SZSE: 002466) (SEHK: 9696)… Albemarle's market capitalization is roughly $30 billion. 3. SQM (Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile SA) Largest lithium producer in the world (SQM) is a Chilean chemical company renowned for its role as a prominent supplier of plant nutrients, iodine, lithium and various industrial chemicals… For the fiscal year 2019, SQM reported lithium-related revenues amounting to USD$505 million. Notably, in 2021, the company witnessed a substantial increase in its lithium revenues, reaching a total of USD$936.1 million. 4. Tianqi Lithium Controls over 46 per cent of global lithium production The Tianqi Lithium Corporation hails from Sichuan, China, and operates primarily in mining and manufacturing… The company has a market cap of approximately $16.5 billion. 5. Mineral Resources (ASX: MIN) Operates two significant properties in Western Australia In recognition of its significant market presence and capitalization, Mineral Resources earned a coveted spot in the S&P/ASX 50 in June 2022, designating it as one of the 50 largest companies trading on the ASX. Its market capitalization is in the range of $11 billion. Mineral Resources operates primarily in the iron ore sector, but is also actively engaged in the mining of hard rock lithium, with operations in two significant locations within Western Australia: Mount Marion in the Goldfields and Wodgina in the Pilbara.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- 2) Top Lithium and Hydrogen Stocks A second article with a related theme is this one titled EV Stocks vs. Battery Metal: Which Green Investment Should You Choose? It's written by Adam Othman and seen on fool.ca. Here's some of what Mr. Othman says. “1. Lion Electric (TSX:LEV) … is a $559.76 million market capitalization vehicle manufacturer, primarily focusing on the production of electric school buses, trucks, and other commercial vehicles. With little competition in the EV space in Canada, its focus on commercial EVs gives it a niche it can enjoy without competing against industry giants… That said, it is not a profitable company right now… Despite its small presence, this EV stock can deliver stellar long-term returns as the broader industry grows. 2. American Lithium (TSXV:LI) … is a metals and mining company primarily engaged in the exploration stage. The Canada-based company focuses on acquiring, exploring, and developing lithium deposits. A small name in the mining industry, it has a $450.78 million market capitalization. American Lithium stock is not the biggest Canadian lithium stock, but it's worth watching closely.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- 2 Canadian ESG Stocks for Ethical Investors Diversifying internationally is often considered a good idea, hence I bring these articles from Canada, for investors both inside and outside Canada. This article is titled 2 Canadian ESG Stocks for Ethical Investors. It's by Christopher Liew and also found on fool.ca. These are some comments by Mr. Liew. “1. Capital Power Corporation's (TSX:CPX) mission is to provide responsible energy to the world. The $4.7 billion growth-oriented company is well-positioned to support the low-carbon energy system. Its thermal and renewable assets have a combined generating capacity of around 7,500 MW. On March 13, 2023, Ethisphere named the Edmonton-based power producer one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for the fifth straight year… In the first half of 2023, revenue and net income rose 76.9% and 88.7% year over year respectively to $2.1 billion and $370 million. Capital Power has raised dividends for 10 consecutive years and provided dividend growth guidance of 6% annually through 2025. Capital Power pays a hefty 6.12% dividend. 2. Magna International Inc. (TSX:MG) is at the front and centre in the automotive industry's drive to deliver more electric vehicles (EVs). The Canadian auto parts maker raised its sales forecast for fiscal 2025 because of the sustained, if not increasing, demand for parts, sensors, and electrified powertrain systems. The $22.8 billion company's primary goal is to create a better world of mobility and achieve net-zero by 2050. According to its CEO, Swamy Kotagiri, Magna can achieve the target by addressing the emissions in their manufacturing facilities and the entire supply chain… Magna will use 100% renewable electricity in Europe and globally by 2025 and 2030, respectively… In the first half of 2023, Magna's sales rose 14% year over year to US$21.7 billion, while income jumped 128% to US$548 million… Magna also pays a decent 3.06% dividend.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- 3) Top Lithium and Hydrogen Stocks Now this next article talks about the opportunities in the hydrogen industry. It's titled These 2 Dividend Stocks Are Investing in This Niche Industry. Should You Do the Same? It's by James Brumley and found on fool.com. Now here are some quotes from Mr. Brumley. “Market veterans will likely recall that hydrogen fuel cell stocks like Plug Power (PLUG) and Ballard Power Systems (BLDP) were all the rage at one time. This alternative energy was going to change the world, after all. And then, nothing happened. As it turns out, the world wasn't quite ready for fuel cells. This industry's stocks have mostly struggled for the past couple of decades. You might want to put these tickers back on your radar, though. A couple of major oil companies recently made investments in hydrogen-based power solutions, thinking the movement will eventually displace the oil and gas business… Chevron (CVX) recently acquired a majority stake in a young company called ACES (Advanced Clean Energy Storage) Delta, while BP (BP) just led a wave of funding for Advanced Ionics, which develops energy-efficient electrolyzers that ultimately generate hydrogen, which can then be converted into electricity… Carmakers are on board, too, and have been for a while. They're ramping up development, and Toyota (TM) is leading the way. With its hydrogen engine technology now well refined, the company hopes to sell 200,000 such vehicles by 2030. If the concept proves successful, look for other automakers to augment their current EVs with yet another alternative to carbon-fuel cars. Pragma Market Research estimates the world's hydrogen-powered vehicle market will swell from last year's $1 billion to more than $43 billion by 2030… One hydrogen fuel cell stock to buy now So if hydrogen fuel cells and hydrogen power in general are finally moving into the mainstream, which of the related stocks are worth owning? The aforementioned Ballard Power Systems and Plug Power are two tickers at least worth adding to your long-term watch list. Anyone interested in jumping into the hydrogen power movement at its current stage, however, might do best with… Bloom Energy (BE) It's not one of the more familiar names in the business, although it arguably should be. It's a $3.5 billion organization, and while not currently profitable, it's nearing that point. In fact, the analyst community is calling for a swing to a per-share profit of $0.39 on revenue growth of 30%. Then things are projected to really start to take off… Bloom's systems are also readily scalable, meaning their users can fine-tune the amount of power they're producing, and then add or subtract capacity as needed. Its customers include Honda Motor (HMC), Alphabet's Google (GOOG), Walmart (WMT), and IBM (IBM). The advent of artificial intelligence and the giant data centers it requires is proving a particular boon for Bloom. Although most of its customers only need these fuel cells for backup power now, as hydrogen production initiatives like BP's Advanced Ionics and Chevron's ACES Delta gain traction, don't be surprised to see hydrogen fuel cells evolve into a primary power source… The only catch with Bloom or its rivals? Buckle up for plenty of continued volatility, and be prepared to hang on to any of these stocks for a while. Hydrogen power is here to stay, but it's hardly on a reliably firm footing yet.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- 7 Best Socially Responsible Funds Now our last article brings us back to familiar territory. It's titled 7 Best Socially Responsible Funds. It's by Jeff Reeves and found on money.usnews.com. Here is a quote from Mr. Reeves and his picks. “There are no easy answers when it comes to how to invest in a world like this. But thankfully, there are a group of socially responsible funds out there that try to focus your cash behind some of the better companies and leave out some of the bad actors. It's not perfect, of course, and the goal of most investors remains to make money and not just feel good about their portfolio. That said, the following investments are well-established and diversified ways to invest with environmental, social and governance priorities in mind – or ESG for short. FUND ASSETS EXPENSE RATIO iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF (ticker: ESGU) $12.8 billion 0.15% Vanguard ESG U.S. Stock ETF (ESGV) $6.8 billion 0.09% Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Growth ETF (NULG) $1.3 billion 0.26% Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Value ETF (NULV) $1.6 billion 0.26% iShares ESG Aware MSCI EAFE ETF (ESGD) $7.3 billion 0.20% iShares Global Clean Energy ETF (ICLN) $3.5 billion 0.41% Parnassus Core Equity Fund (PRBLX) $27.4 billion 0.82%” End quotes ------------------------------------------------------------- One Other Honorable Mention Title: Solar Power Stocks: The Winners and Losers of 2023 So Far on barrons.com. By Avi Salzman. ------------------------------------------------------------- Ending Comment Well, these are my top news stories with their stock and fund tips -- for this podcast titled: “Top Lithium and Hydrogen Stocks.” Now, please be sure to click the like and subscribe buttons on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever you download or listen to this podcast. That helps bring these podcasts to others like you. And please click the share buttons to share this podcast with your friends and family. Let's promote ethical and sustainable investing as a force for hope and prosperity in these very troubled times! Contact me if you have any questions. Thank you for listening. And, again, please look at my new totally revised website at investingforthesoul.com. Tell me what you think! Talk to you next on October 6th! Bye for now.   © 2023 Ron Robins, Investing for the Soul

In this episode of The Ethics Experts, Nick welcomes VErica Salmon Byrne, J.D. Erica Salmon Byrne is the CEO for Ethisphere, where she is responsible for ensuring strong growth for the company while maintaining Ethisphere's founding ethos that good businesses do better. Ms. Salmon Byrne also serves as the Chair of the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance; she works with the BELA community to advance the dialogue around ethics and governance and deliver practical guidance to ethics and compliance practitioners around the globe. https://twitter.com/esalmonbyrne https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericasalmonbyrne

Holly Gregory is at the pinnacle of America's top corporate lawyers. She co-chairs law firm Sidley Austin's global Corporate Governance practice and also co-leads its Chambers-recognized ESG and Crisis Management teams.She's won just about every honor available to her. She chaired the American Bar Association's Corporate Governance Committee. The National Association of Corporate Directors named her one of the hundred most influential people in corporate governance 16 straight years. Ethisphere calls her one of the Attorneys Who Matter. She's been recognized by Euromoney and by Legal 500. The National Law Journal says she was a "white collar regulatory and compliance trailblazer". Corporate Secretary Magazine gave her a Lifetime Achievement Award.Holly played a key role in drafting the OECD Principles of Corporate Governance and advised the Internal Market Directorate of the European Commission on corporate governance regulation. And while most service assignments at Sidley are confidential, those that have been made public are eye-opening.She advised the Business Roundtable on its 2019 Statement on the Purpose of the Corporation, advised ICANN, the international Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (so you can thank her for the fact that your URL still works). She advised the Board of The Pennsylvania State University on governance reforms in the wake of a sexual abuse scandal.Holly always has a sharp eye for current culture and a wicked sense of humor. Her video breakdowns of the law and corporate governance practices underlying HBO's "Succession" have made her a social media star, and on top of all that, she plays a mean Bluegrass mandolin.

Erica Salmon Byrne, CEO of Ethisphere discusses: 1) How does a company become one of the World's Most Ethical Companies? 2) What are the top ethics issues facing companies? 3) How can businesses create a more ethical environment? 4) What questions should businesses ask about ethics and AI? 5) Proof that being ethical is good business

Principal Financial Group® recently released the results of an extensive survey it conducted asking advisors and employers their expectations for the future of retirement. Among the key trends it identified were an aging workforce with evolving financial planning needs. At the other extreme, Gen Z workers are beginning their careers with investment and planning preferences that differ markedly from older generations. Other findings included the anticipated need for personalization, financial wellness monitoring and counseling, and better services for retirement planning. - Principal Financial Group® (Nasdaq: PFG) is a global financial company with 19,000 employees passionate about improving the wealth and well-being of people and businesses. In business for more than 140 years, we're helping more than 62 million customers plan, protect, invest, and retire, while working to support the communities where we do business, and build a diverse, inclusive workforce. Principal® is proud to be recognized as one of the 2023 World's Most Ethical Companies® by Ethisphere, a member of the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index, and a “Best Place to Work in Money Management.” Retirement and Income Solutions serves more than 46,000 employers and nearly 12 million participants. Total account value as of December 31, 2022, was $447 billion. Learn more about Principal and our commitment to building a better future at principal.com Insurance products issued by Principal National Life Insurance Co (except in NY) and Principal Life Insurance Company®. Plan administrative services offered by Principal Life. Principal Funds, Inc. is distributed by Principal Funds Distributor, Inc. Securities offered through Principal Securities, Inc., member SIPC and/or independent broker/-dealers. Principal Global Investors leads global asset management. Referenced companies are members of the Principal Financial Group®, Des Moines, Iowa 50392. © 2023 Principal Financial Services, Inc. 2836360-042023 - Introducing AP Premium! Download and brand thousands of articles, summaries & commentaries in minutes. Unlock Premium today and receive $10 off your first monthly or annual payment with promo code PODCAST2022.

Welcome to the award-winning FCPA Compliance Report, the longest running podcast in compliance. In this episode, I am joined Erica Salmon Byrne, President of Ethisphere, to discuss the World's Most Ethical Companies awards. Byrne explains the evaluation process and what types of areas are investigated. She highlights how the list has fluctuated over the years and the importance of a company's people practices. Through the cross functional scorecard, companies can measure their performance compared to a global index.   We discuss the importance of "ethics premium" and the scorecard process. To measure the value of a company's people practices, the survey demonstrated an outperformance of 13.6% against a comparable global index. Byrne also gives information to listeners on where to find more information on the world's most ethical companies. Tune into this episode of the FCPA Compliance Report and learn more about the World's Most Ethical Companies.  Key Highlights What is the World's Most Ethical Companies® recognition? How long has Ethisphere recognized the World's Most Ethical Companies? What are criteria Ethisphere considers during the evaluation process? What is the evaluation framework. What are the benefits of applying for the World's Most Ethical Companies? Even if a company is not selected, what are some of the benefits? What is the Ethics Premium and what was the 2023 Ethics Premium?   Notable Quotes  "What does the recognition itself mean? So, you know, it's  really interesting, Tom. Because I I've asked a lot of honorary companies about that. And I  particularly liked the way 1 company phrased it to me when I was talking to them last week, and they said, look, there are lots and lots of times that companies get recognized for messing up." "We're looking at the ways you are thinking about, your impact on the communities in which you operate. We are looking at your ethics and compliance program initiatives. We're looking at the way you are governing your programs both at the board level and at the C suite level. We're looking at your leadership and your reputation." "I've had multiple compliance officers tell me that their best self-assessment work is just reading the red line of our survey every year and asking themselves would I answer this new question from Ethisphere?" "Are there questions on this survey I can't answer without going and speaking to somebody else? Do I know who that person is? And if not, why not? Because all of those relationships are critical relationships to operating your program well."  Episode Links World's Most Ethical Companies Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The World's Most Ethical Companies podcast includes these articles: “The 2023 World's Most Ethical Companies®,” by Ethisphere; “Top 10: Brands for Diverse Corporate Social Responsibility,” by Tom Swallow; and “12 Best Renewable Energy Stocks to Buy Now,” by Fahad Saleem. Find a full transcript, links to content, including stock symbols and bonus material here. Plus Podcast: The World's Most Ethical Companies Transcript & Links, Episode 102, March 24, 2023 Hello, Ron Robins here. Welcome to podcast episode 102 and published on March 24, 2023, titled “The World's Most Ethical Companies.” It's presented by Investing for the Soul. Investingforthesoul.com is your site for vital global ethical and sustainable investing mentoring, news, commentary, information, and resources. Remember that you can find a full transcript, and links to content – including stock symbols and bonus material – on this episode's podcast page located at investingforthesoul.com/podcasts. Now if any terms are unfamiliar to you, simply Google them. Also, a reminder. I do not evaluate any of the stocks or funds mentioned in these podcasts, nor do I receive any compensation from anyone covered in these podcasts. Furthermore, I will reveal to you any personal investments I have in the investments mentioned herein. Additionally, quotes about individual companies are brief so that I can get as many companies covered as possible in the time allowed. Please go to this podcast's webpage for links to the actual articles for more company and stock information. Also, some companies might be covered more than once and there are also 4 article links below that time didn't allow me to review them here. ------------------------------------------------------------- The World's Most Ethical Companies I'm going to start with a great ranking analysis titled The 2023 World's Most Ethical Companies® The most frequent companies to appear on the list at 17 times are Aflac Incorporated, Ecolab, International Paper, Kao, Milliken & Company, and PepsiCo, Inc. If there is a weakness in this list it's that the companies have to apply to be rated. Hence, this process could leave out some great companies. Here are some quotes from their website. “At the heart of the evaluation and selection process for the World's Most Ethical Companies® is Ethisphere's proprietary rating system, the corporate Ethics Quotient (EQ). The EQ framework features more than 200 multiple-choice and text questions that capture a company's performance in an objective, consistent, and standardized way. In 2023, 135 organizations are recognized for their unwavering commitment to business integrity. The honorees span 19 countries and 46 industries, and include 8 first-time honorees.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- Top 10: Brands for Diverse Corporate Social Responsibility Next is this article titled Top 10: Brands for Diverse Corporate Social Responsibility by Tom Swallow on sustainabilitymag.com. Though not strictly investment recommendations, this list will appeal to many listeners of this podcast. Here are some comments by Mr. Swallow on each of his chosen brands. “To highlight the diverse approaches to corporate social responsibility (CSR) we're looking at some of the leading organisations for both their commitments and innovative stance on developing business sustainably… 10. Bosch (BOSCHLTD.BO) Backing climate-neutrality, Bosch is a major provider of high-quality, reliable electronics, along with other solutions to support sustainable developments. The company is committed to reducing emissions both upstream and downstream in its supply chain.  From an electric vehicle (EV) standpoint, Bosch enables electrification through its electric drive solutions, providing scalable propulsion solutions to the industry. 9. TOMS (private company) The popular footwear brand, TOMS is built on social impact as the primary mission of the company is to donate a pair of shoes for every new pair sold.  8. Wells Fargo (WFC) The financial services organisation, Wells Fargo donates up to 1.5% of its annual revenue to charities—a percentage of revenue that exceeds US$18.7bn. These funds reach more than 14,500 non-profit organisations, including those supporting efforts to provide food, and renewable energy and science development programmes. 7. Pfizer (PFE) In times of crisis, healthcare assistance is critical, which is where Pfizer provides extensive support through its three pillar strategy to meet corporate social responsibility (CSR) objectives. These pillars include donation, grant funding, and providing aid when disaster strikes.  Such efforts were seen after Hurricane Matthew ripped through Haiti and the ongoing crisis plaguing refugees in Europe and the Middle East. 6. Netflix (NFLX) The online on-demand streaming platform, Netflix enables relationships by offering its staff members 52 weeks paid parental leave, which can be taken any time within a child's early years.  The average technology firm provides parents with 18 weeks paid leave during the maternity/paternity phase. 5. Ford Motor Company (F) One of the largest automotive brands with heritage dating back to 1903, Ford Motor Company is on a mission to ‘build a better world' through electrification. One of the key employment mechanisms backed by Ford is pay equity as part of its wider diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) strategy—balancing discrepancies in the pay gap between employees. 4. Coca-Cola Company (KO) The environment is a primary focus for Coca-Cola Company and one of its most significant adaptations will come from 100% plant-based packaging. In 2021, the business announced the first ever bottle made in this way and has since been refining its product and understanding how it will align with the wider manufacturing process. 3. Starbucks (SBUX) Representing CSR in the cafe business is Starbucks, which is openly committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, in the workforce.  Starbucks has taken steps to address racial and social inequality by introducing a mentorship scheme designed to link people from black and indigenous backgrounds to senior executives and cultivate partnerships. By 2025, the company hopes to reach its target to achieve 30% black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) representation in corporate roles and 40% in retail and manufacturing. 2. Alphabet (GOOG) As the parent of Google, Alphabet's CSR strategy aims to indirectly support communities and address their concerns. However, Google is already well-acquainted with climate strategy and is taking action to reduce the impact of the search engine and supported devices.  1. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) A leading organisation in the pharmaceutical industry, Johnson & Johnson (J&J) acts as a great example of CSR in action. For more than 30 years, J&J has dedicated many of its efforts to minimising its ecological footprint.  Its support spans various aspects, including wind energy usage and delivering clean water to communities globally.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- 12 Best Renewable Energy Stocks to Buy Now Now back to a popular theme with this article titled 12 Best Renewable Energy Stocks to Buy Now. It's by Fahad Saleem and was found on news.yahoo.com. Here's some of what Mr. Saleem has to say about each of his stock picks. “For this article, we scanned Insider Monkey's database of 943 hedge funds and picked the top 12 renewable energy stocks. That means these are the most popular renewable energy stocks among the elite hedge funds in the world. With each stock we have mentioned the number of hedge fund investors as of the end of the fourth quarter of 2022. 12. Canadian Solar Inc. (NASDAQ:CSIQ) Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 16 Canadian Solar sells solar PV modules… For the fourth quarter, Canadian Solar expects its revenue to come in at $1.97 billion, better than its guidance range of $1.8 billion to $1.9 billion. Analyst consensus estimate for this figure was $1.86 billion.  For the first quarter of 2023, Canadian Solar expects its revenue to come in the range of $1.6 billion to $1.8 billion, which is below the analyst consensus estimate of $2.04 billion. 11. Avangrid, Inc. (NYSE:AGR)  Hedge Fund Holders: 18 Avangrid is an energy company serving millions of customers in the US. Avangrid has a strong renewable energy portfolio consisting of wind and solar energy projects… In February, Avangrid declared a per share dividend of $0.44, in line with the previous dividend. Forward dividend yield at the time came in at 4.34%. 10. SunPower Corporation (NASDAQ:SPWR) Hedge Fund Holders: 21 SunPower Corporation makes photovoltaic solar energy generation systems and battery energy storage products, primarily for residential customers. In February, SunPower Corporation posted strong Q4 results that crushed analyst estimates. Adjusted EPS in the quarter came in at $0.15, beating estimates by $0.01. Revenue in the quarter jumped about 43% YoY to reach $497.4 million, beating estimates by $16.4 million. 9. Plug Power Inc. (NASDAQ:PLUG) Hedge Fund Holders: 25 Hydrogen fuel cell company Plug Power is one of the best renewable energy stocks to buy now. Recently, Citi analyst P.J. Juvekar decreased his price target for Plug Power stock to $20 from $21 but kept a Buy rating on the shares.  The analyst said that Plug Power has a first mover advantage to capture the benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act. 8. Clearway Energy, Inc. (NYSE:CWEN) Hedge Fund Holders: 27 Clearway Energy has significant wind and solar energy operations across 26 states in the US. Clearway Energy has a PE ratio of 5.94 which makes it an attractive option for those looking for undervalued plays in the renewable energy space. In February, Clearway Energy declared a quarterly dividend of $0.3745 per share, which was a 2% increase from its previous dividend. Forward dividend yield at the time came in at 4.48%. 7. Sunnova Energy International Inc. (NYSE:NOVA) Hedge Fund Holders: 27 Residential solar company Sunnova Energy International… recently posted Q4 results which were better than expected. GAAP EPS in the quarter came in at -$0.18, beating estimates by $0.26. Revenue in the quarter increased by 200.8% to reach $195.6 million, beating estimates by $55.84 million. 6. SolarEdge Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:SEDG) Hedge Fund Holders: 43 Israel-based SolarEdge Technologies… gained about 15% through March 8. SolarEdge Technologies makes solar inverters widely used in the solar energy industry… In February, SolarEdge Technologies posted strong Q4 results. Adjusted EPS in the quarter came in at $2.86, beating estimates by $1.27. Revenue in the quarter increased by about 61% on a YoY basis to reach $890 million, beating estimates by $11.64 million. 5. First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) Hedge Fund Holders: 44 First Solar (stock) jumped earlier this month after UBS upgraded the stock to Buy from Neutral with a $250 price target…UBS believes First Solar is ‘the most significant beneficiary' of the Inflation Reduction Act. 4. Constellation Energy Corporation (NASDAQ:CEG) Hedge Fund Holders: 51 Baltimore, Maryland-based Constellation Energy… says it's the largest producer of carbon-free energy in the country. Earlier this month, Constellation Energy Corporation announced that it has started hydrogen production at its Nine Mile Point Nuclear Plant in Oswego, New York. Alger Capital made the following comment about Constellation Energy Corporation in its Q3 2022 investor letter: ‘Shares outperformed during the third quarter primarily due to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)… the bill provides a nuclear production tax credit of approximately $43.75 per megawatt hour of energy generated. This credit favorably impacted earnings.' 3. NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NEE) Hedge Fund Holders: 61 NextEra Energy is one of the most popular renewable energy stocks among elite hedge funds… In February, NextEra Energy rolled out a 10% increase in its quarterly dividend when it announced a per-share dividend of $0.4675. 2. Enphase Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENPH) Hedge Fund Holders: 63 Enphase Energy is one of the most versatile renewable energy companies, making several solutions in the industry, including solar micro-inverters, battery energy storage, and EV charging stations for homes. In late February, Enphase Energy shares jumped after Janney Montgomery analyst Sean Milligan upgraded the stock to Buy from Neutral with a $282 price target. 1. Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) Hedge Fund Holders: 91 Tesla, Inc. makes it to our list of the best renewable energy stocks because the company's electric vehicles are playing key role in deploying the renewable energy sources in the auto industry in addition to its Powerwall and solar roof products for homes. Recently, Jefferies upped its price target for Tesla, Inc. to $230 from $180 and kept a Buy rating on the shares… Jefferies also upped its 2023 and 2024 operating earnings estimates for Tesla, Inc. by 10% and 8%, respectively.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- Now some Other Honorable Mentions – no particular order 1) Title: 11 Stocks to Examine Through a Sustainability Lens on morningstar.ca. By Adam Fleck. Articles From Outside the US 1) UK Title: Six ethical investment IFISAs on p2pfinancenews.co.uk. By Hannah Gannage-Stewart. 2) UK Title: ‘We've lost the right to be pessimistic': Patagonia treads fine line tackling climate crisis as for-profit company on theguardian.com. By Lauren Aratani. 3) UK Title: Could these 3 renewable energy stocks surge as lithium demand grows? Found on uk.finance.yahoo.com. By Christopher Ruane. ------------------------------------------------------------- Ending Comment Well, these are my top news stories with their stock and fund tips -- for this podcast number 102 titled: “The World's Most Ethical Companies.” Now, please be sure to click the like and subscribe buttons on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever you download or listen to this podcast. That helps bring these podcasts to others like you. And please click the share buttons to share this podcast with your friends and family. Let's promote ethical and sustainable investing as a force for hope and prosperity in these terribly troubled times! Contact me if you have any questions. Thank you for listening. Talk to you next on April 7th. Bye for now. © 2023 Ron Robins, Investing for the Soul

Welcome to the award-winning FCPA Compliance Report, the longest running podcast in compliance. In this episode, I am joined by with Erica Salmon Byrne, the CEO of Ethisphere, to discuss the company's recent "2023 Ethical Culture Report: Lessons from the Pandemic." Erica shares that the report found a significant uptick in reports of observed cases of bullying, which is likely due to masking feelings with the anonymity of a keyboard. While an employee's direct manager is most often the first avenue for employees to report concerns, but other forms of reporting weren't utilized, due to a fear of retaliation. Erica suggests that companies need to make it easy for employees to communicate broader ethical issues, as doing so will result in a tripling of employee faith in the system.  Key Highlights: ·      The Impact of the Pandemic on Bullying Incidents ·      Reasons Younger Employees Don't Speak Up When Witnessing Unethical Behavior ·      Creating a Speak Up Culture in the Workplace ·      Improving Communication Between Employees and Managers ·      Reporting Issues to Managers: Examining the Results of a Recent Report ·      The Importance of Managerial Leadership in Ethical Decision Making ·      The Importance of Making it Easier for Employees to Report Issues Notable Quotes 1.    "Employee willingness to raise their hand stayed pretty steady."  2.    "It's a lot easier to be a jerk behind a keyboard than it is to be a jerk to somebody's face."  3.    "The reason we have non retaliation language in our code is because information is a gift."  4.    "Think of the information as a gift, practice thinking of the information as a gift, and then your responsibility as the manager is to listen and follow-up."  Resources: Ethisphere Resources ·      Ethisphere ·      2023 Ethical Culture Report Connect with Erica Salmon Byrne ●      LinkedIn Connect with Tom Fox ●      LinkedIn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

By Adam Turteltaub The Winchester Mystery House is both an unusual tourist destination, and a good metaphor, as it turns out.  Built by an eccentric heiress who never stopped making changes and additions to it, the home is filled with dead-end passages and stairs that lead nowhere, a result of the constant building. Ultimately it grew to 24,000 square feet, 10,000 windows and 2,000 doors. In this podcast, Deena King, author of Compliance in One Page and a working compliance professional, tips her hat to Andrew Nebbett of Ethisphere and the warning to avoid creating a Winchester House of a compliance program. Too often compliance programs have one piece of another built onto them as they grow to accommodate more risk areas and parts of the organization. Worse, sometimes those pieces operate independently, leading to redundant efforts and a lack of cross pollination of ideas. To avoid this chaotic mishmash, she advises pursuing what she calls “strategic compliance”. Instead of focusing on the seven elements of the program, focus on the ultimate goal: to prevent, find and fix problems. Then treat the elements as a means, not an end. Develop a strategic model, she advises, and then push it out through the organization. It helps prevent additions that are separate from the main program and don't really fit with it. Set up, too, a network for your compliance teams to communicate with each other, share insights and avoid learning dead ends. Listen in to learn more, and let us know if you've been to the Winchester Mystery House.

Bill Coffin is Editor in Chief of Ethisphere. Ethisphere is dedicated to promoting standards of ethical business practice, specifically those which encourage marketplace trust and business success and is known for its annual report on the World's Most Ethical Companies, and its 100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics.Bill was previously Editor in Chief of Compliance Week and has a special understanding of finance having worked for some of the largest insurance companies in the world.His writing has appeared in all the major financial publications, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and Fortune, and he has received an arm load of journalistic awards, but intriguingly Bill also has a second career - he's a successful fantasy author, most notably of the Dark Britannia Trilogy and is the creator of a number of fantasy role play games.On this episode of Outside In, Bill talks with Jon about compliance and the science of ethics, his double life as a successful fantasy author, his marvellous gesture for an injured comic book writer and role-playing the impossible moments that we face in life. They also discuss the cross pollination between the fantasy role-playing worlds and morals, ethics and power in the real world.

What you'll learn in this podcast episode Guidance from the US Department of Justice, particularly the recent 2020 memorandum, stresses that a company's compliance program must reflect and evolve with its risks—and should not be a snapshot or on cruise control. But in assessing those risks, it's helpful to see what other companies in the same area or circumstances have done to meet them. Collective action and coordination can be very useful in dealing with common risks. So, when is benchmarking and a collective approach to risk helpful? And when can it backfire? In this episode of the Principled Podcast, LRN Director of Advisory Services Emily Miner continues the conversation from Episode 6 about benchmarking with her colleague Susan Divers. Listen in as the two discuss the benefits and limitations of benchmarking, and how organizations can ensure they benchmark their E&C programs effectively.    Featured guest: Susan Divers Susan Divers is the director of thought leadership and best practices with LRN Corporation. She brings 30+ years' accomplishments and experience in the ethics and compliance arena to LRN clients and colleagues. This expertise includes building state-of-the-art compliance programs infused with values, designing user-friendly means of engaging and informing employees, fostering an embedded culture of compliance, and sharing substantial subject matter expertise in anti-corruption, export controls, sanctions, and other key areas of compliance. Prior to joining LRN, Mrs. Divers served as AECOM's Assistant General for Global Ethics & Compliance and Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer. Under her leadership, AECOM's ethics and compliance program garnered six external awards in recognition of its effectiveness and Mrs. Divers' thought leadership in the ethics field. In 2011, Mrs. Divers received the AECOM CEO Award of Excellence, which recognized her work in advancing the company's ethics and compliance program. Before joining AECOM, she worked at SAIC and Lockheed Martin in the international compliance area. Prior to that, she was a partner with the DC office of Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal. She also spent four years in London and is qualified as a Solicitor to the High Court of England and Wales, practicing in the international arena with the law firms of Theodore Goddard & Co. and Herbert Smith & Co. She also served as an attorney in the Office of the Legal Advisor at the Department of State and was a member of the U.S. delegation to the UN working on the first anti-corruption multilateral treaty initiative.  Mrs. Divers is a member of the DC Bar and a graduate of Trinity College, Washington D.C. and of the National Law Center of George Washington University. In 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 Ethisphere Magazine listed her as one the “Attorneys Who Matter” in the ethics & compliance area. She is a member of the Advisory Boards of the Rutgers University Center for Ethical Behavior and served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Institute for Practical Training from 2005-2008. She resides in Northern Virginia and is a frequent speaker, writer and commentator on ethics and compliance topics.  Featured Host: Emily Miner Emily Miner is a director of LRN's Ethics & Compliance Advisory services. She counsels executive leadership teams on how to actively shape and manage their ethical culture through deep quantitative and qualitative understanding and engagement. A skilled facilitator, Emily emphasizes co-creative, bottom-up, and data-driven approaches to foster ethical behavior and inform program strategy. Emily has led engagements with organizations in the healthcare, technology, manufacturing, energy, professional services, and education industries. Emily co-leads LRN's ongoing flagship research on E&C program effectiveness and is a thought leader in the areas of organizational culture, leadership, and E&C program impact. Prior to joining LRN, Emily applied her behavioral science expertise in the environmental sustainability sector, working with non-profits and several New England municipalities; facilitated earth science research in academia; and contributed to drafting and advancing international climate policy goals. Emily has a Master of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University and graduated summa cum laude from the University of Florida with a degree in Anthropology.   Principled Podcast Transcript Intro: Welcome to the Principled Podcast, brought to you by LRN. The Principled Podcast brings together the collective wisdom on ethics, business and compliance, transformative stories of leadership and inspiring workplace culture. Listen in to discover valuable strategies from our community of business leaders and workplace change makers. Emily Miner: Guidance from the US Department of Justice, particularly the recent 2020 memorandum, stresses that a company's compliance program must reflect and evolve with its risks and should not be a snapshot or on cruise control. But in assessing those risks, it's helpful to see what other companies in the same area or circumstances have done to meet them. Collective action and coordination can be very useful in dealing with common risks. So when is benchmarking and a collective approach to risk helpful, and when can it backfire? Hello, and welcome to another episode of LRN's Principled podcast. I'm your host, Emily Miner, director of Advisory Services at LRN. Today I'm continuing my conversation from episode six about benchmarking with my colleague Susan Divers, our director of Thought Leadership and Best practices. We're going to be talking about the benefits and the limitations of benchmarking and how organizations can ensure they benchmark their E&C programs effectively. Susan brings more than 30 years experience in both the legal and E&C spaces to this topic area with subject matter expertise in anti-corruption, export controls, sanctions, and other key areas of compliance. Susan, thanks for coming on the Principled podcast. Susan Divers: Oh, Emily, it's always nice to talk with you. Emily Miner: So Susan, before we get started, let's kind of define benchmarking and summarize the conversation that I had in our last podcast with our colleague Derek. So benchmarking means comparing what you do as an organization in this case to a usually large number of comparable organizations or individuals. And most often, this is done in a quantitative way, although there are also opportunities to benchmark qualitatively. And at LRN, we've been using benchmarks for a number of years now through our research reports. We've conducted major panel research on the role of ethical culture in an organization and in organization's risk of misconduct. So looking at how that varies across countries, across industries. We conduct every year research into ethics and compliance program effectiveness research that you lead and that you and I collaborate on. And we've been doing that for, oh gosh, coming up on, I don't know, maybe eight years now. That's been given us a insightful look into Ethics & Compliance Program best practices, and how they've evolved over time. We've also conducted research on codes of conduct, analyzing nearly 150 publicly listed codes of conduct from the top listed companies around the world and looking at similarities and differences and best practices in that space. But we have a brand new product at LRN that we're launching later this month that I know we're all really excited about called Catalyst Reveal, which is a platform that will, as it's name suggests, reveal insights to our clients about their ethics and compliance program, things like course level data training, data, employee sentiment, ethical culture. It will also give our clients the ability to see how their results along these metrics compare with other organizations in the LRN client universe. So looking at by industry, by company size, and a few other comparable filters. So with that exciting launch as our backdrop, I wanted to talk to you as an expert and a thought leader in this space about benchmarking compliance programs, when to do it, when not to do it, et cetera. So let me turn it over to you, Susan, and let's start with the benefits. What are the benefits of benchmarking in ethics and compliance program? Susan Divers: Sure, Emily, I'd be happy to talk about that. In thinking about this topic, there are really three really good functions that benchmarking is appropriate for. And then there are some where it's not so appropriate and we can talk about all of that. But starting with what it's very appropriate for, the first is if you're setting up a program, you need to figure out kind of what are the basics that you need to do at the outset. And it can be very helpful particularly if it's a new program, and it usually is if it's setting it up to be able to say your management, "We have to have a code. We have to have policies. We have to have audit. And we have to have training" and those are kind of the four basic pillars and being able to make that case. That's very basic, but it can be very helpful in terms of people who are struggling to get started in what we all know is a really complicated area. So that's kind of the first setting where benchmarking I think can be very helpful. And then the second is you've got your program and you're up and going. Now, no two companies are alike, no two industries are alike, and I can get into that a little bit later, but it's helpful to know if you're mainstream or not. Like for example, our Ethical Pulse Culture check lets you sort of get an idea from a short questionnaire embedded in our platform in Reveal whether your culture is really out of whack or pretty much along the same lines as mainstream. And again, that's really helpful because it can show you an area where you're maybe excelling and it's good to take credit for that and scale it, or it can show you an area where you're deficient and it's good to know about that too. And then the last is, and this is where for example Ethisphere has done a lot of really good work, best practices. People are constantly innovating. I'm always amazed at how ethics and compliance programs are changing and getting better. And we can talk about that a little bit, and Reveal's going to be very helpful there. But benchmarking can give you ideas that can be very valuable for enhancing your program. So those are sort of the three big areas where I think benchmarking can be extremely helpful. Emily Miner: Yeah, thanks Susan. And on that last point that you shared, that's really resonating because if nothing else, benchmarking or surveying what other companies are doing out there with respect to ethics and compliance and different facets of that, it gives you as an ethics and compliance professional just an idea of what's possible. Maybe there's a new approach to communicating with your employees that you haven't thought of that might work for your organization. I'm at the SCCE's Compliance & Ethics Institute right now, and there was a session yesterday about one particular organization's sort of their evolution of their compliance program following some significant trust that was lost in the organization to senior leader misconduct. One of the things that they talked about was having employees around the globe put on skits that they turned into videos that dealt with ethics moments and how the actors, which were the employees of the organizations, would kind of get famous around the world for their skits. It was a very lighthearted way of communicating very serious topics that resonated for this particular organization. But a lot of people in the room were asking questions, "Oh, well, how could I put together a skit like that? Did you write the script or did the employees come up with it and this and that?" Just that it's a way of sharing ideas and fostering innovation across the industry that can be really exciting and powerful. Susan Divers:    Yeah, that's a great example, but maybe it's time to talk a little bit about the limits of benchmarking too because that's a good illustration of the point that benchmarking's good for the three things we just talked about. Setting up, making sure that you're in the mainstream and not at either end, or maybe you want to be excelling and then getting ideas and best practices. What it's not good for is saying, "Hey, we met the criteria." And the reason is there isn't a criteria. In fact, there was a quote two days ago or so from the CEO of Advanced Micro Devices, and she said, I quote, "It's like running a different company every two years." So the point I'm trying to make here is that your program has to be based on your risks, and those risks can change dramatically, I mean, certainly in the semiconductor area, and that's what she was talking about. The risks have changed, they basically changed radically with all the changes with China and the export sanctions and the war in the Ukraine. So it's not enough to say, "Hey, I'm doing what everybody else is doing in that area." And secondly, the other big problem is comparing apples to apples. I picked three consumer companies to sort of illustrate this. One is Walmart, which obviously is a big consumer company. Another is PepsiCo, another is Mondelez. And if you look at all three, they all have really different risk profiles. They may be in the same area generally, but Walmart's much bigger than the other two. Walmart had a major scandal a number of years ago where they wound up paying, I think it was 137 million in 2019 because in order to get permits for their stores in Latin America, particularly Mexico, their lawyers were actually paying bribes. When you think about it, that should have been something that they were sensitive to on their risk profile and both training and auditing the local lawyers. Also, there was some lawyers on their teams internally. That was a risk and they failed to mitigate it. PepsiCo is bottling, and so do Mondelez has plants, but it's not quite the same level of regulatory intensity as setting up a store, hiring people, environmental health. So I use that example because I'm trying to pick an industry and say, "Well, if you compared yourself to one, you might miss some of the particular risks that you have." One of the also things to bear in mind, and you alluded to it when we started, is that DOJ has never recommended benchmarking in all of the guidance. In fact, they've said things that kind of contradict benchmarking if you were using it to say, "Hey, we met the norm." They've said, "You don't want to be on cruise control," and that's because things change. And they've also said, "You don't want to just take a snapshot of your program at a given time." And that's kind of what the CEO of Advanced Micro Devices was saying too. And that's because any time you're looking backwards rather than forwards, you could miss the iceberg that's looming up ahead and going to sink the Titanic. So at any rate, I think benchmarking can be very useful, but you have to use it for the right purposes and you have to bear in mind the limitations. Emily Miner: Right. Absolutely. It's never the be all end all. It's one data point that we should be collecting and looking at in some situations and not others. And in those situations, it's one of many that we should be considering when we're thinking about program effectiveness. Susan Divers: Yeah, it's an element. Yep, absolutely. Emily Miner: So let's kind of tease this out a little bit more. Where do you see benchmarking being helpful? I know that you gave those three scenarios, but maybe if you could pick out a concrete example to share against any of those three scenarios to illustrate how it can be helpful or when it can backfire. Susan Divers: Sure. Well, let's pick another consumer company, Anheuser-Busch. This is a great example because it illustrates how benchmarking can be used very effectively to drive a best practice. Anheuser-Busch had a very prominent CECO who has very recently left to go to the Department of Justice in the last couple of months. When he was there, he set up an internal data analytics program that was able to pull data from their own systems, payments, SAP of course, onboarding and pick out red flags without, if you will, human intervention. In other words, he was able to take a number of data streams from various parts of the company and meld them together. And because he was very good CECO, he was able to figure out what some of the risk signs were or the red flags. What it did is it enabled Anheuser to manage its third parties, which if you think about it, beer distribute, beer companies have a lot of third parties. And then they could focus in on those companies, those third parties where there were red flags. They didn't have to audit everybody to the same degree of intensity. And that approach of internal data analytics was a best practice that was gathering steam, sorry. But once Matt really took it to the next level and showed how it could be done, then it really became mainstream in the E&C area. And Matt's now at DOJ. So if you're going to go in and have tense talks with regulators, being able to talk about what you're doing in benchmarking is important. And it takes us back to Reveal where Reveal is a really powerful tool that we've developed that will enable you to see red flags or predictive factors. And again, remember looking backwards doesn't really help you because it doesn't tell you if there's a big iceberg about to sink the Titanic. But looking forward and saying, gosh, the data that's coming in from Asia on attempts to pass courses or on our Ethical Pulse Culture check or other features is worrying. It's nothing specific that we know about at this point, but it indicates that, I'm just picking on Asia randomly, it indicates that we need to spend some time in Asia figuring out what's going on. So that's really an excellent use of benchmarking and that's a good story as to how understanding what best practices are emerging and adapting them then for you, because nobody could simply take Matt's system of third party analytics and plug it into their company and come up with the same results. It has to be tailored and it has to be specific. But that's a really good example of what DOJ is talking about in this area where they say you have to tailor it to your risks. So does that make sense? Emily Miner: Yeah, absolutely. It's a great example with Anheuser-Busch and the system that they set up. I want to kind of talk about specific types of data that we collect in ethics and compliance or can collect, because I feel like the kind of two most common ones that organizations want to benchmark are training completion rates, that's a metric that is easy to collect and is often one that is shared, and hotline. "Oh, my hotline reports. How does this compare?" And the hotline providers will publish annual benchmarking reports on hotline. So we've got course completions, we've got hotline data, but we also collect other data points, or there are other places where we could to think about program effectiveness. I'd love to hear from you, as you think about the universe of ethics and compliance data, where do you think kind of benchmarking holds water and where does it not? Susan Divers: That's a great question, Emily, and I'm glad you asked it. Let's start with the hotline because that's a really good example in a lot of ways of two of the pitfalls. One of the major pitfalls that we touched on is are you comparing apples to apples or apples to potatoes? A company, let's take Starbucks for example, they have 300,000, relatively young, many of them first job employees. And are they going to call the hotline if they see something or worried about something? The odds are probably no even though they've got a big kind of young and engaged workforce because they're inexperienced. Most of their employees, I was talking to their CECO last week, and most of their employees really haven't worked extensively in the workplace. So Starbucks might have really low hotline numbers. Another company that's largely unionized, on the other hand, because unionized workers generally know about the hotline and they know about formal complaint processes, they'll have high hotline usage compared to other companies. Let's just pick a slightly ridiculous example, but a big manufacturer of clothing like the Gap or something. You'll have unionized workers in the plants, but Booz Allen is a consulting company. Are you going to compare hotlines between Booz Allen and the Gap? That really is an apples to potatoes comparison. So I think hotline benchmarking, and I know most of my colleagues in the E&C area would agree is very, very difficult because you'd have to really know what the workforces are to try to get an idea. And then secondly, it can be driven by other factors such as when I was at AECOM, we deployed a lot of people in the Middle East and the conditions were harsh. So our hotline complaints would go up when people were under stress, but another company might not have that circumstance. Emily Miner: Yeah, that's such a great point about when you're using benchmarking and you're considering using benchmarking, you have to be really thoughtful about what that benchmark pool is made up of. The union example is such a great one because even within the same industry, you compared the Gap to Booz Allen, but even within the manufacturing industry, for example, not all manufacturing company has a unionized workforce. So you can think, "Oh, well it's manufacturing, so it's comparable," but it might not be depending on the workforce dynamics. That level of insight isn't always available when we're benchmark data sources. Susan Divers: We forgot one thing that both of us know, which is I think the last stat I saw was more than 90% of meaningful issues are not raised through the hotline, they're raised in conversations with managers. So I've never been a fan of hotline benchmarking. Emily Miner: Yes, absolutely. Susan Divers: But to turn to training completions, that's an interesting one too. Again, it really depends. If you're using an old fashioned training provider whose library consists of 45 minute or even longer lectures, sort of Soviet style on the evils of sexual harassment, first, it's probably not very effective. And secondly, a lot of people won't complete a 45 minute course just because it's long. If the training is repetitive and hectoring, they'll drop out. Whereas the kinds of courses that we have and that we emphasize are very engaging, they tend to be shorter, they tend to be more microburst learning. So again, what are you comparing? Do you have a lot of employees on the shop floor? Well, it's hard for them. They can't really just take a break, sit down at their laptop and open up a course on antitrust. So again, I think training completions can be tricky. It doesn't mean it isn't interesting to see that data, but figuring out, again, whether you're making an apples to apples or an apples to potato comparison, I think is really important. And then secondly, remember, it's retrospective looking. It's not telling you anything about what's coming around the corner. Emily Miner: Mm-hmm. One thing that we've focused on in this discussion is comparing ourselves to other organizations. I mean, that was how I even defined benchmarking at the outset, but there's also internal benchmarking, comparing your own performance year over year or whatever the period of time is. When you were just talking about training completion, it made me think about that internal comparison, less so with training completion because I think it tends to be high, a lot of companies mandate it so there can be penalties for not completing training. So if it's high for that reason alone whether or not it's good or relevant to employees or they liked it or whatever. But thinking about metrics like pass/fail rates or number of attempts or test outs or some of those more nuanced training related data points and comparing against yourself year over year and seeing what has changed and what might be the result of that. I mean, maybe you noticed in year one that it was taking the majority of your employees or a significant minority of your employees more attempts than you wanted to answer certain questions correctly related to a certain risk topic. And so then as a result, you rolled out some focused communication and maybe you targeted specific groups of people where you noticed were particularly struggling for additional manager led conversations or whatever. And then in year two, does that pass rate or attempt rate improve? That's a helpful metric because you're comparing apples to apples, you're comparing yourself and you're able to connect it back directly to specific interventions that you may have need to make improvements in that area. So I just wanted to point out that benchmarking can be done internally as well. It's not always an external exercise even though that does tend to be how we talk about it. Susan Divers: Well, and you're exactly right, and that's where it gets really valuable because first you can make sure that you're comparing apples to apples. For example, if you've just done a merger and suddenly your population of employees has doubled, well obviously then you know that you've got a much different comparison year over year, but you can break that down and you can make those comparisons by manipulating the data. Secondly, your Ethical Culture pulse survey is a really good tool year over year adjusted for employee population size. And if we've got new people coming in the company, a merger for example. And it can be proactive. It can, again, spot trends as you were just saying that indicate that you may need to spend more time with people. But the beauty of internal benchmarking, particularly the way Reveal has set that up for our clients and made it easy is that you can get genuine insights looking at what happened last year, what happened this year and you know some of the reasons why there may have been a change. Whereas if you're comparing yourself to, I don't know, Ernst & Young, you don't. You don't have visibility in terms of their numbers. So internal benchmarking, I think you're right to stress that. And it's a very, very valuable tool. Emily Miner: I've done, as you know, a lot of work with organizations evaluating and assessing their ethical culture. The trend that I've noticed with those clients that we've done this type of work year over year over year is that the benchmark, the external benchmark just grows. It's important kind of in year one and maybe year two, but after that it ceases to be relevant and the companies don't really care what it is anymore because it's also they're not shooting for the benchmark. The benchmark is often the average and they want to be above average. And so it's more about competing with yourselves and how did we improve against our own performance last year? And so that's just been interesting to observe. I think as companies get more robust in their use of data and their tools and how it informs their strategy in some areas like ethical culture for example, that external comparison just becomes less relevant over time. Susan Divers: That's a really good point too. And that gets back to the Department of Justice saying, "Don't put your program on cruise control." And I do remember, I think it was 15 years ago when benchmarking was much more trendy and before people really thought through the limitations, someone was bragging that they had benchmarked their program against Boeing. Boeing then subsequently had major meltdowns left, right, and center most specifically and tragically the 737 MAX where people died. And so running around saying, "Hey, my program benchmarks well against Boeing" may not have been really a compliment to the program in the end. But it also misses the point which you're making, which is you have to look at your program and what's gaining traction with your people and where the proactive red flags are emerging because that's what enables you not to be Boeing, not to pick on Boeing, but it's a good example. Emily Miner: So Susan, let's wrap up by offering some recommendations to organizations that are thinking about program effectiveness, how they measure that. They want to have those benchmarks. Maybe they fall into those three scenarios that you outlined at the beginning. What recommendations or best practices would you offer to those organizations, to your peers? Susan Divers: Well, the first one is be really smart about it and avoid comparing apples to potatoes. And to do that, you have to really think it through. What are we comparing to whom and how similar are they? I really, again, think that's most useful for kind of like, "Are we in the mainstream? Or is there something maybe we forgot?" If it turns out that everybody in your industry has suddenly amended their training curriculum to train about trade controls in the wake of the Ukraine war and you haven't, well, that's a helpful benchmark. But I think the main ones that are valuable are what we were talking about with best practices and data analytics and the creative use of data analytics that are tailored to that particular company is a great example of that. And then the second one as you pointed out which I think is equally valuable and really essential too, is internal benchmarking up to a point where you're able to see what direction things are going in. And again, it's more in the nature of red flags rather than a way of saying, "Hey, we met the requirement, we're good." It's, "How are people doing this year compared to last? What does that tell me about where I need to focus my resources?" Emily Miner: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah, Susan, thank you so much. And thank you for joining me on this episode. We are out of time for today. So to everyone out there listening, thank you for listening to the Principled Podcast by LRN. It was a pleasure to talk with you, Susan. Susan Divers: Oh, it's always a pleasure to talk to you, Emily. Outro: We hope you enjoyed this episode. The Principled Podcast is brought to you by LRN. At LRN, our mission is to inspire principled performance in global organizations by helping them foster winning ethical cultures rooted in sustainable values. Please visit us at lrn.com to learn more. And if you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or wherever you listen and don't forget to leave us a review.        

In this episode, I visit with Erica Salmon Byrne, now CEO at Ethisphere. We review the firm's recent acquisition by Alpine Investors, a B-Corp. Key areas we discuss on this podcast are: What does this new partnership mean for Ethisphere? Who is Alpine Investors, and what is a B Corp. What is People Focused Private Equity, and why was this a good fit for Ethisphere? What will be Erica's role going forward? How this move will refocus Ethisphere's efforts in ESG.  Resources Ethisphere Press Release Ethisphere Alpine Investors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What you'll learn in this podcast episode How are boards of directors of major companies coping in 2022 with the increasing expectations from so many stakeholders? How can directors equip themselves to meet oversight challenges and ensure that their companies do business in the right way? In this episode of the Principled Podcast, guest host Dr. Marsha Ershaghi Hames explores the critical role of boards in shaping ethical corporate culture with Diana Sands, an accomplished corporate leader who currently sits on the boards of SP Plus Corporation and PDC Energy. Listen in as the two discuss the evolving responsibilities and tools for today's boards, including guidance from the latest report from LRN and Tapestry Networks: Assessing Corporate Culture: A Practical Guide to Improving Board Oversight.   Principled Podcast Show Notes [2:15] – Diana Sand's background and its impact on her board roles. [8:07] - The push for board culture refreshment and ESG priorities. [12:06] - Thoughts on changing attitudes toward board culture. [15:37] – Board needs for transparency, accountability, and communication. [18:34] - Navigating structural impediments and the Assessing Corporate Culture report.   Featured guest: Diana Sands Diana Sands brings over 30 years of business experience to her board and advisory roles having held senior executive finance and governance positions across multiple industries. Diana currently serves on the boards of SP+ (Nasdaq: SP), PDC Energy, Inc. (Nasdaq: PDCE), and National Philanthropic Trust (the largest independent provider of donor-advised funds). She is the Board Chair for Start Early, a non-profit champion for quality early learning. She is also an advisor to New Vista Acquisition Corp. and to Ethisphere (a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices). Diana retired from The Boeing Company in 2020 where she was an executive officer and Senior Vice President, at the Office of Internal Governance and Administration. Reporting to the CEO and to the audit committee, Diana oversaw a diverse team including ethics & investigations, compliance risk management, internal audit, security, and internal services. Previously, Diana held senior finance roles at Boeing including corporate controller where she signed and oversaw the development of the company's financial statements, and head of investor relations where she was the primary management liaison with investors and industry analysts. She also led financial planning & analysis and worked in corporate treasury. Prior experiences include leading financial planning & reporting for General Motors Corporation and working at several companies in audit and product line finance positions. Diana has an MBA from Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management, and a BBA from the University of Michigan Ross Business School.   Featured Host: Dr. Marsha Ershaghi Hames Dr. Marsha Ershaghi Hames is a partner with Tapestry Networks and a leader of our corporate governance practice. She advises non-executive directors, C-suite executives, and in-house counsel on issues related to governance, culture transformation, board leadership, and stakeholder engagement. Prior to joining Tapestry, Marsha was a managing director of strategy and development at LRN, Inc. a global governance, risk and compliance firm. She specialized in the alignment of leaders and organizations for effective corporate governance and organizational culture transformation. Her view is that compliance is no longer merely a legal matter but a strategic and reputational priority.  Marsha has been interviewed and cited by the media including CNBC, CNN, Ethisphere, HR Magazine, Compliance Week, The FCPA Report, Entrepreneur.com, Chief Learning Officer, ATD Talent & Development, Corporate Counsel Magazine, the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics and more. She hosted the Principled Podcast, profiling the stories of some of the top transformational leaders in business. Marsha serves as an expert fellow on USC's Neely Center for Ethical Leadership and Decision Making and on the advisory boards of LMH Strategies, Inc. an integrative supply chain advisory firm and Compliance.ai, a regulatory change management firm. Marsha holds an Ed.D. and MA from Pepperdine University. Her research was on the role of ethical leadership as an enabler of organizational culture change. Her BA is from the University of Southern California. She is a certified compliance and ethics professional.   Principled Podcast Transcript Intro: Welcome to the Principled Podcast brought to you by LRN. The Principled Podcast brings together the collective wisdom on ethics, business and compliance, transformative stories of leadership, and inspiring workplace culture. Listen in to discover valuable strategies from our community of business leaders and workplace change makers. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: How are boards of directors of major companies coping in 2022 with the increasing expectations from so many stakeholders? How are boards equipping themselves to meet the challenges of overseeing organizations? And how can directors ensure that their companies are doing the right things and doing business in the right way? Hello, and welcome to another episode of LRN's Principled Podcast, where we continue our conversations about the critical role of boards in shaping ethical corporate culture. I'm your guest host Marsha Ershaghi Hames, a partner at Tapestry Networks. And today, I'm joined by Diana Sands, an accomplished corporate leader who currently sits on the boards of SP Plus Corporation and PDC Energy. Today, we're going to talk about the evolving responsibilities of today's boards, many of which are outlined in the newest report, Assessing Corporate Culture, a report from LRN and Tapestry Networks. Diana, thank you so much for coming on the Principled Podcast. Diana Sands: Thank you, Marsha. It's great to be here. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: Let's kick off. Diana, you had an accomplished career, retiring as an executive officer and senior vice president in the office of internal governance and administration at the Boeing Company. And you have now turned to service on corporate boards. Your career has spanned a variety of leadership roles across multiple industries and disciplines. Maybe for our listeners, we can kick off by hearing more about, just tell us about your background and career and how this has informed your approach to serving as a director. Diana Sands: Sure. And thank you again, Marsha, for having me. As you noted, across 30-plus years, I worked in various industries, including professional services, consumer products, and industrials, mostly in finance roles. I held several finance leadership positions, including corporate controller at Boeing. And my last role, as you alluded to, before I retired, was reporting to the CEO and the audit committee in a chief administration and chief ethics and compliance role. As you also mentioned, I currently serve on both public company and nonprofit boards. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: How has this experience started to really shape or inform your approach to serving as a director? Diana Sands: You know, Marsha, I think the breadth of my experience is mainly what shapes me as a director. I've been part of a lot of different business opportunities and challenges. And with that, I tend to think pretty holistically, whether it's assessing an opportunity starting with a strategy all the way to how it can be practically executed, or dealing with a particular challenge, which often means quickly yet systematically gathering facts, evaluating options, and then taking actions. I do believe that the best way to leverage experiences is not to automatically duplicate what one has done in the past. In fact, I don't really love hearing a director simply stating, "This is what we used to do at XYZ Company." I think the greater value from past experiences is a director's ability, because of those experiences, to quickly absorb an existing situation and think through the possible outcomes. And that's the approach I tend to try to take in the boardroom. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: We're going to dive into some of how you're transferring some of your unique background as a compliance and ethics officer into the boardroom. But first, I want to take a step back. I mean, when I look across 30 years, across all the sectors that you have developed your career in, you were probably or likely one of the few women executives in these fields. I'm just curious, as you look back, were there any mentors or, I'll use the term sponsors, that sort of provided more guidance, influence, coaching through developing your career journey? Diana Sands: Yeah, definitely. And I think you're right. I was often the only female and/or minority in rooms during my career. I do think the good news is that it's changing, albeit maybe slowly, but it's changing across all sectors. But having said that, mentors are definitely important, and I had several great ones. Most of them, by the way, were white males because that's who I was primarily working with. But I remember one very early in my public accounting career, a manager who showed me tough love as he reviewed my work papers. He was really hard on me and my work, but it was formative in the way I think today. In fact, that holistic approach I mentioned earlier is in large part thanks to this person who taught me early on to always think about that bigger picture. And then later in my career, another mentor, one of the CEOs I worked closely with, pushed me to aspire for more than I might have otherwise. He's the one who coached, or maybe coaxed is the better word. He coaxed me to take on some roles that went beyond my comfort zone. But ultimately, those were the roles that enabled me to ascend to the C-suite, which also was critical in getting my current board positions. Those are a couple mentors, I've had several, but I think the common thread across all my mentors is that they not only took an interest in me, but they really pushed me to be better, to stretch, and to be uncomfortable. I think that's important to advance in a career and in life, I think. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: No, it's so true. Let's continue down this path. You do bring a unique background to the board as a former compliance and ethics officer. It's not a typical skill set that we see serving today on the other side of the table. Tell me a little bit about how that maybe shaped or influenced landing your first board seat and how the lens in which you look at information or assess decisions is impacted by this background. Diana Sands: Yeah. You know, I think that's absolutely right, Marsha. In fact, my board roles were obtained not so much because of my ethics and compliance experience, but because of my finance background. They were boards that were specifically looking for a financial expert, which I can be deemed as one, because public boards, as you know, need some number of financial experts. But interestingly, I find that when I contribute in the boardroom today, it's more often from my broader governance and ethics and compliance experience. I'll often ask questions about how things get done at the company, which alludes to culture, gets at culture, not just what gets done. Monitoring risk management is a key responsibility of boards. And again, I find my broader governance experience helpful in those discussions. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: Talking a little bit about your broader, bigger picture experience around governance, excuse me, there have been a lot of conversations about the need to change the chemistry in the room, the culture of the board. And board refreshment is kind of at the top priority of this dialogue. So, composition, what are the skills we need in the room to support some of these governance practices? What are you seeing from your vantage point? Are things changing? Are boards more open today to soliciting and considering other types of skills and backgrounds for board seats? Diana Sands: Definitely, yes. I think board refreshment is an important topic in many boardrooms these days. In fact, all of my boards, not just the public boards, but my nonprofit boards as well, have been talking about board composition and board refreshment. I think they're all looking for diversity. I do think companies and boards are beginning to look now for individuals who have broader experiences than just those who have been a CEO, CFO, or operating leader, which I think is what was very common years ago as boards were trying to fill their boardrooms. There are certain experiences like cybersecurity and ESG, for example, which are experiences much more being sought after today in boardrooms. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: Yeah, no, and I mean, it takes us to the next segment I wanted to dive deeper into with ESG priorities right now. There's one thing to draw on outside experts, but it's another thing to be able to interpret data, really try to develop the linkages, ensure that conversations with the right folks in management are clear on advancing, but with the focus on climate risk and people-talent issues, and cyber and technology. I mean, how are some of your boards thinking or approaching thinking differently around oversight of these issues and the types of skills that you need in the room? Diana Sands: Yeah, indeed. All those topics you mentioned are really relevant in the boardroom today, especially as regulatory bodies are considering what additional reporting requirements may be required in these areas. I think having board members who have practical experience, by the way, in these areas, cyber, climate, technology, is really helpful and almost becoming necessary, especially if their experience is recent because many of these areas are so rapidly evolving. Even talent management is different than it was a couple decades ago. The workforce today can span multiple generations. It's more technologically savvy and more diverse than ever. So having board members who are in touch with today's environment is important, which I think is driving a lot of refreshment activities.     I would also go back to something I said earlier. I think that it's important that directors don't immediately rely on the way they did things years ago. Oversight of these evolving issues requires being on top of how they're evolving. So to your point, leveraging expertise within the company with external consultants, advisors as needed, and listening to those board members with these recent experiences, I think is critical. And then of course, ensuring that these topics are given the appropriate time in the boardroom is also important, which I'm certainly seeing in all of my boards. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: So you're seeing a shift more so, because it seems like almost every committee is becoming an ESG committee. So, how do you keep this focus? Diana Sands: You know, it's funny because one of my companies, sometimes one of the board members will mention, "Wow, we're actually talking about an operational issue today." And this company's pretty well run. Because so much time we're spending now on these topics, because of everything we've just been talking about, it is getting more time and attention in boardrooms. And to your point, you're right. I think boards are also trying to figure out how to make sure that there's some deliberate discussions around them, and more and more ESG-type committees are being created. But there's no doubt, more focus in these areas today than there were in years past. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: Yeah, yeah. Well, let's go back to a comment you also made about the tone or the theme of, well, this is how we used to do things. That lends me to a question more on board culture. It is always more comfortable to lean on the levers of the past. It's consistent, it's what we know. As I've certainly spoken to a number of newer directors or directors that are occupying newer seats, I've heard varying input on, do they feel as comfortable voicing or asking unpopular questions or challenging the status quo.     I'm sort of curious from your vantage point and your current experience, do you see any type of shift or shift in momentum around assessing board culture, boards being a little bit more cognizant of, we need to assess our culture of how we discuss, debate, challenge things. What are some of the changes that you're seeing, if any? Diana Sands: Yeah, I do think, Marsha, that culture in all organizations is becoming much more important to examine, and more organizations are doing so. Some of that, I think, it's unfortunately because of the terrible events in recent years related to racial inequities. But I'm also hoping some of it is because it's simply just becoming clearer to everyone that culture really does drive everything that happens in an organization. And I am finding that boards, again, at least the boards I'm part of, again, both public and nonprofit, have been going through some sort of process to advance its own culture. I think that's really good, in my view.  I will also say that I think there's a bit of kind of personal responsibility in this. I do try to take on personal responsibility to help advance culture in every group I'm part of. I'm talking, these are day-to-day actions, not big initiatives. For example, things I try to do include not being afraid to bring up a different view. You alluded to that, especially if it's a minority view. I'll try to do it respectfully and productively, but I'll make sure, and I'll really deliberately in my head, make sure to express that view. I also try to bring out every voice in the room. I will often ask someone for their thoughts if they've been quiet, and that happens even in boardrooms. There are always some folks who speak more and some who speak less. And finally, I still try to make sure I personally am feeling some discomfort at times, again, something I learned from my mentors. It's one reason the boards I sit on today, Marsha, are part of industries different than what I've worked in in the past. They're learning experiences for me. Also, in a boardroom, and maybe as simple as going over to talk to that person who is most different than I am, the one I have the least in common with. I'll sometimes actually have to force myself to do that because it may be a bit uncomfortable, but I know it will help advance the culture and the dynamic of the group. Yes, I think cultures are shifting in boardrooms. I think each of us should think about what we can personally do to help that journey. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: You've been a part of contributing, and not only to the ethics, culture, and compliance network, but also the Assessing Corporate Culture framework that was recently released. And these insights also came up both in the interviews and in some of the questions that were being developed. One was around the need for greater transparency, a sense of accountability, and better communication or optimization of communication, not only amongst board members, but also between the board and management. A few executives raised, "We want to be able to bring difficult news to the board and be able to have that conversation." Tell me, in your experience, what can this look like? Or how practically, what role can the directors play to create the space to encourage more of this open communication and transparent communication? Diana Sands: First of all, those qualities you mentioned, transparency, communication, accountability, they are really important and they're hallmarks of a strong culture. And there's no question, there's many pieces of data that show these healthier cultures drive better results. I think the board sets the tone in many ways. The board's own culture actually flows down in many ways to what the management team and the company, what they do and they operate. If the board operates in an environment of inclusiveness, of open dialogue and debate, and the management team sees that, and the board engages in that kind of behavior with the management team, that will affect the dynamic where those tougher issues can be brought up and discussed. And it also flows throughout the organization. So I think it's really important. I do think on the topic specifically of raising those difficult issues, it's not easy, but good boards, I think, do create the space for that. I think to start with, the board actually has to, board members themselves need to be willing and wanting to hear those difficult issues. And then the directors actually have to do some work to help pull them out. It's always easy or nice. It's nice for board members, it's nice for everyone to hear good news. But we also have to, I think, proactively be asking, "What's not going well? What is the management team worried about?"   Seek out those tougher issues and be willing to deal with them alongside management. I think that's what board members can do. But I don't think it's necessarily all that easy because it can be hard to hear and it can be hard for management teams to share the tough news. But I think the more the board and the board members make it easier for them, where we listen, we're willing to listen to them, we want to hear them. We may not like what we're hearing, but we need and want to hear them. And we're willing to work with them through those issues. That'll help set the environment for those tougher issues to be brought up and discussed, which is absolutely, we all know, necessary for effective boards to do. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: Another insight that came out of this report that you contributed to was also structural impediments. I know you certainly can draw upon your experience both as a senior executive with oversight of compliance and ethics, and now on the other side of the table, but one of the directors said just the structure of boards can make it difficult for a board to really get a clear picture of culture. I just want to get your perspective on how important or critical is it for the board to hear from other management voices? I mean, typically, boards have looked to CEOs to get an overall understanding or pulse on culture. How important is it to bring other voices in like the compliance officer, ethics officer, or CHRO? Is there an independence opportunity? Is there contextual opportunity? Just love to get your perspective on that. Diana Sands: Oh, totally. And by the way, you've mentioned this report a couple times. I do want to give credit to Tapestry and LRN. You all did an excellent job on this guide. And also frankly, on convening the conversations that led up to this guide being developed. I just want to put that out there, Marsha. I think it was an excellent, it is an excellent product. But yeah, I think it's really important for board members to engage with, certainly, obviously, the CEO and his or her leadership team is often who the board will engage with. And I think that's really important, members of that senior leadership team. But then also going deeper, we've talked about this in some of our conversations, going out and kind of seeing sites where you get a sense, you get a sense. It depends how big the organization is, and it's often you have to keep in mind as we discuss, management teams will put forth their best team, their best people. But you do get a sense when you're out there engaging. So I think engagement by board members with team members is important. I do think having that dialogue with those leaders who I think in many ways are touching and influencing and seeing culture, the company's, every day, whether it's the chief ethics and compliance officer or the chief HR officer, or the chief legal council, depending on how the organization is structured. It is really important for board members to have direct engagement with them as well. I think many boards do, but I think board members need to be really attentive to those engagements because you can pick up a lot, not just from the tactics of what's going on and the results of what's going on at the company, but also you get a lot of indications of culture when you talk with these folks in the company. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: And my final question, Diana, and I appreciate you highlighting the report, but how are you thinking of leveraging some of the guiding points from the report? I mean, you contributed to helping us develop questions that directors can use for reflection and questions that they can certainly explore with management teams. But speaking to your peers, you've got directors listening, how can they use this framework as a roadmap with their peers and management teams? Diana Sands: Yeah, first I want to spread, and I'm going to do this with my context, but I really just hope this guide gets out. It's really great, what you all have done. You've got summary points. If you just want to go on the website and look at some of the summary points and some questions boards can ask. Or you can download the whole guide, which I think is just, like I said, really well done. There are a lot of practical tips there. What I plan to take out of it, I hope others do, there are some questions there that boards can ask. There are examples of how the board can itself set a good example of culture. And it also notes ways we can measure culture with tools that are likely already being used at companies, like surveys, internal audit reports, and employee-related data. I think importantly, when I stepped back and looked at it again, even though I was part of the team that gave you input on putting this together, but when I stepped back and read it again, I think it will help directors, when they look at this guide, realize that many topics already discussed in boardrooms provide an opportunity to delve deeper into culture. For example, DE&I statistics, which are regularly being talked about now, I think, in most company boardrooms, company mission and value statements, hotline reports. These among many others are ways to discuss company culture. Risk management is another one. And in fact, in one of my boards, we had an annual risk management dialogue where all the board and C-suite members had to complete a risk tolerance survey. It was just part of their normal risk management process. But when we talked about it, it was fascinating as we reviewed the results to see the similarities and differences. And we ended up having a great conversation about culture. I think this guide is just a really practical and useful tool for board members to just realize, actually, that in many ways, there are avenues to delve deeper into culture and that obviously, it's really important to do so. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: So true. And I think one of your colleagues on the committee of contributors of this said, "We just have to get the conversation started." Diana Sands: Exactly. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: It's just important to start asking the questions and get the conversation started. But Diana, we're out of time, but there's so many insights that you've shared with our listeners today. Some great nuggets here that we can take away. I want to thank you for creating time and space to share your thoughts and for joining us on this episode. So Diana, thank you. Diana Sands: It's been my pleasure. Thanks, Marsha. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: And to all of our listeners, my name is Marsha Ershaghi Hames, and we appreciate you all for tuning in to this episode of the Principled Podcast by LRN. Outro: We hope you enjoyed this episode. The Principled Podcast is brought to you by LRN. At LRN, our mission is to inspire principled performance in global organizations by helping them foster winning ethical cultures rooted in sustainable values. Please visit us at LRN.com to learn more. And if you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or wherever you listen. And don't forget to leave us a review.

In this episode of the FCPA Compliance Report, I am joined by Erica Salmon Byrne, President of Ethisphere and Chair of the Ethisphere's Business Ethics Leadership Alliance. Some of the highlights include: 1.     Ethisphere announces the 2023 World's Most Ethical application process.  2.     What is the application process? 3.     What is the Ethics Quotient and why is it such a useful measure?  4.     What are the 5 categories of evaluation? 5.     Why is going through the application process itself so useful? 6.     How can a company use it as a benchmarking exercise? 7.     How does the Ethisphere “The Sphere” interact with the application process? 8.     What are the 6 archetypes of value creation? Resources Erica Salmon Byrne Ethisphere World's Most Ethical Companies application process, here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What you'll learn in this podcast episode What is top of mind with board directors when they think about corporate culture, ethics, and compliance? How can leaders best assess culture in the companies they oversee? In the season 8 premiere of the Principled Podcast, LRN Director of Advisory Services Emily Miner is joined by Dr. Marsha Ershaghi Hames and Dr. Eric Baldwin at Tapestry Networks to discuss how board members can improve oversight. Listen in as the group shares insights from Tapestry Networks and LRN's joint report Assessing Corporate Culture: A Practical Guide to Improving Board Oversight, which draws from a working group of nearly 40 directors and executives representing over 60 public companies. Principled Podcast Show Notes [0:29] - Emily welcomes listeners to this episode with Marsha and Eric of Tapestry Networks.  [1:46] - A discussion on the recently published report, “Assessing Corporate Culture: A Practical Guide to Improving Board Oversight.” [6:14] - Why the report offers a practical framework and what needs it seeks to address. [9:59] - The key findings or pillars of the report. [15:22] - How the report helps leaders answer “How?” questions. [20:30] - What is the potential broader impact of the report?   Featured guest: Dr. Eric Baldwin Eric Baldwin is a principal at Tapestry Networks, working with teams in the firm's corporate governance and financial services practices. Prior to coming to Tapestry, he served for several years as a research associate at Harvard Business School (HBS), where he collaborated with faculty on a variety of research and writing projects covering topics ranging from organizational culture and change management to corporate strategy and healthcare policy. Prior to his time at HBS, Eric taught in the religious studies departments at Franklin & Marshall College and Boston University, while earlier in his career he served in engineering and operations roles at ON Technology Corporation, a software development firm based in greater Boston.  Eric holds a PhD in religious studies from Boston University and a BA in history from the College of William and Mary.   Featured guest: Dr. Marsha Ershaghi Hames Dr. Marsha Ershaghi Hames is a partner with Tapestry Networks and a leader of our corporate governance practice. She advises non-executive directors, C-suite executives, and in-house counsel on issues related to governance, culture transformation, board leadership, and stakeholder engagement. Prior to joining Tapestry, Marsha was a managing director of strategy and development at LRN, Inc. a global governance, risk and compliance firm. She specialized in the alignment of leaders and organizations for effective corporate governance and organizational culture transformation. Her view is that compliance is no longer merely a legal matter but a strategic and reputational priority.  Marsha has been interviewed and cited by the media including CNBC, CNN, Ethisphere, HR Magazine, Compliance Week, The FCPA Report, Entrepreneur.com, Chief Learning Officer, ATD Talent & Development, Corporate Counsel Magazine, the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics and more. She hosted the Principled Podcast, profiling the stories of some of the top transformational leaders in business. Marsha serves as an expert fellow on USC's Neely Center for Ethical Leadership and Decision Making and on the advisory boards of LMH Strategies, Inc. an integrative supply chain advisory firm and Compliance.ai, a regulatory change management firm. Marsha holds an Ed.D. and MA from Pepperdine University. Her research was on the role of ethical leadership as an enabler of organizational culture change. Her BA is from the University of Southern California. She is a certified compliance and ethics professional.   Featured Host: Emily Miner Emily Miner is the Director of Advisory Services at LRN's Ethics & Compliance Advisory practice. She counsels executive leadership teams on how to actively shape and manage their ethical culture through deep quantitative and qualitative understanding and engagement. A skilled facilitator, Emily emphasizes co-creative, bottom-up, and data-driven approaches to foster ethical behavior and inform program strategy. Emily has led engagements with organizations in the healthcare, technology, manufacturing, energy, professional services, and education industries. Emily co-leads LRN's ongoing flagship research on E&C program effectiveness and is a thought leader in the areas of organizational culture, leadership, and E&C program impact. Prior to joining LRN, Emily applied her behavioral science expertise in the environmental sustainability sector, working with non-profits and several New England municipalities; facilitated earth science research in academia; and contributed to drafting and advancing international climate policy goals. Emily has a Master of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University and graduated summa cum laude from the University of Florida with a degree in Anthropology.     Principled Podcast Transcript Intro: Welcome to the Principled Podcast brought to you by LRN. The Principled Podcast brings together the collective wisdom on ethics, business and compliance, transformative stories of leadership and inspiring workplace culture. Listen in to discover valuable strategies from our community of business leaders and workplace change makers. Emily Miner: What is top of mind with board directors when they think about corporate culture, ethics and compliance? How can leaders best assess culture in the companies they oversee? Hi, and welcome to another episode of LRN's Principled Podcast. I'm your host, Emily Miner, director of advisory at LRN. And today I'm joined by Dr. Marsha Ershaghi Hames and Dr. Eric Baldwin partner and principal respectively at Tapestry Networks. We're going to be talking about corporate culture and how board members can improve oversight. Marsha and Eric have just collaborated with us at LRN on a report entitled, "Assessing Corporate Culture: A practical guide to improving board oversight." The report presents insights from a working group of nearly 40 directors and executives representing over 60 public companies, including some of the largest companies in the world: Cigna, Sony, McKesson, Lockheed Martin, CDW, Coca-Cola, Excel Energy and Palo Alto Networks included. Marsha, Eric, thanks for joining me on the Principled Podcast today. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: It's great to be here. Eric Baldwin: Thanks for having us, Emily. Emily Miner: Okay, so let's jump right in. This report, a guide really, assessing corporate culture is the result of working group sessions of the ethics, culture and compliance network. Marsha, let me start with you. What is the ECCN, who are its members, and how did it come to be? Marsha Ershaghi Hames: Sure. Great. We're happy to continue to share the Ethics Culture Compliance Network progress. This network was founded in the summer of 2020. I mean, it was during the thick of a pandemic. Companies were spiraling. It was just a lot of crisis management and companies were starting to take a real reflective step back. They were assessing where do we need to look? How do we need to assess our planning for longer term future? And the conversation emerged initially, Emily, as a forum. It was a safe space to convene. Public company directors and senior executives, namely chief ethics and compliance officers, to really start exploring values, corporate culture and the role of ethical decision making in business. Emily, if I can highlight just a few key aspects that the stakeholders of ECCN started to really prioritize over the last two years, number one, the need for boards and executive teams to align and articulate culture so that management feels supported. Number two, to address the challenge of getting ethics and culture on board agendas and to really promote directors going deeper with management, we're going to get to shortly. Number three, ECCN stakeholders have continued to really want a forum to share peer to peer examples, pragmatic examples of the need for better communication and greater transparency between the CECO, the broader management team and the board. Emily Miner: Thanks, Marsha. Having sat in on some of these sessions, I know that those specific examples that you just alluded to, those were among some of the most powerful conversation prompts. So I think that the members got a lot of value out of that. I certainly know I did. And so this report builds on a report that we, Tapestry Networks and LRN, collaborated on last year, activating culture and ethics from the boardroom, which was a really insightful temperature check on board's attitudes about culture. Eric, can you talk about that project and how it led to this latest one? Eric Baldwin: Sure. With the last year's activating culture report, we had set out to understand the realities facing boards and their oversight of ethics and culture. What were their key concerns, the challenges they face, current practices. So to get at that, we interviewed 40 directors who occupied about 80 seats on public company boards with the aim of getting a really broad view of board oversight of ethics and culture. What we found was a pretty diverse range of practices across boards, in terms of what kinds of information they were receiving, their engagement with their management teams, including how often they heard from their chief ethics and compliance officer, a range of assignments of committee responsibilities and really it's just a variability and how much attention the issues get from boards. We also found a real lack of comfort among directors. So directors recognize the importance of culture and the risks associated with ethical lapses or with unhealthy cultures, but recognize that their ability to oversee culture doesn't have the level of clarity and rigor that you find in other aspects of board oversight, like say financial reporting. So there's a real gap between the seriousness of the risk associated with culture and the importance of culture on the one hand and director's sense of their ability, or lack of ability, frankly, to effectively oversee that set of issues. So given that, it seemed crucial to start to develop some board-level tools and practices that could help directors make their oversight of ethics and culture more robust. Emily Miner: Thanks, Eric. I know that this latest report traces its roots back to those earlier insights that you were just describing and the need for a practical framework that board members could adopt. Tell us why this framework and the specific needs it seeks to address. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: Yeah. So maybe I'll take that one. So to Eric's point, we have conversations with 40 directors in 2021 and coming out of it, it was the spirit of action. How can we now take action? So the consensus was, we want a simple, practical framework to start to advance a conversation, just get the conversation started. Think of it like a simple roadmap. How can we take this into the boardroom? How can we start to connect with management with simple prompts, questions. Help us organize our thoughts about how to activate and get the conversation started. Then, another goal was the input was we want to have a peer-reviewed framework. We don't want a treatise. We don't want a commission study by a third party. We want to be a part of driving the frame for what we think will have the greatest impact, both within board rooms and for the boards to explore directly with management. Emily Miner: You've talked a little bit about the approach to developing the framework, talking to the 40 directors and the peer-to-peer nature of it. What else about the approach of how the framework was developed, do you think contributes to the power of what it ultimately offers to boards and management teams? Eric Baldwin: Yeah, I can jump in here. As Marsha noted, we really wanted this to be as useful and practical for boards as possible so we thought it was really important that it'd be grounded in the experience of directors. We knew that there was a lot of good practice already going on in boardrooms. So if we could tap into that collective knowledge and pull that together, it could be really valuable. So the way we went about that was to recruit and convene a working group of about 12 to 15 members, 10 of whom were sitting public company directors. Several of those directors are current or former chief ethics and compliance officers so they've got deep experience in that space that they bring into the boardroom. We also included a couple of sitting senior ethics and compliance executives who report into boards on these matters on a regular basis to bring their perspective, as well as our colleagues from LRN, who brought their expertise in culture measurement. So, we brought the group together several times for virtual discussions, for peer exchange, to really surface the challenges and gaps that they're experiencing, to share and vet existing practices and tools and identify some key insights and good practices that are already going on. So out of that, our team developed a draft framework, which we shared then with a larger group of about 40 directors and ethics and compliance executives to pressure test our recommendations and get additional feedback before publishing the piece this summer. So I think what really gives it its power is that it's grounded in the experience of the boardroom, it's peer developed and peer vetted and rooted in the efforts of directors and practitioners. Emily Miner: Yeah. Thank you, Eric. And just to underline something that both you and Marsha shared, I think something that's so compelling about it in terms of being grounded in that experience is, as you mentioned, many of those directors are current or former chief ethics and compliance officers. So being able to hear from people that have worn both of those hats or are wearing both of those hats, I think is so powerful. So let's keep on talking about the framework. What are the key findings or pillars? I know that there are five pillars of the framework and I'd love for you to expand upon those five pillars for us. Eric Baldwin: Yeah. I'm happy to try to do that. There's a lot of insights there, so I'll try to be brief. As you mentioned, there are five key themes here, and we see them not so much as a series of steps, but more as sets of interlocking practices or that can mutually reinforce each other. So briefly, the first is really just to make ethics and culture a priority. We've heard from directors that culture and ethics often don't get enough time and attention in the boardroom. They get pushed to the bottom of crowded board agendas. So a key step is simply just to ensure that they get priority on the agenda, that they get enough time and attention. It's really crucial. We heard that boards communicate to management that culture and ethics are priorities, which they can do by pushing for information, asking questions, following up, probing. Management needs to know that ethics and culture are board priorities. The second is for boards to take a look at their own culture. Boards have their own internal cultures and the culture of the board influences the culture of the organizations. They sort of set the tone from the top. But directors tell us that boards don't often examine their own cultures in a rigorous way. So it's really important for boards as one member put it, to take a hard look at their own culture. In this, it's especially important for boards to assess their openness and transparency and the level of trust, both among the directors and between the board and the management team, and especially their willingness to hear difficult news and how the board responds to bad news or to hard truths. A key element we heard of ethical culture is trust and transparency and to foster an environment where bad news travels fast. That starts with the board and the board's willingness to hear bad news. The third is the challenge of being able to articulate the elements of culture and really to describe and articulate the culture you're aiming at, what you want to see in your corporate culture. The challenge here is that culture can be a very fuzzy and abstract concept. It's implicit, it's unspoken rules and norms, and that makes it really hard to measure and assess. So anything boards and management teams can do to make discussions of culture more concrete and precise will really help. This can mean breaking down ethical culture into various components, things like trust, willingness to speak out, fairness, organizational justice, so that boards and management teams have a clear answer to the question, "When we talk about culture, what exactly are we talking about?" A key insight here was the importance for boards to be active partners with their management teams in defining and articulating the attributes of a desired ethical culture, rather than just sort of hearing them from management. Contributors told us that the process of defining what a good culture looks like by fostering a robust and structured discussion of culture is as important as the outcome. So boards need to be involved in those discussions early, rather than just the management team coming to them and saying, "Here's what we think our culture should look like." The fourth is really about the tools that they use to measure and monitor culture. This is all about information and data and how it comes to the board. There's a pretty common range of data and information sources that boards depend on and there's plenty of data. But the key is for boards to get that information presented to them in the right way so that it has enough context that it can really make sense to them. So one key issue for boards we found is to push their management teams to report to them in such a way that insights from a range of data sources are integrated into a coherent picture or narrative. So survey data or data from culture surveys is overlaid with safety data, turnover data, and cost of hotline for example. Boards are really looking for a more integrated view from their management teams. Anything that will help generate a narrative or surface patterns that help boards know where they need to follow up and probe and potentially allocate more resources is really helpful. Then finally is the issue of establishing clear communication lines. There's a lot of information relevant to culture that comes from a lot of different functional areas bearing on ethics and culture. So boards need to push their management teams to be able to develop a holistic view and really ask the question who, if anyone, in the management team owns culture and owns reporting on it and can give a really coherent and holistic view of culture. The same goes for the board. At the board level, different committees on the board, get reporting from different management teams and information can become siloed. So the key question is how can boards overcome that tendency and make sure that the entire board is getting a full picture of culture. Emily Miner: Thanks, Eric, you did a great job of covering a lot of detail, very succinctly so I appreciate that. You framed a lot of those pillars in the form of a question: so how can boards do this, how can boards and management team collect the right data and interpret it together and break down those silos, et cetera, so I want to go into those hows a little bit because we call it a practical guide. So how does that manifest? How can this guide, I'll call it a guide and not a report, how can this guide help boards in their oversight of culture? Marsha Ershaghi Hames: Yeah, so Emily, maybe I'll jump in on that one. So to Eric's point as he went through these five key pillars and big insights or meta themes that jumped out, each pillar is supported with countless examples, practical scenarios, and we've even lifted up some direct quotes that came from all of the contributors. So part of this is practically speaking, we want to help agitate that curiosity from the directors. We want to encourage them, look behind the numbers, start asking some of those uncomfortable questions. We wanted to give them, when you talk about sort of manifesting, how do we give directors a simple roadmap or framework to go into, to start within their own boardrooms, and then to look at opportunities to connect and communicate with management, to build that bridge, to forge an ongoing dialogue. So this is not an overnight put your hero cape on. This is to start to create essentially more of that accountability partnership, a dialogue between management and the board and framing it in these five buckets. So it's, step one, are we even prioritizing this? So that can be a series of conversations. Step two, have we aligned as a board and management team? Have we been engaged as a part of articulating and assessing and understanding what is that desired culture? Are we as a board reflecting? So as Eric was going through these, it's you need to have a roadmap essentially to start agitating some of that dialogue. We wanted these pillars to become levers to begin that process to engage with management. Emily Miner: I love the way that you are framing this as agitating the dialogue. There's such a great mental, descriptive image. So thank you for that, Marsha. I know that one of the features of the report or the guide to help agitate that dialogue is a series of questions that can serve as a starting point for this dialogue with management teams and within boards. Can you share some of those compelling prompts? Eric Baldwin: Yeah, I'd be happy to give some examples. I think questions for boards are really a key tool in their tool belt. One of the things that boards are expected to do is offer a credible challenge to management, and it's really through asking questions that they do that. So we did include a number of questions, I think they're probably more than two dozen appended to the end of the report. I will not read anything like all of them at this point, but I'll give you a couple of examples of some of the questions that we include in the report. Again, many of them line up with some of the key buckets that we identified above. One would be just to ask yourselves as boards, have we identified the cultural attributes and behaviors that align with our stated values and our purpose? How can we effectively articulate the culture we're trying to achieve? This in turn would guide management's efforts to measure culture. Another question for the board to reflect on is, does our culture, that is the board's culture, encourage management to share those difficult truths with us? How open to debate and disagreement is our board? Then we also include some questions that boards can ask their management teams. One is to simply ask, to what extent can you provide the board with an integrated view that incorporates information from a range of sources of data into a single picture for us? How can you give us an integrated view of culture? Then another question for management is, are you able to communicate directly to the board when necessary? Do you feel you have the necessary independence to bring issues and questions to the board? So those are just a few examples of a number of questions that we've included in this report. Emily Miner: Thank you. I think that's another feature of the practicality of this. I mean, boards can in some sense sort of lift these questions up and apply them in their own contexts. So recently LRN's Ty Francis, our chief advisory officer had a conversation with Tom Fox, who I think we all know as the voice of compliance and founder of the Compliance Podcast Network. Tom called this report prescient more than once and cited both recent statements of Lisa Monaco, deputy attorney general, and rulings of the Delaware Supreme Court about the need for boards to take a more active role in monitoring and measurement. So with those statements, that context, occurring around the same time as the release of this guide, what do you see is the potential broader impact of the guide, the framework with the five pillars, the practical examples and discussion prompts? What do you see as the potential impact of that? Marsha Ershaghi Hames: So maybe I'll take the lead here and, Eric, if you want to share any other thoughts ... But if we take a step back, this came up in ... so we had a summit, Emily, that you, of course participated in, where we brought together all of the Ethics Culture Compliance Network contributors, not only of the report, but other key stakeholders. It was interesting, a few people pointed to this and they said that if you look at the foundations of corporate scandals over the last few decades, there's a pattern that points to the failure to speak up and a correlating fear of retaliation. So it's that notion of someone always knows what's going on. Right? So when you look at the statements of Lisa Monaco and the Delaware Supreme Court about boards taking a more active role, you have to take a step back and look at what is the role that boards can play to encourage and drive a culture that is more transparent and more open. How can a board activate open dialogue? How can a board establish a more transparent tone. We know, there's enough research around this, that culture's fundamental to business and tone at the top matters. I could even say, and Emily, you and I have collaborated, full disclosure, over years in my consulting days. I saw this. I can just draw anecdotally that in 22 years of consulting, I would come across so many compliance executives who just felt like, "Hey, is my company going to make the investment in my team, and are they going to prioritize culture?" CECOs, they're under a lot of pressure to operate as a resource, enforce policy, developed policy. They're regarded as the primary architects of culture, but oftentimes we're also labeled as a cost center. So some of this stuff has been coming out as you know, Emily and Eric, and our conversations around like, "Are we leading on this or are we in a reactive mode?" So I would say in terms the broader impact of this framework, it's the notion of how can we be proactive? How can we put a framework and a roadmap in front of the board to agitate the curiosity, to ask for more data behind the numbers and to empower boards and management teams to get the conversation started. To Eric's point, it's like, is it a toolbox? Is it a tool set? Well, yes, it is. It's been pressure tested by peers. It was developed by peers. They're trying it in their own boardrooms. Some of these stakeholders are current or former chief ethics and compliance officers so there's an appreciative inquiry of the tensions on both sides of the table. So in my opinion, I really forecast that this is going to have a catalyzing impact on the industry. Eric, I don't know, thoughts on your end too. Eric Baldwin: No, I would just say, I think one of our hopes here is that as directors bring this into the boardroom and, Emily, you're right to point out that it does seem like the expectations for boards in oversight in this area are going nowhere but up. It is our hope that this is a tool that helps them meet those heightened expectations. But also that it's only a starting point, that boards will use the tools in this framework to get the conversation started and come back to us with further recommendations of what would be additionally helpful to assist them in their oversight here. Emily Miner: Well, I, for one look forward to following along and participating and seeing what the impact is and how this framework is used and what the feedback is from those that use it. Marsha, Eric, it has been such a delight speaking with you today about the genesis of this report and all of the insights assembled from such a stellar working group. We're out of time for today. But for those listening, if you're interested in learning more about the report, the framework, et cetera, please look at the link in the podcast description. My name is Emily Miner, and I want to thank you all for listening to the Principled Podcast by LRN. Outro:  We hope you enjoyed this episode. The Principled Podcast is brought to you by LRN. At LRN our mission is to inspire principled performance in global organizations by helping them foster winning ethical cultures rooted in sustainable values. Please visit us at lrn.com to learn more. And if you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to our podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or wherever you listen. And don't forget to leave us a review.  

Nicholas Epley is the John Templeton Keller Distinguished Service Professor of Behavioral Science, and Director of the Center for Decision Research, at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He studies social cognition—how thinking people think about other thinking people—to understand why smart people so routinely misunderstand each other. He teaches an ethics and happiness course to MBA students called Designing a Good Life. His research has appeared in more than two dozen empirical journals, been featured by the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, CNN, Wired, and National Public Radio, among many others, and has been funded by the National Science Foundation and the Templeton Foundation. He has been awarded the 2008 Theoretical Innovation Award from the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, the 2011 Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contribution to Psychology from the American Psychological Association, the 2015 Book Prize for the Promotion of Social and Personality Science, and the 2018 Career Trajectory Award from the Society for Experimental Social Psychology. Epley was named a “professor to watch” by the Financial Times, one of the “World's Best 40 under 40 Business School Professors” by Poets and Quants, and one of the 100 Most Influential in Business Ethics in 2015 by Ethisphere. He is the author of Mindwise: How We Understand What Others Think, Believe, Feel, and Want.Support the show

Erica Salmon Byrne is the President of Ethisphere and Chair of the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance. Ethisphere is a company that believes that companies that focus on building a sustainable business will outperform their peers that do not. Tom Fox welcomes her to this week's show to talk about Ethisphere's innovative new service called The Sphere.  What is The Sphere? Tom asks Erica to describe The Sphere and why she is so excited about the launch. For more than 15 years, Ethisphere has been collecting data on the programmatic practices of the world's most ethical companies through their questionnaire, called the Ethics Quotient, Erica explains. They realized a demand for solid benchmarking within the compliance space, and decided to democratize their data access. This was the birth of The Sphere – a subscription-based service that allows you to select the topic you are interested in getting data on and gain access to a multitude of resources.  Peer Data: A Powerful Tool Tom asks Erica what makes peer data so important and powerful for a CCO. Whenever you're going to make a business proposition, she replies, the first question you will be asked is ‘What are other people doing?'. Businesses want to compare their practices and progress to their peers'. This is to avoid being dubbed “a weak antelope” – you don't necessarily want to be ahead of the pack, you just want to ensure that you have a functioning practice compared to your competitors. So how to determine you're in that comfortable middle position of the pack? The answer is data analysis. When you present the relevant data to your CFO or compliance team, they tend to believe in your leadership and vision more. Resources Erica Salmon Byrne | LinkedIn | Twitter Ethisphere | The Sphere

What you'll learn in this podcast episode With increasing demands from institutional investors, employees, consumers, and shareholders around ESG priorities, how are company boards assuring that they are shaping business strategy to be responsive to these expectations? In this episode of the Principled Podcast, Dr. Marsha Ershaghi Hames, partner at Tapestry Networks, explores the role of boards in bringing a strategic mindset to advancing ESG issues with Virginia Addicott, former president and CEO of FedEx Custom Critical and board member of both CDW Corporation and Element Fleet Management. Listen in as the two discuss how the board's own diversity can humanize the elements of creating sustainable corporate cultures and creating meaningful organizational change.   Featured Guest: Virginia Addicott Virginia Addicott recently retired as president and CEO of FedEx Custom Critical®, a leading North American expedited freight carrier located in Green, Ohio. Virginia joined FedEx Custom Critical in 1986 and quickly worked her way up the ranks, holding director positions in various departments where she placed a strong focus on organizational culture, customer satisfaction and developing people. In each role, Virginia used technology to improve productivity. By streamlining processes she has improved efficiency and enhanced communication capabilities to move the company forward.  Virginia has been recognized for her leadership both at work and in the community. In recent years she has been inducted into the Northeastern Ohio Business Hall of Fame (2013), received the Women of Power Award from the Akron Urban League (2013), and also received the Leadership Excellence Award from the National Diversity Council (2014). She has also been named to the Inside Business Power 100 list for the past six years (2011-2016) and the Crain's Cleveland Business Power 150 (2014). She was also named honorary chair for the 2015 Bridgestone Invitational Tournament, the first-ever woman to be named honorary chairperson for the tournament.  Virginia earned a Bachelor of Science degree (‘85) and an EMBA (‘95) from Kent State University. In 2013 she was appointed by Ohio Governor John Kasich to the Kent State Board of Trustees. She is past chair of The Boys and Girls Club of the Western Reserve and past chair of the Greater Akron Chamber of Commerce. She also serves on a number of other boards, including Akron Children's Hospital, the Akron Community Foundation and FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology).   Featured Host: Marsha Ershaghi Hames Marsha is a partner with Tapestry Networks and a leader of our corporate governance practice. She advises non-executive directors, C-suite executives, and in-house counsel on issues related to governance, culture transformation, board leadership, and stakeholder engagement. Prior to joining Tapestry, Marsha was a managing director of strategy and development at LRN, Inc. a global governance, risk and compliance firm. She specialized in the alignment of leaders and organizations for effective corporate governance and organizational culture transformation. Her view is that compliance is no longer merely a legal matter but a strategic and reputational priority.  Marsha has been interviewed and cited by the media including CNBC, CNN, Ethisphere, HR Magazine, Compliance Week, The FCPA Report, Entrepreneur.com, Chief Learning Officer, ATD Talent & Development, Corporate Counsel Magazine, the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics and more. She hosted the “PRINCIPLED” Podcast, profiling the stories of some of the top transformational leaders in business. Marsha serves as an expert fellow on USC's Neely Center for Ethical Leadership and Decision Making and on the advisory boards of LMH Strategies, Inc. an integrative supply chain advisory firm and Compliance.ai, a regulatory change management firm. Marsha holds an Ed.D. and MA from Pepperdine University. Her research was on the role of ethical leadership as an enabler of organizational culture change. Her BA is from the University of Southern California. She is a certified compliance and ethics professional.   Principled Podcast Transcription Intro: Welcome to the Principled Podcast brought to you by LRN. The Principled Podcast brings together the collective wisdom on ethics, business and compliance, transformative stories of leadership, and inspiring workplace culture. Listen in to discover valuable strategies from our community of business leaders and workplace changemakers. Dr. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: With increasing demands from institutional investors, employees, consumers, shareholders around ESG priorities, how are corporate boards ensuring that their companies are assessing, measuring, and shaping business strategy to be responsive to these expectations? Hello, and welcome to another episode of LRN's Principled Podcast. I'm your guest host, Dr. Marsha Ershaghi Hames, a partner at Tapestry Networks. Today, I'm joined by Virginia Addicott, the former president and CEO of FedEx Custom Critical. Virginia serves on the board of CDW Corporation and Element Fleet Management. We're going to be talking about the critical role of boards in shaping ethical corporate culture and why board diversity is essential to creating meaningful organizational change. Virginia is a real expert in the space, having carved out an impressive career in operations and innovation in logistics at a time when relatively few women were in the industry. Virginia joined FedEx Custom Critical in 1986 and quickly worked her way up the ranks holding director positions in various departments where she placed a strong focus on organizational culture, customer satisfaction, and developing people. Virginia has been inducted into the Northeastern Ohio Business Hall of Fame. She's received the Women of Power Award from the Akron Urban League and received the Leadership Excellence Award from the National Diversity Council. Virginia, thank you for coming on the Principled Podcast. Virginia Addicott: Well, thank you very much for having me. It's a pleasure to be here. Thank you. Dr. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: So let's get started from the top. You had such an accomplished career. You retired as president and CEO at FedEx Custom Critical before turning to a distinguished career of service on both corporate and nonprofit boards. Maybe to start, just share a little bit more about your journey and how these experiences have helped shape and prepare you for the lens of oversight and board service. Virginia Addicott: Yes, Absolutely. As you have mentioned, I had a really terrific career at the FedEx corporation leading the FedEx Custom Critical organization. I was with the organization for a little over 33 years. Unbelievable in this day and age I think. But I really did have a terrific career because I started out in the ranks and moved my way up quite quickly. I think really starting out really... I'll say doing the doing, having your hands dirty, and really in the operations really did shape and prepare me for ascending to the role of president and CEO because I really understood how the organization worked, how the people worked together. And through that 33 years, one of the biggest things that I did see was that culture is everything to an organization and how you treat your employees with fairness and dignity and making sure they know that they're valued in their work really makes the difference in how you can execute a strategy. And I love strategy, but without having a really engaged workforce, it's very difficult to take any strategy and put it into play. Dr. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: As you came through this, I would say, observation of the importance of the intersection of not just the execution, but the how we get there, there were relatively few examples of female leaders in your industry. A lot of how we look at the lens of decisions can be informed by our own personal and professional experiences. Tell us a little bit more about how your experience of perhaps being the first woman or the only woman in a room shaped how you took your next steps in your career and maybe some of the lessons that you're carrying forward into the boardroom. Virginia Addicott: Well, definitely when I began my career back in the '80s, the later '80s and 90s, you're right, there weren't that many women in the leadership levels of our industry and the transportation industry. And of course today, much different story to that. But one of the things that it was absolutely apparent to me is the whole need for diversity around a table, because one of the things that I witnessed was that when you have the same types of people all sitting around a table and they've had maybe similar backgrounds, similar experiences, et cetera, they come to the table with similar viewpoints. When you start bringing people to the table who have had diverse background, experience, you really do start to get a whole new possibility of how you'll take something forward, how you'll shape your strategy, how you'll handle and work with those people who are working with you and for you. So I really do think that the opportunity to be that person who was maybe the only or one of very few gave me the context as to how that feels and how important it is to have the diversity, but also how to embrace and engage and work with people who come from many different types of backgrounds. Dr. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: So I think embrace is a great characterization here because it starts with the willingness to be open and inclusive of ideas or points of view that may differ from your own. I've certainly been in dozens of conversations now with corporate directors that continue to reveal this pressing need for boards to really improve their understanding of diversity, equity, inclusion. And there's a lot of dialogue around the board's role in the governance of DEI, especially as investors and employees are demanding more progress from institutions. I'd like to get your reflections a little bit more on this. I mean, to what extent, both within your own industry, and I think more holistically, are you seeing progress around inclusivity, diversity, even gender parity, and what is really the responsibility that you feel is of the corporation in being more intentional about driving us forward? Virginia Addicott: Well, I have the luxury up sitting of course on a couple of boards. And I can tell you, on both of our boards, we have a really firm look at the entire ESG and we talk about it. But the number one thing we understand before you even get to ESG is how important diversity is. So it's not doing it because somebody just said, "Hey, we have this thing called ESG and this is what you need to do," it's really understanding, and again, embracing the idea that when you have people from different backgrounds, whether it's gender, whether it's ethnic, whether it's background of an experience, when you get those people around a table, you get a better answer. I can't quote them off the top of my head, but there's studies out there that show that when you do have this diversity, a company is much more likely to thrive, grow, and be profitable. So it's a no-brainer to know that that's important. Now, I'll tell you that the boards I sit on, we do talk about this at the board meeting and we do have metrics around it and have the human resources or the chief operating officer. But we include all of the C-level players at these companies in talking about, how are we doing? How can we do better? And really working around the ideas of acceptance of other ideas, embracing other people's thoughts and experiences. So it's an ongoing conversation and a dialogue. And again, it's not one done just because of ESG, it's done because we all understand that diversity will help our company be even better. Dr. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: Well, I mean, it's really a testament to the cultures of the boards you sit on too in terms of some of the progressive design and openness to keep this as a priority on agendas, to be more inclusive of some of the C-level executives. Not every board today is taking those approaches, so that's fantastic example. Virginia Addicott: At least my experience has been when you see a board that has good communication amongst themselves, good dialogue, and good dialogue, of course, with the C-level and even those below that level, when you've got good communication, and I'll say respectfulness of thoughts and opinions, that maybe I'll bring something up and maybe the chief operating officer, the CEO or somebody maybe they agree, maybe they disagree with my thought, but they're open to hearing the thought. I think that's where it all begins, is you've got to be respectful of each other and communicating with each other and open to each other's ideas first. Then when you start talking about diversity, certainly that then spills over into it. But I think you have to start with this notion that we are all here for the good of the whole, for the good of the company, for the good of the shareholder, and that we need to be open to ideas so that we don't go down the wrong path or make unnecessary twists and turns. But by listening to each other, we can come up with the best ideas. Dr. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: It's so important to point out just the simplicity, but the power of respect and respectful communication and good listening skills. Virginia Addicott: Yeah, absolutely. And it's great when you're sitting in a boardroom and people come up with ideas and we can banter them around. The board is not trying to certainly tell the executives how to run their company, but we're all in it together to advise and to talk about it and to have that good dialogue so that we can come up with the right answers to situations or strategy, et cetera. I think one of the things that I've really witnessed, I can say personally, what I've witnessed is this move from... with ESG coming out, is move from having a plan to become more diverse in an organization and maybe even over a couple of years where you see the plan and it gets presented again and we're not really making that great of a headway or... et cetera. For me, what I'm seeing is we are seeing the plan and we're seeing headway because we, the board, are saying, "Okay, so you didn't get to move the needle as much here, tell me what you're going to do next time." And then again, we banter it around, we talk about best practices we've seen other places, maybe some creative ideas defining diversity to come in or raising people up within the organization. But I think that this ESG certainly has prompted the notion that you can't just keep putting numbers up and them not moving. You need to see movement, and then let's get creative on how we're going to do that. Dr. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: Well, building a little bit on ESG issues. So you and I initially we met... You're part of our audit committee network and you have been fantastic contributor to our ethics, culture, and compliance network. However, every committee, I think, that you're on and you're a part of seems to be morphing into some sort of ESG committee. There's just so much focus now on climate risk, people, talent, cyber, tech transformation, and all these issues. And these are great examples around, how do we go from the plan to making headway on the plan? What would be your guidance for our listeners? How can boards start to really approach thinking or planning differently around oversight of these issues? What are some strategies you picked up where boards could be doing better? Virginia Addicott: I think one of the things that we've got to... at least we bring this one up, is that post... and I don't want to say post-COVID because obviously COVID is still alive and well, but I'll say post-vaccine, one of the things that we're seeing is a big stretch on people because of people exiting the workforce or moving companies. So I think one of the things is there is a heightened focus on climate and people and cyber, et cetera, as you've mentioned, and then we have this exit of people. So one of the things we have to do is really understand who is in charge of each of these things? What is the team, the committee? And make sure that they are staffed correctly to get the work done. Because what I'm seeing is quite a bit of stress in workforces just in general. So I think it's really making sure that when you look at each of these areas that are very important to us, that who is on point for it and what resources do they have to do this? The other piece for me that I'm seeing a lot of, which I really love, is the collaborative effort across the companies to address these issues. For instance, cyber is not an IT or technology issue, yes, probably the leadership and ownership sits there from the standpoint of the CIO or whoever it is in that organization, but it's the operations, it's the human resources, it's the marketing, it's the legal, and they all have to collaborate to make sure that we're in compliance, that we are on track with the cyber possibilities and the cyber threats. So one of the things I've seen through all of this is really a nice collaboration. We were just talking the other day, I was at a board meeting, and one of the things we were talking about, and this is around the diversity piece especially, was how everybody has to own diversity. And it's got to be a part of the fabric of each organization within the company. And it's not something we're checking off so that we can have an ESG score, it has to be woven into the fabric of everyday things that we do to make sure that people are, one, from the very beginning that we've got a diverse slate of candidates when we have jobs available, that we're working with let's say universities or colleges, or depending upon what the job is other people, to how do we develop a new slate of candidates? Then within our companies, making sure we're working from within the company to make sure people are getting the right development to move up. But it has to be, each and everything we have to do, are we doing things each day to make sure people feel included, that we're listening, and that we are valuing the opinions and inputs of people who may not look like us, may not come from the same country we do, may not worship the same way, may not like the same people that we do, et cetera? So for me, I'm seeing much more collaboration. And again, let's weave it into the fabric of the organization. This is not a number to check off. Dr. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: Yeah, no, this is an excellent example. And what I'm really hearing from you here is the ownership and the threading into the DNA as you're saying [inaudible 00:16:39] it in. How can boards activate this expectation? Because there's a lot of conversation around, who in management owns it? How much time do they have to be visible at the board level in terms of what's being measured and what's changing? But I've also heard, if the board is not demanding or asking of, are we able to affect change? So I'm just wondering, it's this tension between who's driving what? Who's taking those first steps? Virginia Addicott: Right. Definitely, the human resources type function or the chief diversity officer is going to present information. And of course, we want to see that and we want to see those metrics move. But I think one of the places that boards can really... let's say when a new position is coming available, a high-level position is coming available, are we asking, what does that slate of candidate look like? And I'll use the word demanding, but are we really pushing the idea that we need to see a diverse slate? But I think the other place where it's really a bit of a no-brainer and it's super easy to do is let's say the operations is reporting out on something, that we are asking that operational leader, the chief operating officer, or somebody, a director, et cetera, we're going to be asking them questions of their organization and what does their organization look like and how have they been taking other people's opinions and new ideas into putting them into play? I think it's asking the questions to many people, not just in that one section where we talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion. But really asking questions as we go through the entire board meeting and putting an emphasis on that. I think that really helps people get the idea that this isn't a check the box, it's a I need to live my life like this. Dr. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So much of this is a purpose, values orientation, but then it goes a little bit back to the culture of the board. Maybe that helps us shift to this topic of, you've been an active contributor to the ethics, culture, and compliance network. We formed a culture measurement working group earlier this year and you contributed to helping create a framework that boards can leverage as a guiding tool to assess culture. Tell me a little bit about how do you see frameworks like this helping directors really move the needle. How are you thinking or leveraging this even within your own boards? Virginia Addicott: I can tell you, when I was talking to one of my boards about being involved in this ethics, culture, and compliance network, they said, "Oh good. I really look forward to seeing what your outcomes are and maybe see how we can use it." So I think number one, from my standpoint, is certainly talking about it and talking about the work that we have been doing. And it was a great group that you all put together. I think there's a lot of boards that really want to do more around this, but maybe don't know how to get started or exactly what does this mean? So I think these frameworks help to frame the question, and what is culture? And what is diversity? What is inclusion? And then giving some good ideas on how the board can... as we just talked about, how can the board in their role as advisor, how can we help to either direct, redirect, or just ask those probing questions to make sure our organization is really embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion all the way through the organization? Dr. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: Well, Virginia, I want to ask one last question before we wrap up, and this is going to be a little more personal. I want to go back to your life, your professional journey, building your career. As you mentioned, 33 years is an exceptional tenure, one that we just don't see in today's professional landscape. But I want to peel back the concept of mentorship. In all my interactions with you, you're incredibly confident, you draw from a strong notion of, "I've tried this." I'm confident asking even the questions that I don't know the answers to. And that's not always easy, especially for us as women, as we're building our careers. I've certainly had a number of mentors that have opened doors for me and that I've drawn upon and have guided me. I want to turn to you and see, were there any significant mentors, or shall I even call them professional sponsors, that maybe had an impact on examples or opening up the trajectory of your career path and how do you, looking back, look at their guidance and how do you in turn give back in terms of your mentorship? Virginia Addicott: Well, this is definitely a topic that I enjoy talking about it because I think it's really important. And absolutely I have had mentors and I have had champions. For me, just to clarify, I say a mentor is somebody that you can sit down and really talk about things with and, "Hey, this is the dilemma going on. Maybe how should I handle it?" Or, "Hey, I'm thinking about this career, I'm thinking about this job. Help me to develop myself for that role." That's to me a mentor. A champion or a sponsor for me is somebody who when I'm not in the room, they're the person saying, "Hey, Virginia would be great at that. Let's put Virginia in charge of that." Or new possibility coming up is speaking out and saying, "Oh, let's put her in that role." And I'm very much a person who wants to mentor men and women because I think everybody needs this. So I think sponsoring somebody, so speaking up for them on their behalf when they're not even there, and really being their champion and mentoring, helping to guide, are very important things. Yes, I've had plenty of them myself. And I still have them, so don't mishear me. I still have people who I go to and talk to. But I also am very keen always to help people who are in this upward climb of the corporate ladder, if you will. So I do spend quite a bit of time. I love doing it because it gives me the opportunity to share some of my experiences. And I will tell you, I'm very quick. In fact, I'm mentoring a young woman out of Chicago who has great upward mobility. And I was telling her something the other day, she was going to give a presentation, and I said, "Listen, I would love to work with you on the presentation if you want me to because I was given tremendous feedback that was so helpful to me." And I explained to her what I had done wrong and how it impacted me and how through some coaching that I got from an outside firm my presentations got so much better. So to me, it's not about, this is what you should do, but also giving experiences where it didn't work out so great for me and these were some of the things, the lessons I learned, and maybe I can impart that to you. But I really think it's very helpful for men and women to help those who are in these lower levels and have this upward trajectory and the desire to really take the time to stop, turn around, and as people say, lend a hand to pull somebody up along with you. As a woman, I think it's important to have mentors who are men and mentors who are women, because when we talk about diversity, people come at things from different angles, and people who have diverse backgrounds and experiences, not just somebody in your business line or your organization. So you get the idea. But I'm really big on mentoring. I love to do it, I love to spend the time with people, and it's so... I always say it, all through my career, the most rewarding piece of my career was not my upward mobility and climbing, but it was to see people that you were working with or that you had maybe hooked up with, another coach or mentor, to see them move ahead. That development to me was worth everything from the standpoint of making me feel like, okay, we are really accomplishing something here. So I certainly suggest to everybody that they get to be mentors and hopefully they're champions for people as well. Dr. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: No, you couldn't have said it any better. It can be so rewarding. And it's a very positive, if not infectious behavior. So I hope we can spread more of that. Virginia, I could speak to you for hours. I've learned so much through your reflections. But we're going to be respectful for our listeners' time. So I want to thank you for opening up and sharing a lot of your thoughts on all of these matters from ESG to the trajectory of your career, mentorship, being a good champion, the importance of diversity and culture. There's so much that we covered. But thank you Virginia for your time. Virginia Addicott: Thank you, Marsha. I really appreciate being asked to participate on your podcast. I hope that our discussion here today triggers something in somebody's mind to think differently about maybe whether it's ESG or culture or mentoring. It would be great. Dr. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: Thank you. Thank you. And to you all, I'm going to close up. This is Dr. Marsha Ershaghi Hames. I want to thank you all for listening to the Principled Podcast by LRN. Outro: We hope you enjoyed this episode. The Principled Podcast is brought to you by LRN. At LRN, our mission is to inspire principled performance in global organizations by helping them foster winning ethical cultures rooted in sustained values. Please visit us at lrn.com to learn more. And if you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or wherever you listen. And don't forget to leave us a review.  

Apple plans to make about 20 percent fewer iPhone SEs next quarter than originally planned, in one of the first signs that the Ukraine war and looming inflation have started to dent consumer electronics demand, Nikkei Asia reports. HCL Technologies has been selected to provide global service desk and on-site support to Danish pharma company Novo Nordisk. Plus, Chalo, a bus-ride app provider, has acquired Vogo, a bike-rental provider. ========= Notes: Apple plans to make about 20 percent fewer iPhone SEs next quarter than originally planned, Nikkei Asia reports. Apple launched the iPhone SE as its first 5G-capable budget phone less than three weeks ago but is now telling multiple suppliers that it aims to lower production orders by about 2 million to 3 million units for the quarter. Apple also reduced orders for its AirPods earphones by more than 10 million units for all of 2022, according to the report. HCL Technologies, India's third-biggest IT services company, has been selected to provide global service desk and on-site support to Danish pharma company Novo Nordisk, according to a press release. Through the partnership, HCL will help Novo Nordisk transform its IT operations and create world-class end-user experiences and drive efficiency across its workforce. Genpact, a professional services provider focused on delivering digital transformation, has been recognised as one of the most ethical companies in 2022, by Ethisphere, a leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices, according to a press release. This is the fourth year that Ethisphere has recognised Genpact. Amazon India will host the third edition of ‘Amazon Smbhav' on May 18 and 19 this year. The two-day virtual summit will bring together policymakers, industry leaders, solution providers, startups and Amazon executives to discuss ways to bring online small local stores and businesses across India. Loco, a game streaming platform, has secured Rs. 330 crore ($42 Million) in series A investment led by Hashed, with participation from Makers Fund, Catamaran Ventures, and Korea Investment Partners. All the investors from the company's seed round including Krafton, Lumikai, and Hiro Capital also participated in this round. Loco will use the money to develop its tech and content further. Chalo, a bus transport app provider, has acquired Vogo, a tech-enabled shared mobility startup that offered bike rides booked over a mobile app. Vogo will augment Chalo's bus technology services by facilitating first and the last mile rides at major bus stops and other public places. This will help bus users to easily travel to and from bus stops, and further boost bus ridership as it becomes more convenient to take a bus. Postman, an API platform provider, plans to open an API Lab at the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, the alma mater of the company's founders, to promote API literacy amongst students and aspiring developers as APIs become more critical in today's digital world. The lab is set to open in December. Paperplane, a Bangalore-based digital clinic, backed by 100X.VC, has raised nearly $400,000 in a follow-on funding round that was led by Cornerstone Venture Partners, while the rest included LV Angel Fund and other seed investors. Paperplane helps doctors and patients connect online more effectively, according to a press release. Theme music courtesy Free Music & Sounds: https://soundcloud.com/freemusicandsounds

The World's Most Ethical Companies. Articles covered:  “The 10 most innovative companies in corporate social responsibility of 2022”; “5 Must-See Picks Just Added to RBC's ESG Darlings List”; “3 Top Artificial Intelligence Stocks to Buy in March”; and more! Stocks covered include Sweetgreen, Lululemon, SolarEdge Technologies Inc., Johnson Controls PLC, Enphase Energy Inc., and more PODCAST: The Most Ethical Companies and Best Renewables Transcript & Links, Episode 79, March 25, 2022 Hello, Ron Robins here. Welcome to podcast episode 79 published on March 25, 2022, titled “The Most Ethical Companies and Best Renewables” — and presented by Investing for the Soul. Investingforthesoul.com is your site for vital global ethical and sustainable investing news, commentary, information, and resources. Remember that you can find a full transcript, links to content – including stock symbols, quotes, and often bonus material – at this episode's podcast page located at investingforthesoul.com/podcasts. Now, just a reminder. I do not evaluate any of the stocks or funds mentioned in this podcast. The opinions given are purely those of the article's author or authors or sponsoring entity. Also, if any terms are unfamiliar to you, simply Google them. ------------------------------------------------------------- 1. The Most Ethical Companies and Best Renewables Hey, I'm always happy to report on this list, The World's Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere. Here's some of their commentary about the list. Quote. “The World's Most Ethical Companies historically outperform their peers and competitors financially, demonstrating a tangible ROI for doing the right thing. The connection between good ethical practices and financial performance, called the Ethics Premium, has been tracked for 16 years… In 2022, 136 organizations are recognized for their unwavering commitment to business integrity.  The honorees span 22 countries and 45 industries.” End quote. Among the top companies are Apple, IBERDROLA, Accenture, ADM, and Aptiv. ------------------------------------------------------------- 2. The Most Ethical Companies and Best Renewables Next. Following on the theme of great ethical companies is an article titled The 10 most innovative companies in corporate social responsibility of 2022. It's by Morgan Clendaniel. It appeared on fastcompany.com. However, only 3 of the 10 companies are public. Here are the public companies with brief quotes from Mr. Clendaniel on each one. “1) SWEETGREEN (SG) The fast-casual salad chain Sweetgreen set an aggressive goal to be carbon-neutral by 2027, assessing its entire supply chain to look for places to cut emissions. That information has allowed it to label some of its menu offerings as having the lowest emissions to produce, letting customers make climate-friendly choices when they order—all of which have seen increased popularity. 2) LULULEMON (LULU) On top of initiatives to help recycle and reuse its clothing, Lululemon, the athletic apparel company, has taken big steps to re-create the process of making them entirely. Last May, it debuted its Earth Dye collection, relying on plant waste from beets and oranges rather than synthetic dyes. It's partnered with companies to experiment with using lab-grown polyester made out of carbon emissions and to incorporate lab-grown leather—Lululemon is a founding member of the Mylo Consortium devoted to using mycelium, a mushroom's root structure, as a viable material alternative—into its fashions. In July 2021, the company made yoga accessories such as a mat and bags incorporating Mylo. Lululemon also invested in the bioengineering company Genomatica to find new ways to create plant-based fabrics such as a plant-based nylon. 3) ZOETIS (ZTS) COVID-19 hasn't just infected millions of humans; it's also been found in household pets, livestock, and wild animals. While scientists raced to find a vaccine to protect humans from the virus, animal health company Zoetis was working on a similar process, resulting in an animal vaccine, first used on the great apes at the San Diego Zoo in January 2021. Last summer, the company donated more than 11,000 doses of its animal vaccine to help protect 100 mammalian species living in over 80 zoos, conservatories, and sanctuaries. The company delivered its strongest year in its history in 2021, growing annual revenue 15%.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- 3. The Most Ethical Companies and Best Renewables This next article is by RBC analyst Paul Ausick and is titled 5 Must-See Picks Just Added to RBC's ESG Darlings List. The article is found on 247wallstreet.com. Here are Mr. Ausick's picks followed by some quotes of his. “1) SolarEdge Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: SEDG) … is one of two solar electronic components makers that RBC added to its ESG Darlings list. The company makes and sells direct current inverter systems and other solar-related products, including electricity storage systems. Its current market cap is around $16.6 billion, and its share price has increased by a third since February 23. The stock is owned by 21% of ESG funds, the most of any of the newly added Darlings. SolarEdge's relative return compared to the S&P 500 index for the year to date as of March 15 is 25%. Since the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the relative return is 35%. 2) Johnson Controls PLC (NYSE: JCI) Building products and systems maker Johnson Controls International has a market cap of $45.46 billion. The company is headquartered in Ireland but was founded in Milwaukee in 1885 by the inventor of the electric room thermostat. Johnson Control stock is owned by 16% of ESG funds, according to RBC's report. The stock's relative return for the year to date was negative 11.9%. Since the start of Putin's war, the relative return has been sliced to negative 2.4%. 3) Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE: EL) Cosmetics icon Estée Lauder has a market cap of $97.7 billion and is included in the portfolios of 15% of dedicated ESG funds. As with the other funds on this list, the stock trades down for the year to date, although the share price has improved since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. For the year to date, Estée Lauder's relative return is negative 17.6%. Since the invasion, the relative return is negative 9.8%. 4) Enphase Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: ENPH) The other solar-related stock added to the ESG Darlings is Enphase. The company's principal product is a microinverter that converts solar energy from direct to alternating current at the individual module level, and couples that with technology to monitor and control solar-generated power. Enphase's market cap is $24.22 billion. The stock is included in the assets of 15% of sustainable equity funds but not traditional actively managed funds. Its year-to-date relative return is 2.4%, and its return since the invasion of Ukraine is 31.3%. 5) Ansys Inc. (NASDAQ: ANSS) Engineering simulation software provider Ansys has a market cap of $27.01 billion, and the stock posted an all-time high in early November of last year. The company's simulation tools in a variety of fields include aerospace, automotive, construction and consumer products. The stock is also included in 15% of RBC's ESG Darlings. Its relative rate of return for the year to date is negative 13.2%, but since the invasion of Ukraine, the relative rate of return is 1.7%.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- 4. The Most Ethical Companies and Best Renewables My next article is titled 3 Top Artificial Intelligence Stocks to Buy in March by Keithen Drury on fool.com. AI stocks are often bought by ethical and sustainable investors. Here are some quotes from Mr. Drury on each one. “1) Nvidia Corporation (NVDA) As one of the leading technology companies, Nvidia's 2022 fiscal year (ending Jan. 30, 2022) results were strong. Revenue grew 61% to $26.9 billion over last year, but quarterly revenue growth slowed to 53% year over year. Its AI sales are wrapped into its data center division, which grew faster than overall revenue at a 71% year-over-year pace. In its fourth-quarter presentation, Nvidia highlighted its data center growth was led by strong demand for AI products. Nvidia's AI technology is being used by many firms, including Meta Platforms, which recently announced it was building its AI research SuperCluster with Nvidia's products. A broad approach to AI investing can be taken by purchasing Nvidia's stock. 2) CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. (CRWD) Changing to a more application-based investment, CrowdStrike provides cybersecurity solutions with its cloud-based offering. Through its Falcon platform, customers are protected by software that sees more than 1 trillion events per day. CrowdStrike then uses AI to learn from these attacks and continuously evolves the program, so when a customer in France sees an attack, a different company is protected from a similar threat in the U.S… Some of the most important companies in the world utilize CrowdStrike, with 15 of the top 20 banks and 65 of the Fortune 100 companies deploying CrowdStrike's software… With customers growing 65% year over year to 16,325 and annual recurring revenue up 65% to $1.7 billion, CrowdStrike's business is executing on all levels. The company represents a great way to invest in the application of AI, and the cybersecurity industry has never been more relevant. 3) C3.ai, Inc. (AI) C3.ai's tools allow data scientists to deploy prebuilt and configurable AI applications to support a business in many ways, such as supply chain management, energy efficiency, and customer engagement. The company's tools are recognized as some of the best available. Omdia ranked C3.ai top on its list of machine-learning development platforms. It was also found to increase developer productivity by 26 times, by cutting the amount of code required by nearly 99% on Amazon Web Services (AWS) when deploying AI solutions. C3.ai is a young company founded in 2009 and only has 218 customers as a result. Still, this is up 82% year over year and drove Q3 (ending Jan. 31, 2022) total revenue to $69.8 million, increasing by 42% over the prior year. It also landed a five-year, $500 million contract with the U.S. Department of Defense. The company has a long way to go before turning a profit, as its operating margin was negative 22%, although this was an improvement from last year's Q3 number of negative 24%. It will take C3.ai some time, but if its best-in-class solutions are adopted across the industry, it could be a fantastic investment.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- 5. The Most Ethical Companies and Best Renewables Now here are a group of articles related to Renewable Energy Stocks and Funds. Many of which have caught fire recently with the advent of higher oil prices. (For article links to these and in other categories that follow, please go to investingforthesoul.com/podcasts and scroll down to this episode and section.) 1) Title 2 Best Renewable Energy Stocks for 2022 (NASDAQ:ON) | Seeking Alpha by Stephen Cress. 2) Title Alternative Energy ETFs Shine as Oil Prices Rally Amid War - Zacks.com by Sweta Jaiswal. Sweta recommends five solar ETFs. 3) Title 4 Renewable Energy Stocks To Watch In March 2022 | National | fwbusiness.com by Josh Dylan. 4) Title 3 Wind Stocks to Grab Global Growth | Kiplinger by Shrilekha Pethe. 5) Title 10 Best Performing Energy ETFs: 2022 | ThinkAdvisor by Michael S. Fischer. 6) Title Fossil Fuels Rise, Profit With Alternative Energy Investments | Seeking Alpha by Enterprising Investors. Other Honorable Mentions 1) Title Rosy Prospects for This ESG ETF | ETF Trends by Tom Lydon. 2) Title 7 Best Socially Responsible Funds | Investing | US News by Jeff Reeves. Recommendations Related to UK and Australian Stocks and Funds 1) Title Telegraph's top 10 ethical funds to grow your money – Plainsmen Post (UK) by George Holan. 2) Title What are ethical ETFs? Check out these ASX-listed funds (kalkinemedia.com) (Australia) by Ashish and Shaghil Bilali. ------------------------------------------------------------- Ending Comment Well, these are my top news stories with their stock and fund tips -- for this podcast: “The Most Ethical Companies and Best Renewables.” To get all the links, stock symbols, or to read the transcript of this podcast -- and more -- go to investingforthesoul.com/podcasts and scroll down to this episode. Also, be sure to click the like and subscribe buttons in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever you download or listen to this podcast. And please click the share buttons to share this podcast with your friends and family. Let's promote ethical and sustainable investing as a ‘forceful hope' in these troubled times! Contact me if you have any questions. Thank you for listening. Talk to you next on April 8. Bye for now. © 2022 Ron Robins, Investing for the Soul

Infosys has been recognised as one of athe World's Most Ethical Companies for 2022, the second year in a row, by Ethisphere Institute, which works in the area of defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices. A clarification on disallowing offset of loss against profit in crypto transactions in India has caused much consternation among startups, TechCrunch reports. Plus, ecommerce automation SaaS company CommerceIQ turns unicorn. Infosys has been recognised as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for 2022, the second year in a row, by Ethisphere Institute, which works in the area of defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices. It is also the only company from India, and one of four such honourees globally, in the software and services industry, the company said in a press release. In 2022, 136 honourees were recognised from 22 countries and across 45 industries. India's proposed taxation law of virtual digital assets won't permit individuals to offset the loss from one asset against the profit of another, the Ministry of Finance said on Monday, causing dismay among the country's crypto startups, TechCrunch reports. This move is “detrimental for India's crypto industry and the millions who have invested in this emerging asset class,” Ashish Singhal, co-founder and CEO of CoinSwitch, one of India's largest crypto exchanges, said in an email. CommerceIQ, which helps retailers automate various ecommerce processes, has raised $115 million in a funding round led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2, at a value of more than $1 billion, making it the 12th Indian startup unicorn of this year, Economic Times reports. Qualcomm has launched a Snapdragon Metaverse Fund, established to invest up to $100 million in developers and companies building unique, immersive XR experiences, as well as associated core augmented reality and related artificial intelligence technologies, the company said in a press release. nurture.farm, a digital platform for sustainable agriculture, has generated and forward-sold 20,000 carbon credits through its alternate wetting and drying and dry seeded rice project, the company said in a press release. Its benefits included 15-30 percent of water savings, according to the release. Snowflake, a data cloud provider, has launched a healthcare and life sciences data cloud to offer customers a single, integrated, and cross-cloud data platform that eliminates technical and institutional data silos. PhonePe, a payments platform provider that is part of Walmart's Flipkart unit, has acquired GigIndia, a network for freelancers, to help corporates and enterprises acquire more customers and scale up their distribution channels, the company said in a press release. Bizongo, a B2B trade enablement platform provider, has acquired Mumbai based IoT and location services provider Clean Slate Technologie. Bizongo aims to equip more than 100 Indian factories with its IoT powered cloud factory solution by 2023. PolygonLEAP 2021 Accelerator has announced its first cohort of 31 startups. It will support the 31 solutions, selected from over 270 applicants globally, in building their innovative decentralised ideas in the boot camp phase. Theme music courtesy Free Music & Sounds: https://soundcloud.com/freemusicandsounds

In this episode of the FCPA Compliance Report, I am joined by Erica Salmon Byrne, President of Ethisphere. We discuss the announcement of Ethisphere's 2022 World Most Ethical Companies awards. This year's most stunning announcement is a 5-year Ethics Premium of 24.6%. Other highlights in include: A deep dive into the Ethics Premium, including the reasons for the dramatic growth of the past 5 years. 2022 had the highest number of new companies on the list. Who were some of these first-time honorees? The non-US centric number of honorees. The Ethics Quotient-how is it calculated?    Why is the Ethics Quotient such a powerful tool for the compliance professional? How to get your company involved in the World's Most Ethical Companies process.          Resources Ethisphere 2022 World's Most Ethical Announcement Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tim Welsh is Vice Chair, Consumer and Business Banking (CBB) at U.S. Bank, the fifth-largest bank in the country. The company has been recognized by Ethisphere as one of the World's Most Ethical companies for six consecutive years. Collectively the CBB group includes consumer products, branches, small businesses, mortgages, auto, and many elements of digital. CBB accounts for nearly half of U.S. Bank's loans and deposits. Tim works with colleagues to achieve their collective purpose, which is to power the potential of consumers and businesses. Previously, he was a senior partner at McKinsey & Company, based in Minneapolis. In his nearly 27 years at McKinsey, he served clients throughout the financial services and consumer industries including some of the nation's leading insurers, banks, investment firms, consumer packaged goods, retailers, and health care companies.  Tim also cares passionately about helping the Minneapolis-St. Paul community thrive. He is one of the founders of the Itasca Project, which was covered in the NY Times, McKinsey Quarterly and Tom Friedman's book "Thank You for Being Late." He serves on the boards of many non-profit organizations in the community and nationally.    Show Notes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-a-welsh/ https://www.usbank.com/index.html https://upsidefoods.com/ https://itascaproject.org/ https://www.mckinsey.com/quarterly/the-magazine https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/an-environment-where-everybody-can-thrive-a-conversation-with-us-banks-tim-welsh

Carolyn Herzog is a C-Suite executive with over 25 years of broad technology experience in multinational companies, having worked in the U.S. and overseas. Currently, as EVP, General Counsel, Company Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer at Arm Ltd., the world's leading semiconductor IP company, Carolyn is responsible globally for all legal, regulatory and public affairs matters for the company and provides strategic counsel to the CEO, Board and leadership team on a broad range of corporate, commercial and regulatory issues. Prior to Arm, Carolyn was the VP, CCO and Deputy GC at Symantec Corporation (SYMC), the world's largest cybersecurity company. Prior roles included acting as Head of Legal for EMEA. Carolyn joined Symantec through the acquisition of AXENT Technologies, Inc. (AXNT) where she led the transaction as GC. Prior to her legal career, Carolyn worked at The World Bank in Washington, D.C. Carolyn currently serves on the Board of the Association of Corporate Counsel and has served as an Advisory Board member to IPWatch Systems Corporation and on the Board for the National Cyber Security Alliance. She has been recognized by the Silicon Valley Business Journal C-Suite Awards, as a Distinguished GC by the Director's Roundtable and an Attorney That Matters by Ethisphere. Carolyn and the Arm Legal Department were recognized for their innovation and positive human impact in 2020 by the American Legal Technology Awards. Both within the companies that Carolyn has worked and externally, she has been an executive advocate for equality and diversity and inclusion initiatives. As in house counsel - and leaders - it is not always our job to be right, but to influence others to want to do the right thing. Lawyers often pride ourselves on our depth of knowledge in our chosen profession - and it's important to ensure that we can advise our clients on legal requirements. Equally important to the success of an in house leader is that our clients seek our counsel.

In this episode of the FCPA Compliance Report, I am joined by Andrew Neblett and Brian Beeghly, co-founders of Informed360 who recently joined forces with Ethisphere. Highlights of this podcast include: Tells us about Informed360 platform Why did you decide to join Ethisphere? How will the Informed360 solution be integrated into the Ethisphere offering(s)? As a combined company how will this improve compliance offerings? How will you be able to take data and provide insights for enhancement of compliance programs? Their roles at Ethisphere moving forward.  Resources Check out the upcoming webinar Turning Ethics and Compliance Insights into Action. Register at Ethisphere.com/events Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Abstract: “To ensure adequate diversity of thought, gender and ethnicity, it's critical that companies look beyond the traditional experience to recruit board members.” - Kim Williams To what extent has there been progress around inclusivity, diversity, and gender parity at the leadership level and in the corporate world in general? How do boards and oversight practices need to evolve to further progress and meet the challenges facing global companies today? In this episode of the Principled Podcast, Marsha Ershaghi Hames, Partner at Tapestry Networks, guest hosts a conversation about board diversity and how directors can ensure their companies do business the right way with Kim Williams, board member of Weyerhaeuser, Xcel Energy, MicroVest, and the E.W. Scripps Company. Listen in as Marsha and Kim discuss the critical role of boards in shaping ethical corporate culture, and how Kim's experience as the only woman in the room shaped her roles as a corporate leader and board director.   What you'll learn on this episode: [1:45] Kim's background, education and career. [4:45] - How being a woman has impacted Kim's career path. [8:20] - The responsibility held by corporations in shaping progress and change.  [12:02] - Instrumental figures and mentors who impacted the trajectory of Kim's career. [13:54] - How Kim landed her first board role and how the recruitment landscape has changed. [17:03]  - Emerging challenges boards of large global companies are facing today. [20:23] - What role do boards play in influencing the shape of culture? [25:25] - Cultivating society to support authenticity. [28:16] - Board oversight of safety culture in cultivation ethical culture.   Featured guest: A 26-year career in the Investment Management business allowed Kim Williams to develop important skills which included strong analytical abilities, significant financial and strategic awareness, leadership and communication capabilities, which are always reflected in a professional and proactive attitude. This extensive business and analytical experience has translated into an active participant in the boardroom. As a corporate board member, Kim has been required to address important issues including challenging business conditions, changing business models, corporate restructuring, asset divestitures, management succession, activist shareholders and proxy battles.  Kim is currently a director of Xcel Energy, EW Scripps, and Weyerhaeuser Company. At Xcel, she serves on the Governance, Compensation and Nominating Committee and Chairs the Finance Committee. At E.W.Scripps, she serves as Lead Director, Chair of the Audit Committee and a member of the Governance and Nominating Committee. At Weyerhaeuser, she serves as a member of the Audit Committee and the Governance and Nominating Committee.   Featured Host:  Marsha is a partner with Tapestry Networks and a leader of our corporate governance practice. She advises non-executive directors, C-suite executives, and in-house counsel on issues related to governance, culture transformation, board leadership, and stakeholder engagement. Prior to joining Tapestry, Marsha was a managing director of strategy and development at LRN, Inc. a global governance, risk and compliance firm. She specialized in the alignment of leaders and organizations for effective corporate governance and organizational culture transformation. Her view is that compliance is no longer merely a legal matter but a strategic and reputational priority.  Marsha has been interviewed and cited by the media including CNBC, CNN, Ethisphere, HR Magazine, Compliance Week, The FCPA Report, Entrepreneur.com, Chief Learning Officer, ATD Talent & Development, Corporate Counsel Magazine, the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics and more. She hosted the “PRINCIPLED” Podcast, profiling the stories of some of the top transformational leaders in business. Marsha serves as an expert fellow on USC's Neely Center for Ethical Leadership and Decision Making and on the advisory boards of LMH Strategies, Inc. an integrative supply chain advisory firm and Compliance.ai, a regulatory change management firm. Marsha holds an Ed.D. and MA from Pepperdine University. Her research was on the role of ethical leadership as an enabler of organizational culture change. Her BA is from the University of Southern California. She is a certified compliance and ethics professional.   Transcript: Intro: Welcome to the principal podcast brought to you by LRN. The Principle Podcast brings together the collective wisdom on ethics, business, and compliance, transformative stories of leadership, and inspiring workplace culture. Listen in to discover valuable strategies from our community of business leaders and workplace change-makers. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: How are boards of directors of major companies coping in 2021 with the increasing expectations from so many stakeholders? How can directors ensure that their companies are doing the right things and doing business in the right way? Hello, and welcome to another episode of LRN's Principle Podcast, where we continue our conversations about the critical role of boards in shaping ethical corporate culture. I'm your guest host Marsha Ershaghi Hames, a partner at Tapestry Networks. And today, I am joined by Kim Williams, an accomplished corporate leader, who currently sits on the boards of Weyerhaeuser, Excel Energy, where she chairs the finance committee, Micro Best, and the EW Scripps Company, where she chairs the board and is also chair of the audit committee. Kim is also involved in nonprofits that focus on women's issues. Kim, thank you for coming on today's Principle Podcast. Kim Williams: Marsha, thank you for the opportunity to share something of my experience and my thoughts on board service with your audience. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: Excellent. So let's jump right into it. I mean, you've had such an accomplished career in investment management. You retired as senior vice president, partner, and associate director of global industry research at Wellington Management Company, and then turned to a distinguished career of service on both corporate and nonprofit boards. Can you tell us a little bit more about your story, your background, and career? Kim Williams: Thank you, Marsha. I grew up and was educated in the UK, where I graduated with a master's degree in economics. I had fully expected to find a position as an economist, as I assume that that's what my master's degree had prepared me for. But serendipity introduced me to the investment management business, a relatively underdeveloped industry at that time in the UK. I still can't remember how I discovered the opportunity. I only know it wasn't through the internet, as I grew up at a time before the internet, but the attractions of the industry was that they provided me with the opportunity to employ my analytical skills, work independently, and be judged on my own performance. I worked, initially, as an analyst for a pension fund, which at the time, was one of the largest internally-managed funds in the UK. And then when my husband and I moved to the US, I continued my career as an analyst, first for Luma Sales, and then for Wellington Management, where I completed a successful 20-year career, initially as an analyst, and subsequently, assuming a broader management role in the firm. But then following 25 years of commitment to the investment management business, I chose to retire at what could be described as the pinnacle of my professional career. I was a partner of one of the largest investment management firms in the world. I'd been featured in Barons, and I had been repeatedly recognized as one of the best in my field. It was therefore with some trepidation that I embarked on a new adventure and left the comfort of my established career to apply my professional expertise in a different way and that, as a corporate board member. And as you mentioned, today, I currently sit on the board of three public companies. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: Kim, what an illustrious story. And I'm so moved because one of the things that really has captured me is that when you began your career, pre-internet and all of that, in investment management, you were one of the relatively few women in that industry. I've read an article, as we were preparing for our conversation, profiling some of your intense dedication and commitment to women's issues, where you described your career start as one steeped in tradition but entrenched in misogyny. Can you share more with our listeners about how the sexism you faced, and even the experience of being and walking and taking your steps as the only woman in a room, shaped the early steps in your career? Kim Williams: Yes, Marsha. I suppose I've never thought of myself as a trailblazer or as a role model during my career. But, as you mentioned, it was not uncommon for me to walk into a meeting 200 people and then to realize that I was the only woman in the room. And yes, this did bring some uncomfortable moments. I had portfolio managers tell me that women had no business in the investment management industry, that, as a woman, I was not equipped to follow engineering companies as an analyst, that my talents were better served focusing on consumer companies on two occasions, I discovered, after the fact, that had I not worked out, they would never have hired another woman. And two particularly uncomfortable moments come to mind when I was still working in London and early in my career. A doorman directed me to the kitchen when I asked for the luncheon that I was due to attend. And if that wasn't bad enough, he was very unapologetic when I returned and informed him that I was actually a guest and not the help. In fact, he placed the blame squarely on me. I was a woman, so how was he expected to know that I was other than the help? And, on another occasion, a senior partner at an investment bank asked me if I had come to serve the drinks. These incidents were early in my career, but I think allowed me to develop an inner strength and fortitude and forced me to be more assertive and courageous than my personality might suggest. Further, it really made me more determined to demonstrate that I should be judged by my performance. But that said, I would also acknowledge that there is an advantage to being the only woman in the room. Management seldom forgot me, for better or worse. And, in spite of the challenges, I thrived in the environment. I love the daily stimulation, the constantly changing schedule, the need to respond to the immediate nature of events, and I grew to relish the challenge. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: Kim, just the stories you're sharing, give me goosebumps. And what pains me is you were experiencing this as a pioneer at a time where you simply didn't even have the open forums to share your experience more publicly or more privately, as we do today. And I think as a mother of a daughter who's also in college right now pursuing her next chapter in life, our young women cannot be what they do not see. So if that doorman simply couldn't process or relate to how you had such a position of impact and influence in leadership, it's not just our daughters. It's our sons and it's our communities that just really need more role models like you. So if I take a step back and really reflect on the courage of this experience, when you look at progress today around inclusivity, around diversity, gender parity, if anything, in not only your industry and journey but, generally, in the corporate world, has there been progress? I mean, what is the responsibility of the corporation to be more, shall I say, intentional about supporting and shaping change and progress? Kim Williams: On balance, I'd have to acknowledge Marsha that there has been progress, but still, I think we would all accept, remains a work in progress. Investors, interestingly, are demanding increasing diversity on corporate boards and in the C-suite, which may accelerate this process, because it's been clearly demonstrated that increased diversity contributes to enhanced financial performance. And I think this further reinforces the imperative of enhanced diversity, as we're not taking full advantage of valuable assets, but increased participation has been achieved by women in corporate board rooms. At the end of the first quarter of 2021, 24% of all board seats, in the Russell 3000, were occupied by women. And this is versus 15% in 2016. So some progress you can see, but I was somewhat shocked to see that there are still 5% of the Russell 3000 that have all-male boards and no female representation, and only 4% of S&P 500 companies have a female chair. And, in fact, an interesting fact, there are more male chairs called John in the S&P 500 than there are female chairs. And I think looking to the C-suite, there, less than 10% of the S&P 500 have a female CEO. I'm actually proud to share and report that Jean Hynes assumed the position of CEO of Wellington management earlier this year, the first woman in that role. And Jean Hynes was previously the only second female managing partner. So some progress in the investment management industry, too. I do believe, to your point, Marsha, it's the responsibility of boards and management to be more intentional in ensuring increased diversity. I acknowledge that this requires boldness to accomplish diversity goals, and you have to overcome potential resistance or reluctance based on that unfounded belief that pursuing diversity goals requires a lowering of standards. Increasingly, the next generation of talent is demanding a diverse workplace. And if you don't embrace diversity, you will not be seen as the employer of choice. I'm just speaking to my board experience. I'm proud to know that the boards on which I serve have broad diversity, thought, gender, and ethnic diversity, and each company has an emphasis and a commitment to achieving further diversity at all levels of the workforce. I would note, as you did earlier, that I chair the Scrips board, as well as its audit committee, and I chair the finance committee at Excel. And at Weyerhaeuser, two of the three committees are chaired by women. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: Mm-hmm (affirmative). So while there is some progress, there's always a particular mentor or instrumental figure in all of our lives that either allows us to find the courage or see the examples of the how, the pathway forward. Were there any significant mentors or sponsors, in your journey, that really had an impact on the trajectory of your career path? Kim Williams: Yes, indeed. And I'm grateful to those individuals who served as important mentors to me during my career and provided me with guidance and encouragement at critical points in my career. And this is not just in the investment management business, but also through my corporate board experience but not surprisingly, given the nature of and the challenges of both the industry and more moving into the corporate board world, they were all men, but they allowed me to seize the opportunities afforded me and capitalize on my abilities and develop new skills. They also provided me with important opportunities, but this has really encouraged me to seek out opportunities to support other women to realize their full potential. And I work actively, wherever possible, to advance and promote women. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: Well, and building on that, when we talk about the board's own diversity, reflecting on its own culture and diversity, there's been a lot of conversation around the need to bring in other types of experiences and perspectives, more cognitive diversity into the boardroom. And a career like yours, in investment management, was not a typical background for a director when you joined your first board. Could you tell our listeners a little bit around the journey, too? How did you land that first board role? How have things maybe changed with CEOs and boards becoming a little more open to considering different skills and backgrounds for board seats? Kim Williams: Yes, Marsha, indeed, you are correct. I had a very unconventional background for seeking a corporate board position. And when I embarked on my search, which was now some time ago, the majority of board members were either sitting CEOs or retired CEOs or other C-suite executives. But I was fortunate to encounter companies with a willingness to consider more diverse experience as they look to recruit board members. This was bolstered by the reputation that I enjoyed and the relationships and credentials that I had established during my career. When I was an analyst, I had covered both Weyerhaeuser and EW Scrips. And the company had a first-hand glimpse into the type of experience that I could contribute to the boardroom. Unless, anybody think that these CEOs were expecting a pass if I went into the boardroom, I enjoyed a particular reputation as a tough questioner. And there was actually a cell site analyst who wrote a report about my election to the Weyerhaeuser board, saying how courageous the company was in inviting me into the boardroom. But I think it's increasingly clear that to ensure adequate diversity of thought, gender, and ethnicity, it's critical that companies look beyond the traditional experience to recruit board members. I would highlight potential areas of recruitment, such as executives with HR experience, given the heightened focus and scrutiny on talent management and human capital management. I'd also look to the role of the chief information officer to strengthen the oversight of cybersecurity risk. And then a word about financial analysts, who bring both analytical skills but also investor perspectives, which I think are increasingly important, into the boardroom. And I'm seeing that happen. And many of my former investment colleagues and partners, both male and female, currently sit on corporate boards. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: Well, I like that you've really also highlighted that there is, at times... And I think the pandemic revealed this quite a bit. There is an importance to break the groupthink, to have the courage to ask, or to be a little more investigative around some of the uncomfortable issues, because we saw, with risk, talent, all of these matters unfolding over the last 18 months, it takes those skills and experiences to be able to step in and courageously ask what may be an unpopular question to move the organization forward. So turning to some of your current board service, what are some of the more challenging or emerging challenges that boards of large global companies are starting to face today as we sort of... I don't even know if we could say we're coming out of the pandemic, but we learned a lot. And how do boards and oversight practices need to really start to evolve to meet these challenges? Kim Williams: Well, before I answer that question, Marsha, I'd like to just reflect on that previous comment that you made. When I think about diversity, I think about it in its many facets. And indeed, when I think about recruiting and look to who we should bring onto the corporate boards I currently sit, I really think about "What do I not know, and what expertise do I need in the boardroom in order to unearth those issues that somebody else has the ability to define?" I think diversity, in thought, is just as important as all the other areas of diversity in order to make sure that we're getting the best questions asked and the best results for a corporation, absolutely. But thinking about this question that you've posed to me now, I think the simple thing would be, where to begin? The last 18 months have been unprecedented for many people, obviously not just corporate boards. We've been dealing with the challenges of COVID, a virtual work environment. And the companies I'm involved with, employees had to continue to operate, either to deliver TB news or provide wood products or to simply keep the lights on in our service territories. And the challenge to during this period was really keeping those employees safe and adapting to a work environment which was often from home and making sure that the necessary technology was available to employees and that the appropriate control environment was there. And, on a number of boards, we were meeting weekly, of course, remotely, but given the uncertainty of the time and the lack of visibility, this became necessary. But now, the issues that we face, while, as you mentioned, we continue to deal with COVID, we have the issues of the return to the office and the implication of vaccine mandates and how they affect the companies. We have cybersecurity and increased ransomware threats and attacks. And also, we're dealing with the issue of the Great Resignation. Demographics were really already presenting a challenge with baby boomers retiring at unprecedented levels. We are having additional pressures as employees are reassessing their priorities and leaving the workforce or moving to different opportunities. So this is forcing us to address the future of work and the role of technology and how technology might play a role in providing solutions. And then, of course, there's the topic of ESG and EDI, talent management, and the reporting requirements around those and which committees should be addressing each of these individual topics. And then, of course, climate change. These are in no particular order and doesn't reflect how I, or any of my board, set priorities. But I would also just reiterate that, coincidentally, we, as a board, are also charged with the regular work of the board, with the oversight of strategic direction, the review of management succession, management talent and performance, capital deployment, and the review of the appropriate capital structures, holding management accountable for delivering financial results, and ensuring the integrity of the financial results. So I'm sure I've left something out, but as you can see, this is a very full plate that we have. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: And with this very full plate, I mean, it's overflowing, from cyber to talent to capital matters. You've been a part of our conversations with the Ethics Culture Compliance Network focused on oversight of culture. How can a board really... I mean, culture itself isn't a standalone topic on an agenda. And as you've mentioned, as we're transforming how we work, how we recruit talent, how we develop the next generation of leaders, in this new digital world, how can boards potentially approach thinking differently around oversight of culture, or what role can the board play, if any, in influencing the shape of culture in this new world? Kim Williams: Well, I think boards have an important role, Marsha, in ensuring that managements are overseeing culture. And, in fact, boards themselves should be ensuring that the mission, vision, and values of a corporation are really reflected in the culture of the enterprise and then holding managements accountable for this. I think that, to the extent everything begins with tone at the top, but it's then also important for boards to really understand and appreciate if that tone at the top and that mission statement really translates into other levels in the organization. I think that's been one of the things that I have found a challenge in over the last 18 months, with everything being done remotely, because I enjoy spending time in the divisions with employees below the C-suite, where you have the opportunity to really understand and appreciate if what is being articulated by senior management is really being embraced and incorporated into the enterprise writ large. I, particularly, also really rely on internal audit to be an auditor of corporate culture. And again, they have been challenged with being able to go out into the operations and into the day to day of the employees. So I think that's something that, really, I look forward to getting back on the road and traveling to see people. But I think that there just are many opportunities that boards have in order to really encourage management to act boldly, to be held accountable, and to make sure that the appropriate KPIs are included in compensation metrics to understand how managements are approaching talent management, particularly differently, if they have not achieve the desired diversity objectives. And I think it's, it's also important to focus on strategies to foster inclusion within an organization be because it's not just sufficient to attract a diverse workforce, you then have to retain them. And so we also own need to recognize that this perhaps comes back to know some of the challenges around this. I think we need to recognize that there will be those in an organization who do not embrace the fact that we need a more diverse, inclusive workforce and may even feel threatened and believe will be at risk as the company pursues additional diversity. So I think it's the challenge of management and the board to really reinforce this as a priority, why it's a priority and that it will contribute to a better performing organization as a whole, not just will better some members of the community at the expense of others. And then just, finally, boards really do have an important oversight role. And I, particularly, have been involved with interactions with identified high performers in organizations to demonstrate the type of opportunities that are available, particularly to young women, and to provide guidance in how they might view their upcoming challenge and overcoming those challenges. But I do think, finally, it's that importance of reinforcing this as a priority of the board. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: So you really are touching on a number of points. And one thing that pops in my mind as you describe this opportunity of intentionality and the potential of some individuals feeling threatened or fearing some of the diversity, as I think of authentic leadership and how can we cultivate societies and communities and corporate work horses and cultures that really support that sense of authenticity, I know that, in a lot of the research we're seeing around the new generation that's in the workforce, they desire to work and be aligned. And you mentioned this, values-oriented organizations and authentic and committed and intentional organizations. So it's not just recruiting diversity, but it's identifying ways to retain and support those voices, so... Kim Williams: I think, Marsha, that you raise a very good point there. I am fortunate, in my board service, to be involved with three companies who have very well-articulated mission, vision, and values, which frankly, we are finding as a competitive advantage as recruit people. And I think it's important... Again to highlight something that you said, it's important to think about all of the stakeholders that are involved with that, because it not just about one particular group, but you have to include whether it's viewers of the television stations that watch our programming, whether it's the communities that are taking electrical service in our service territories, or whether it's what we're doing in terms of environmental stewardship at Weyerhaeuser. These things are all very important in really speaking to being able to attract and retain talent, to make sure that people actually feel proud when they work for you. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: It's so true. It's so true how much we are connecting purpose and commitment with organizations to impact. And we're seeing more and more that, with gen Z especially, they want to work for organizations that not only fulfill what they're passionate about but are contributing to the communities that they serve and that they work in. But we're reaching in near the end of our time together, Kim, and I want to touch on one point, which I think is really crucial for us to discuss and that is safety. You serve on the boards of companies, where safety is critical, and it serves actually as a key performance indicator. It's really a part of the value and mission and purpose of the organization. What lessons can you share with listeners around board oversight of safety culture, and how can this help apply to our listeners thinking about cultivating ethical cultures across an organization? Kim Williams: So when we were initially having those conversations about ethics and the ethical value of companies and how you monitor that, it really made me think about what we're doing both at Excel and at Weyerhaeuser on safety and creating a safety culture. And those two organizations have very dangerous occupations, and it's of utmost importance that we ensure that our workforce returns to their families safe every night. And, in order to do that at, and to foster a culture of safety, it has to... Again, tone at the top, making sure that this is something that is embraced by everyone, not just the senior leadership but the board and all members of the community and employees. And I think where the board has a role to play is that conveying to the employees that it is a priority for us. On both those boards, we begin every board meeting with either a safety moment or an update on safety to just reinforce the notion that to create a culture, you really need to continue to do it because culture is something that can be very fragile. If you don't continue to reinforce it, it might not survive. And so, again, I think it just has to be something that's ingrained in the culture and is part of what you do on a day to day. I notice that, in my own actions, when I'm at home, I don't do anything that could be considered unsafe. And I'm always encouraging those around me to make sure that they are operating and working in safe conditions. But again, it's really about tone at the top, board engagement with the broader workforce to convey that safety really is a key principle. And I think you can do that with culture. And the notion that establishing a strong tone with respect to an ethical culture... And while you might have a performance-driven culture, that doesn't preclude you from also having an ethical culture, because it has to be demonstrated that financial results cannot be when you jeopardize ethical standards. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: That is a great way to end. Ethics is non-negotiable, and performance shall be achieved and pursued but not at the expense of how we get there. So, Kim, clearly this is a conversation we could be having all day. I've really enjoyed learning. I've learned so much from you, and I hope that we have the opportunity to continue the dialogue in a future podcast, but we're out of time for now, so thank you for joining me on this podcast. Kim Williams: Thank you, Marsha. It was a delight, and I really enjoyed it, so thank you for allowing me to share my story. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: Absolutely. And to all of our listeners, I'm Marsha Ershaghi Hames, with gratitude for tuning in to The Principle Podcast from LRN. And I'm going to sign off. Thank you. Outro: We hope you enjoyed this episode. The Principle Podcast is brought to you by LRN. At LRN, our mission is to inspire principled performance in global organizations by helping them foster winning ethical cultures, rooted in sustainable values. Please visit us at lrn.com to learn more. And if you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or wherever you listen. And don't forget to leave us a review.  

In this episode we speak Dr. Leonardo Bonanni about supply chain transparency, the growing need to better understand it, how companies are starting to embrace it, and the reality of where we're at right now.  Dr. Leonardo Bonanni is the founder and CEO of Sourcemap. Sourcemap is the first technology company dedicated to supply chain transparency. Their platform is used by businesses and governments to track the supply chains of more than 50 raw materials and manage programs aimed at eradicating forced labor, deforestation and extreme poverty, among other issues. Dr. Leonardo Bonanni has testified before the US Senate's Finance Committee on forced labor enforcement; he hold a PhD from the MIT Media Lab; he has been named among America's Most Promising Social Entrepreneurs by Bloomberg Businessweek and the 100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics by Ethisphere. Show Notes:Be sure to visit: Sourcemap.com Social Media: Personal Website LinkedIn Twitter Visit Coolperx® home page: Coolperx® Reach out to Coolperx®: Phone: 1 (855) 429-0455 email: hello@coolperx.com Check out Coolperx® blog: blog Plus, don't forget to follow or sign up for my newsletter here: PODCAST WEBSITE Support Coolperx®'s podcast by subscribing and reviewing! Music is considered “royalty-free” and discovered on Audio Blocks. Technical Podcast Support by: Jon Keur at Wayfare Recording Co. © 2021 Coolperx®. All Rights Reserved.

Abstract: How are boards of directors of major companies coping in 2021 with the increasing expectations from so many stakeholders? How are boards equipping themselves to meet the challenge of overseeing large global organizations? In this episode of the Principled Podcast, Marsha Ershaghi Hames, Partner at Tapestry Networks, guest hosts a conversation about the critical role boards play in shaping ethical corporate culture with Don Cornwell, an accomplished corporate leader who currently sits on the boards of AIG, Natura & Company, and Viatris. Listen in as Marsha and Don talk about the importance of intention when making decisions at the board level—especially as it relates to diversity, mentor sponsorship, and professional guidance.   [1:28] Guest Don Cornwell's diverse background and pioneering career journey. [3:25] Where are we now in terms of diversity on Wall Street? [9:22] Where is the U.S. going wrong in terms of maximizing capital and production? [13:12] How can boards and corporate leaders take the first steps to open doors and drive intentional sponsorships while navigating DEI? [21:08] How can boards begin to transform their own culture? [26:09] How boards can take action to cultivate ethical culture given the context of these times.    Additional Resources: Article:  Father and Son Investment Bankers Describe Wall Street Regrets [Subscription required]   Featured guest: Don Cornwell retired as chair and CEO of Granite Broadcasting Corporation in 2009, a company he founded in 1988. Granite developed from an entrepreneurial idea into a diverse company operating 23 channels in nine television markets and became one of the nation's 25 largest television station groups. Previously, Don was employed for 17 years in the Investment Banking Division of Goldman Sachs. While at Goldman Sachs, he was engaged in public and private financing and merger and acquisition transactions for publicly traded and privately-owned companies, with a primary focus on consumer product and media companies. In addition to transaction responsibility, he served as the chief operating officer of the Corporate Finance Department from 1980-1988. Currently, Don serves on the board of directors of AIG, Inc., Natura Holdings, Viatris Inc. and Blue Meridian Partners, Inc. Don is also a trustee of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of NY. At AIG, he is Chair of the Compensation and Management Resources Committee and a member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Don served on the boards of Pfizer from 1997 to 2020, Avon from 2002 to 2020, and CVS Caremark Corporation from 1994 until 2007. At Pfizer, he was Chair of the Audit and Regulatory and Compliance Committees and a member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance and Science and Technology Committees. Viatris was created as a public company as a result of a strategic merger of Pfizer's Upjohn business with Mylan Inc. At Avon, he was Lead Director of the board, Chair of the Finance and Strategic Planning Committee and a member of the Nominating and Governance and Audit Committees. Avon was acquired by Natura in 2020. Don previously served on the board of Occidental College, the Advisory Council of Harvard Business School, the MS Hershey School and Trust, the Wallace Foundation, the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation and as Chair of the Board of the Telecommunications Development Fund appointed by the Chairman of the FCC. Don received his BA from Occidental College in 1969 and MBA from Harvard Business School in 1971 and has been honored as Alumnus of the Year by both institutions.   Featured Host:  Marsha is a partner with Tapestry Networks and a leader of our corporate governance practice. She advises non-executive directors, C-suite executives, and in-house counsel on issues related to governance, culture transformation, board leadership, and stakeholder engagement. Prior to joining Tapestry, Marsha was a managing director of strategy and development at LRN, Inc. a global governance, risk and compliance firm. She specialized in the alignment of leaders and organizations for effective corporate governance and organizational culture transformation. Her view is that compliance is no longer merely a legal matter but a strategic and reputational priority.  Marsha has been interviewed and cited by the media including CNBC, CNN, Ethisphere, HR Magazine, Compliance Week, The FCPA Report, Entrepreneur.com, Chief Learning Officer, ATD Talent & Development, Corporate Counsel Magazine, the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics and more. She hosted the “PRINCIPLED” Podcast, profiling the stories of some of the top transformational leaders in business. Marsha serves as an expert fellow on USC's Neely Center for Ethical Leadership and Decision Making and on the advisory boards of LMH Strategies, Inc. an integrative supply chain advisory firm and Compliance.ai, a regulatory change management firm. Marsha holds an Ed.D. and MA from Pepperdine University. Her research was on the role of ethical leadership as an enabler of organizational culture change. Her BA is from the University of Southern California. She is a certified compliance and ethics professional.   Transcript: Intro: Welcome to the Principal podcast brought to you by LRN. The principal podcast brings together the collective wisdom on ethics, business and compliance, transformative stories of leadership, and inspiring workplace culture. Listen in to discover valuable strategies from our community of business leaders and workplace change makers. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: How are boards of directors of major companies coping in 2021 with the increasing expectations from so many stakeholders? How are boards equipping themselves to meet the challenge of overseeing large global organizations? Hello, and welcome to another special episode of the Principled podcast, where we continue our conversations about the critical role boards in shaping ethical corporate culture. I'm your guest host, Marsha Ershaghi Hames, a partner at Tapestry Networks. And today, I'm pleased to be joined by Don Cornwell, an accomplished corporate leader who currently sits on the boards of AIG, Natura & Company, and Viatris. Don, thank you for coming on the Principled podcast. Don Cornwell: Marsha, thanks for the invitation. I look forward to our conversation. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: Excellent. So Don, let's share with listeners a little bit. You've had a very unique background from your early career at Goldman Sachs to founding and leading Granite Broadcasting, which at its peak, was the largest African American-controlled television broadcasting con in America. You've continued to lead a distinguished career of service on both corporate and nonprofit boards. Could you tell our listeners just a little bit more about your amazing journey? Don Cornwell: Well, I've done a lot of moving around for a kid who was born in segregated Oklahoma in 1948. My family moved to the Pacific Northwest when I was five, so they could frankly continue their careers as educators. And so I lived in Tacoma, Washington, until I graduated high school in 1965, then left to attend Occidental College in Los Angeles, followed immediately by a move to Boston to attend Harvard Business School. And from there, often New York to join a considerably smaller Goldman Sachs. As you know, I left Goldman Sachs in 1988 after 17 years. I started a business, you've referenced it, Granite Broadcasting Corporation, and we built that for 20 years. And then I left the company and essentially went into so-called retirement, which I've failed at miserably and have continued to serve on corporate boards. You didn't mention, I have to mention, Pfizer and Avon and CVS. I've been very proud of my association with all three of those companies. So I wouldn't want to pass that. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: Well, you mentioned your journey with Goldman Sachs. You had joined their investment banking department in the early '70s. And I actually was reflecting on that fantastic interview with Bloomberg, the profile with you and your son last year. Your story is very pioneering for African Americans working on Wall Street. As you look back on that experience, what are some of your observations on diversity on Wall Street, and essentially the being the only one in the room? Has there really been progress? Don Cornwell: So I did the interview, the Bloomberg interview with my son, because I thought it provided a context of experience by African American professionals over a significant period of time. I started at Goldman Sachs in 1971 and he joined, I should say, after I graduated from Harvard Business School. And he joined Morgan Stanley in 1998 after he graduated from Stanford Business School. I am shameless about promoting the article. So if any of your listeners have an interest, they should check it out. On your question, so I would say the industry is making what I call directionally correct movement. That's a good thing, but I guess I'm at an age in life where I can say that I think the progress is too slow and I think it's not deep enough. And so in making that comment, I can point to some really terrific success stories at various financial firms. And by financial firms, I'm incorporating everything from banks and insurance companies to the typical Wall Street firms that you think about. But in thinking about those success stories, I'm hard pressed to find what I would call an adequate pipeline of aspiring and qualified young professionals available for the succession planning of the future. I've found, in my career, that when you build a pipeline, and that's something that Pfizer talks about a lot, but when you build a pipeline of talent, the issues that we're discussing become somewhat moot. However, when you don't have a pool of talent, you then find yourself scrambling to, and I put quotes around the word "improve," from a very unimpressive baseline. And frankly, in this day and age, that does not go unnoticed by shareholders, and stakeholders, and society. So I guess I would give the industry a mixed grade. I think it's getting better. I think that there's some great success stories that I read about and know about, but much more work to be done. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: Speaking of that, I actually read another article or a derivative article. And I read a quote here that said "Wall Street has a problem with black excellence." And most super successful people on Wall Street are just excellent at what they do and how they got there. However, when someone is excellent as an African American, it is not embraced. How does that sort of land with you or resonate with you? Don Cornwell: Well, it's an interesting observation. I don't know where it comes from. I think I would sort of turn it just a little bit to say that I felt, in my time, that the process of growing in a career, no matter who you are, requires an effect. What I would describe as someone who intentionally wants to see success. So the observation, to be candid that I've made about the financial community, I think, is a problem across industry and the country. I think we simply have not done enough to hire, encourage and retain young people of color, or women, in general industry.  I think that we leave a lot of talent behind. We're getting better, but we leave a lot of talent behind. So when I talk about, I have a theme of being intentional about a success experience, I can certainly say that each and every one of the success stories that get spoken about a lot, people like Ken Chenault that Ken Frazier, just to name a few, and I can name many, many others, that they can point to those moments in their careers where they were given a helping nudge along the way. And so I'm sort of simple minded about it, which is that if people in power want to see success in that regard, they have to be intentional about it. It has to be something that's on their mind. They have to insist on it. And quite frankly, when decisions, tough decisions. Have to be made as to whether somebody's performing or not, they have to be willing and not afraid to call it. Because as I said, everybody isn't going to make the cut, but it's great if people can feel comfortable that they have that opportunity. In the Bloomberg interview, and I hope you don't mind my going on at lengthy here a little bit, but this is one of my favorite topics. I spoke about intentional sponsorship. That's my theme. And I spoke about it in context of senior managers. I read, referenced a fellow that I called my very best boss ever. He has unfortunately passed away. His widow read the interview and called me and was quite amazed at how I felt about this. And I think she understood things that I had said to her over the years about how important he had been to my life and my family's life in terms of my own success. So I always say that during that eight year period, when I had his sponsorship within Goldman Sachs, and by the way, he wasn't necessarily a great guy. I've had people contact me after the interview and say, "Well, he wasn't very nice to me." And so I get that, but I do know that once he asked me to join his team, then I became part of the team and he became my advocate. And that was the best period of my career at Goldman Sachs. And quite frankly, my worst periods were when I didn't have that guidance. I think, and I hope you'll let me go on just a little bit longer, but I think that as a country, we're not maximizing our human capital. We see that every day as we work our way through the pandemic. I mean, think about it. Human capital, with a bit of help from our global partners, came up with multiple ways to stop the coronavirus. Okay. I mean, that's amazing if you think about it. I mean, we're all somewhat concerned these days about the continuation of variants and issues about whether you get a boost, et cetera. But the facts are is that we found a way, in a very, very short period of time, to bring a halt to this really vicious virus. And so that's the wonder. On the other hand, we are also picking up the newspaper and learning that we are short of people to do the most basic jobs, as well as, quite frankly, many of those requiring much more in the way of skills. As a country, I think we've given up on our public education system. It used to be an advantage for us. We spend a lot of time bashing teachers and so forth, and fighting about the curriculum and so forth. We're resisting efforts to train people. We need the labor, but we don't want the cheap labor coming across the border, even though we don't necessarily have the labor to fill many of those jobs. And I'm going to be a little controversial in my next comment, and you guys can edit this out if you want. But I have long said that the country long benefited from structural inequity/ if you think about the quality of teachers we had many, many years ago, when one of the best jobs available to a bright woman or a person of color was as a teacher. And I used my mom as an example, she finished first in her class in college in 1942. There were no corporations or financial institutions on her campus aggressively recruiting, particularly at an HBCU. And so society benefited because you had this class of individuals who were largely directed into a profession that was the best available to them, and we're indebted to them, but that's changing. And without getting into the debate about teachers, and quality, and what have you, that's changing. And that's a debate for another day, but it goes back to my opening comment, which was that we're not spending enough time maximizing human capital. And I think that's a problem. And it ties back to DEI. It ties back to ESG. It ties back to a lot of things that we might talk about. So I'll pause there. I know I'm talking too long. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: No. Yeah. So first of all, Don, I mean, you are touching on some very, very timely issues that, I mean, companies are exploring ways to essentially future proof talent models that clearly we've got an inequity, as you say, of infrastructure and how organizations go to recruit and build their pipeline. So when I sometimes hear the comments of, "There isn't a pipeline," or "We are not able to build a pipeline." Sometimes, I often think, "Where are you looking?" And there are some organizations today that are starting to try to build bridge around skill mobility, bridges into minority serving institutions. You mentioned HBCUs. But to go and to build recruitment pipelines to offer opportunities in other types of fields that may not have been historically or traditionally built into that recruitment infrastructure. So you're really touching on an important point that we probably should set up another conversation to unpack acutely. However, you earlier also mentioned this kind of societal shift that's a lot of pressure from company consumers, and stakeholders, and investors on companies to take more responsibility. And I like how you share your reflection on that intentional sponsorship by this mentor in your life. I am wondering, in the area that you sit today from your vantage point, how can boards, how can corporate leaders take those first steps to, whether it's mentorship programs, or to be more prescriptive or surgical in driving this notion of, "We need to open doors. We need to find ways to design more intentional sponsorship." Are these conversations happening within the board? Because I know, again, this is unique to your story. And I've heard other similar stories where it was that one mentor or sponsor who took them under their wing and just offered the difficult, often difficult guidance, to chart out the path. But how can we do more of that? Because clearly, the pressure's there for companies to take responsibility, but it's the how part, it's the pragmatic. What are the steps to activate that? What are your thoughts on that and what are you hearing or observing from where you sit today? Don Cornwell: So I think every board room where I have the honor of residing, the topics on the table, the topic is one of discussion and there's work being done and reporting out on the topic. So I think it's on the agenda. I'm not sure, from my perspective, whether corporate boards today really recognize that these societal forces that we think about, how powerful those items are for the future, that we get very caught up in a variety of other topics, which are also very, very important. And I'm sure you'll ask me about a few of those at some point here. But I do think that, and to some degree, this kind of gets to one of the notions that I have about the composition of boards, which is the notion that we actually need more people in the room with not only courage to ask tough questions, but also a wider lens in many instances, because I'm not sure that we're really necessarily seeing what's coming at us from a lot of different angles. If I can go back to the comments I made about diversity and inclusion, and a little bit ESG that you had asked about that, I really think these are societal forces that are starting, whether we want it to or not, to drive the corporate board agenda. So just a couple of thoughts. Can you imagine what the board discussions in Facebook are like these days? Or if you've been following Netflix. Could be a more successful company, quite frankly than either of them. All right. I mean, Facebook was founded... My daughter is 36 now, and she's a 2007 graduate of college. And I remember when she was a freshman, she and all of her friends were talking about whether or not they would sign up for Facebook, which had only been started maybe two years before they were to be freshmen. And Facebook's the bad people, there's all kinds of negative things being said about Facebook, but just look at the corporate and business success or Netflix. I mean, my God. How many times did I find the little red envelopes around my house that had never been returned? And talk about a success story. But what are they talking about at those boards? They're talking about all the issues that here on cable television 24/7. At Netflix, you're talking about comedian who has decided to be less than politically correct in the way he talks about things. And so that raises all kinds of challenges about speech and what's appropriate. But then you move from that and you've got, [inaudible 00:16:55] Exxon. My God, what could be more... There it is, Exxon. And you literally have activists find a way with major shareholders to challenge their corporate strategy. And it's front and center around climate and sustainability. What are you doing? And they end up changing out board members. And then there's one that you may or may not have heard of, but I pay a lot of attention because of my history in the broadcast business. It's a company called Tegna, which is essentially the old Gannett company's television station group, which is quite a large group. And they have been under attack for three years by a very, very sophisticated activist shareholder. And his primary focus, his primary focus has been on the treatment of people and particularly the treatment of people of color within the company. And it's been kind of a fascinating thing to watch. The corporate, the board has succeeded in being reelected each year, but the noise gets louder and louder. And at the current time, that activist has now joined forces with one of the major private equity firms and has made it an offer to who buy the company. And so that board is very much under siege. And so I see these forces from society demanding a seat at the table. And quite frankly, these are not the topics that are ever at all candor on the agenda in most instances. You get me started on this, so I apologize, but you think about the tensions that corporations are having to navigate as between national and global interest. Anybody that's doing business in China, those of us who deal with compliance, and risk, and what have you, we spend all of our time thinking about China as a compliance issue. But you've got geopolitical stuff there. I mean, don't go to China and start talking about your great relations in Taiwan. And they've got their views about data privacy. And quite frankly, beyond China, just across the globe, there are views about that. And so that's my way of saying that boards are being forced by the outside world to think about stuff, including the issues... DEI is not just a, "Oh, we got to check that box." Okay. In my opinion, it's part and parcel of so much that's going on out there that boards are having to deal with. Then, of course, we've got to deal with cyber. I mean cyber's going to destroy us if we're not careful. Compliance and ethics is an amazingly significant issue. If you saw yesterday that the whistleblower in the LIBOR scandal is getting a $200 million payout. That's going to motivate a few people. And then I always finally point out, and by the way, we're hopefully coming out of a pandemic and we're going to be worrying about organizational culture, given that most of us have spent two years working remotely, and we got to figure out how to get back together again. So longwinded answer to your question and hopefully a little bit helpful. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: Yeah, no, no, very helpful. And I'm glad you've touched upon what we're witnessing in terms of this societal shift and the increased pressure from investors, regulators, employees, other stakeholders, just the demands on companies to show progress. Business resiliency, environmental climate transaction plans. And then, of course, there's no question in terms of not only human capital. And I don't really like the phrase human capital. Or natural capital sometimes is also on the climate stuff, but it's really our people, our talent and the innovations and the diversity of how they bring ideas to the table, can really transform and create a certain agility to business progressing. And as this is continuing to capture the board and corporate leaders' attention, I like the phrase when you said boards really are starting to get forced to think differently. And I want to unpack that a little bit. So you touched on culture. I want to start with this notion of transforming board culture. And you mentioned earlier having the courage on the agenda to maybe ask more difficult questions. But how can boards, or you have had such a distinguished career, both as an executive and on serving boards. How can boards really start to begin to transform their own culture? Before boards can take the step for oversight of culture within the organization, how do they turn the mirror back and reflect on themselves and take the steps to really help cultivate a transformation within their own board culture? Don Cornwell: Yeah. I'm probably more of a pessimist in all these things than many. And I don't know if that's helpful or unhelpful. My experience has been that crisis tends to drive focus, and we all get very comfortable doing what we do. We do it every meeting, whether it's four meetings a year or 10 meetings a year, whatever the case may be. And then it's when all of a sudden, we get something that comes in, sort of a curve ball that we're forced to try to get smarter. And so my best board experiences have been in situations where there is what I would describe as intentional diversity of voice around the table. And diversity has always thought about it from the context of gender, and ethnicity, and what have you. And I think those are very much part of it, but I also think that diversity of voice in terms of experiences and worldview is just so important. I have found that when you have that... So you have to start with the notion that you are not going to figure it all out, okay? That bad stuff will happen. And so you want to be prepared to react, but then you should spend time, not only trying to figure out the root cause... But I guess I think it was Andrew Grove, the guy who founded Intel. He had a book called Only the Paranoid Survive. And I've always found that to be, at least that my business experience, just so true. That there's a need to constantly scan the horizon, looking for what's coming over the hill, that you could just not imagine. And so I think that best boards are trying to find ways to empower the management teams, to scan the horizon, to think about risk, think about the unimaginable, think about what you do when the unimaginable happens. That's, I guess, my belief about it. I know a lot of people think that a lot of it has to do with the books and records and the control and so forth. And it certainly does, but I will tell you that I can go back and look at scandal after of scandal and crisis after crisis. And you discover that all that stuff that I just described, the books and records and stuff all seemed totally fine until you discovered that something else was going on that was much more difficult. And so I'm a big believer in trying to inject a bit of imagination, creativity, energy, new ideas, new perspectives in the boards. I'm a believer in having boards that have some longevity and some experience. I enjoyed, in my long career on the Pfizer board, ultimately being the one that the new directors would turn to and say, "Don, why did we do that?" Okay. And there was great value to that, but it was also time for me to go. And that I'm pleased to say that one of the people that was recruited in the context, not to replace me, but in the context of my leaving, Scott Gottlieb. Scott and I had gotten each other in a year of overlap, and anybody who's watched television, he's a very, very bright young person. And I just think that people who come to the party with different sorts of experiences can just bring so much to a board. And I urge boards to do that. I think some are trying hard. I think some are still, in my honest opinion, still checking boxes that satisfy the New York Stock Exchange, or some perceived notion of best practices, and not necessarily bringing enough wisdom and perspective to the boardroom table that can hopefully help management as they try to navigate their way through increasingly difficult times. So I'm talking too long. I'm going to stop there. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: No, then you're actually spot on, Don. I mean, when you say "Crisis tends to drive focus," I mean, and clearly you're drawing from, you've served on boards of so many highly regulated industries. You mentioned Pfizer, you've got pharma, you've got finance services and so forth. Tell me, when there is crisis, when there are ethical lapses, what role can boards do, especially in these times with these shifts that we're discussing in society? How can they really take action to cultivate ethical culture in the organization? What are the steps they can take there? Don Cornwell: So I don't want to get too specific, but I lived through one with one of my former boards, where the company ended up making a settlement with the government and writing a very, very large check to compensate for all sorts of perceived and admitted sins. I think that out of that, both management and the company clearly recognized that this had been an issue and that we needed to figure out how to do better. But the focus, which I greatly appreciated, and I had a little bit to do with leading, though lots of others were leading the charge, the focus had to do more with root cause, and how do we get there? What could we do to change? How could we make sure that the organization knew that that certain behavior was not part of what that company wanted to convey to the outside world? So that really became a major investment of time and resources on the part of the company and with regular reporting to the right committees, audit, and regulatory and compliance, and then ultimately, to the board, about just what was being done, not only to prevent a repeat of what had happened, but also to what was being done to make sure that, within the culture, everybody sort of knew what was expected? And to be candid, it was made a lot easier because the CEO was not, in any way, either conflicted or hesitant. Very strong views on the issue. And quite frankly, personally, very embarrassed by what had happened. So that's what I call, what do you do afterwards? And so you deal with it. I mean, we did the usual stuff of figuring out who needed to be appropriately treated, fired, terminated, remediated, what have you. We went through all that. But I think that the bigger learning, I think, for this company, and very much into it as I was leaving the board and I'm very much hoping that that will continue to be the case, was really what I would describe as, "So let's scan the horizon. Let's figure out how to identify the next issues and see if we can get ahead of it." And I mean, they literally formed a... I guess I hate to call it a committee, but I guess it's a committee, that on a regular basis, was effectively reviewing, within this particular part of their business, sales practices and new developments, et cetera, and looking at where there might be issues, my contribution, which I think they followed, was to find the person in their organization that nobody tended to like, who was not afraid to say, "But, sounds good, but..." And to empower them to find ways to reward the person for bringing an independent and a challenging viewpoint. That's hard in organizations. I don't know how well they did with that. I think they did some of it, but the point is that you're trying to be ahead of it. You're trying to recognize that bad stuff happens. That you can talk to the cows come home, but bad stuff happens and it will happen. And people for either evil reasons or innocent reasons sometimes go over the line, go where they shouldn't go. You just have to recognize that that's going to be the case. From a board perspective, I always took the position you have to recognize that. You have to make sure managers know that bad news can be delivered safely, that you're not going to all of a sudden have the hanging party go out because someone came in and told the audit committee that there had been an issue, but that what you really wanted was, "So how do we find this out? What are we doing about it? What do we think the causes were? What can we do better?" And then you go through the checklist. So again, not sure if I responded to your question, but I do think that boards are having to organize themselves around these challenges. And in my opinion, there are no right answers. There's no exact answer to any of it, which is why I always argue that you got to talk about it a lot. You got to recognize that sometimes the agenda of that's laid out isn't necessarily the agenda that you really need to be focusing on, and at least have some discussion about that, so that the person who might have a different idea can feel empowered to bring that idea up. Anyway, I'm going to stop there. Marsha Ershaghi Hames: You're hitting really excellent points. I feel like we could continue this for a good another hour because culture in and of itself, it's so elusive. And to your point, there's the agenda. And then there's the fuzzy noise. And how do we extract that clear focus? And while, so glad you said this, bad stuff happens, it'll continue to happen and crisis continues to unfold. However, I think it's, how do organizations take a step back and try to see, what are the lessons that we can learn? How can we be a little bit more acutely aware to try to identify these signals early? And how do we really foster a culture where management is also comfortable coming in and escalating, or bringing these to our attention sooner? Or what are the challenging questions we can ask of management to try to uncover these issues sooner? So it's sort of a mutual dialogue here, but clearly, Don, this is a conversation we could probably continue to have, but we're reaching the end of our time. And I have learned so much from you. I feel like I was intentionally sponsored today. So many new ideas are sparked in my head. So thank you so much for sharing your time and for joining us on this episode today. And I want to say to our listeners, this was a real special treat. We're just so thrilled to have Don share his reflections and experiences here. And I'm Marsha Ershaghi Hames. With gratitude for tuning in to the Principled podcast from LRN, and I'm going to sign off. Thank you. Outro: We hope you enjoyed this episode. The Principled podcast is brought to you by LRN. At LRN, our mission is to who inspire principled performance in global organizations, by helping them foster winning, ethical cultures rooted in sustainable values. Please visit us at lrn.com to learn more. And if you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or wherever you listen. And don't forget to leave us a review.

ABC Shark Tank Star Barbara Corcoran on Georgia Business Radio “Shark Tank” Co-Host and entrepreneur Barbara Corcoran is teaming up with Catherine Hernandez-Blades of Aflac to examine some important ways that small businesses especially businesses owned by women and consumers can stretch their dollars and stay competitive in the marketplace. They'll also share information about new Aflac small-business solutions designed to help ease the burden of benefits administrators. Barbara Corcoran | Catherine Hernandez-Blades Barbara Corcoran's credentials include straight D's in high school and college and twenty jobs by the time she turned twenty-three. It was her next job that would make her one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the country when she took a $1000 loan to start The Corcoran Group. As one of the “Sharks” on ABC's hit TV show, SHARK TANK, Barbara has ponied up her own money and invested in twenty-two businesses, competing to make those deals for all to see, then shepherding them to success. Her newest book, SHARK TALES, takes you behind the scenes of her life and business and her ‘seen on TV' venture capitalism. Barbara is famously brash and blunt, bold and courageous, and a brilliant identifier of opportunity and talent (often invisible to others). Shark Tales How I Turned $1,000 into a Billion Dollar Business The inspiring true story of Shark Tank star Barbara Corcoran--and her best advice for anyone starting a business. After failing at twenty-two jobs, Barbara Corcoran borrowed $1,000 from a boyfriend, quit her job as a diner waitress, and started a tiny real estate office in New York City. Using the unconventional lessons she learned from her homemaker mom, she gradually built it into a $6 billion dollar business. Now Barbara's even more famous for the no-nonsense wisdom she offers to entrepreneurs on Shark Tank, ABC's hit reality TV show. Shark Tales is down-to-earth, frank, and as heartwarming as it is smart. After reading it don't be surprised if you find yourself thinking, "If she can do it, so can I." Nothing would make Barbara happier.   About Catherine Hernandez-Blades: Hernandez-Blades is SVP, chief brand and communications officer at Aflac, a company which has made the Ethisphere list of the World's Most Ethical Companies list 12 times and counting. HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE AFLAC SMALL BUSINESS HAPPINESS REPORT: INSURANCE: 27% of employees would like more affordable health care coverage FINANCES: 55% think the greatest challenge when working at a small business is financial (related to salary and health care expenses) HAPPINESS: 87% think working at a small business is more fun than a large business BARBARA – YOU TURNED A THOUSAND-DOLLAR LOAN INTO A BILLION-DOLLAR REAL ESTATE EMPIRE. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE LESSONS YOU'VE LEARNED ABOUT RUNNING A SMALL BUSINESS? CATHERINE – IT APPEARS SMALL BUSINESSES ARE IN A GOOD POSITION. CAN YOU TELL ME MORE ABOUT SOME OF THE KEY FINDINGS FROM THE HAPPINESS REPORT? BARBARA – WHAT IS YOUR BEST PIECE OF ADVICE FOR A WOMAN STARTING A SMALL BUSINESS? CATHERINE – WHAT SHOULD COMPANIES FOCUS ON WHEN DECIDING WHAT BENEFITS TO OFFER? BARBARA – DOES OFFERING HEALTH CARE BENEFITS MAKE FINANCIAL SENSE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES? For More Information, Visit: http://www.Aflac.com/HappinessReport Georgia Business Radio Interviewing industry and thought leaders with compelling stories. Relevant content on current business trends live from the Pro Business Channel studios in Atlanta. In addition to the live broadcast, content is distributed across multiple syndicated platforms with more than 500,000 downloads. Show Hosts: Rich Casanova, Chief Visionary Officer Pro Business Channel Rich Casanova began his broadcasting career in California's central valley at KSKS-FM. While in California he also ran a successful entertainment company whose staff and crew entertained over 100,000 people.

As we head to Halloween, Tom and Jay reflect on some of the top compliance and ethics stories on the Happy Halloween edition.  Stories 1.     More on Credit Suisse and Tuna bonds.  Mike Volkov in Corruption Crime and Compliance. Tom in the FCPA Compliance and Ethics Blog. Tom and Matt Kelly in Compliance into the Weeds.  2.     What is FARA. Jamie Rosenberg starts a 2-part series in Grand Jury Target. 3.     Digital innovation and continuous improvement. Jim Deloach in CCI.  4.     Banks and FinTech.  Davis Polk lawyers in Compliance and Enforcement Blog.  5.     What will happen to exec clawbacks? Aaron Nicodemus in Compliance Week. (sub req'd)  6.     SARs and appalling inaction. Martin Kenney in the FCPA Blog.   7.     Board readiness for shareholder activism. Paul DeNicola in Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance. 8.     Scrutiny of the Arts and Antiquities market. Linklaters client alert. 9.     Hiding evidence from regulations costs KPMG in UK. Risk and Compliance Platform Europe.  10.  The SEC on auditor independence. Matt Kelly in Radical Compliance.  Podcasts and Events 11.  Compliance Week 2022 opens for registration. Sign up here.  12.  Ethisphere's World Most Ethical Company awards for 2022 are open for submission. For more information on the Application Process, click here.  13.  Are you exasperated? Then check, F*ing Argentina. In this podcast series co-hosts Tom Fox and Gregg Greenberg, author of F*ing Argentina explore the current American psyche of being overworked, over leveraged, overtired and overwhelmed. Find out about modern America's exasperation with well…exasperation. In Episode 7, a Malodor on the Subway. 14.  This month on The Compliance Month, I visit with John Melican, Managing Director at Exiger on his journey to and from the CCO chair. In Episode 1, college and early professional career at NY County DA's Office. In Episode 2, Melican moved into the corporate world and into compliance. In Episode 3, John moves into the CCO chair. In Episode 4, John talks about what he learned and how he uses that knowledge.  15.  How does a Compliance Bible become a best-seller? Check out Tom's appearance on the C-Suite Network's Best Seller TV to find out.  Purchase The Compliance Handbook, 2nd edition here.  Tom Fox is the Voice of Compliance and can be reached at tfox@tfoxlaw.com. Jay Rosen is Mr. Monitor and can be reached at jrosen@affiliatedmonitors.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Either the Astros or Red Sox are headed to the World Series. Flashing lights in Fenway? What will the baseball gods decree? Tom and Jay reflect as they are back to review some of the top compliance and ethics stories on the Headed to the WS edition. Stories 1.     Credit Suisse and Tuna boats equals nearly $500 MM in fines. Harry Cassin in the FCPA Blog. Matt Kelly in Radical Compliance. Jaclyn Jaeger in Compliance Week (sub req'd) 2.     CCOs as problem solvers. Mike Volkov in Corruption Crime and Compliance. 3.     Testing compliance. Brandon Garrett in Compliance and Enforcement.  4.     3rd party risk management and SOC 2.  Eva Pittas in CCI.  5.     Activision promises compliance upgrades. Should we believe them? Jaclyn Jaeger in Compliance Week. (sub req'd)  6.     Is ESG reporting risky? Mike Munro explores in the FCPA Blog.   7.     Facebook fined for changing CCOs without reporting to the CMA? CMA Press Release. 8.     The intersection of compliance and IT. Kyle Martin in Risk and Compliance Matters. 9.     What does the oldest COI tell us about professional misconduct? Jeff Kaplan in the FCPA Blog.  10.  Contesting the narrative of compliance failures. Robert Barrington in GAB.  Podcasts and Events 11.  Compliance Week is going ‘Inside the Mind of the CCO'. Participate in the survey here.  12.  Ethisphere's World Most Ethical Company awards for 2022 are open for submission. For more information on the Application Process, click here.  13.  Are you exasperated? Then check, F*ing Argentina. In this podcast series co-hosts Tom Fox and Gregg Greenberg, author of F*ing Argentina explore the current American psyche of being overworked, over leveraged, overtired and overwhelmed. Find out about modern America's exasperation with well…exasperation. In Episode 6, Billy Joel and exasperation.  14.  This month on The Compliance Month, I visit with John Melican, Managing Director at Exiger on his journey to and from the CCO chair. In Episode 1, college and early professional career at NY County DA's Office. In Episode 2, Melican moved into the corporate world and into compliance. In Episode 3, John moves into the CCO chair. 15.  Why is the Texas Hill Country one of the most special places on earth? Check out the newest edition to the CPN, as Tom Fox celebrates the people, places and things of the Hill County. In Episode 1, he visits with Camp Stewart for Boys matriarch, Kathy Ragsdale. 16.  How does a Compliance Bible become a best-seller? Check out Tom's appearance on the C-Suite Network's Best Seller TV to find out.  Purchase The Compliance Handbook, 2nd edition here.  Tom Fox is the Voice of Compliance and can be reached at tfox@tfoxlaw.com. Jay Rosen is Mr. Monitor and can be reached at jrosen@affiliatedmonitors.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we talk to UWO's Director of Risk and Safety Kimberly Langolf about the university's vaccine distribution plans, cover the recent announcement by the Oshkosh Corporation that it was named one of the 'World's Most Ethical Companies' by Ethisphere and more.Week in Review is a production of 90.3 WRST-FM Oshkosh. The show is hosted by Andrew Hansen and Andrew Haese. Additional reporting this week was provided by Patrick Caine. Music for this episode was produced by Abbot Manecke.

I interviewed Mark Roellig | Senior Client Advisor at Perkins Coie on Friday, June 26th, 2020. We discussed several topics such as: Embracing Self-awareness  Surrounding Yourself with Diverse People & Perspectives What General Counsel look for?  The Value of an MBA  Training People to Leave Streamlining the Interview Process People that Come to Win vs. to Play Board Advice  Adding Value to Your Team  Career Advice for Those Stuck What Do Lawyers Really Bring? The Evolution of In-House Counsel Recommended Biographies _______________________________________________ Give Feedback Please share your feedback for the show, who I should interview, and the topics that interest you right now.  _______________________________________________ Links referred to in this episode: Mark Roellig | Perkins Coie Profile Mark Roellig | LinkedIn Profile National Law Journal | America's 50 Outstanding General Counsel 2016 Ethisphere | 2016 Attorneys Who Matter List ACC Docket | Leadership Lessons: Mark Roellig Reflects on 45 Years of Working Charlie Russ | Mentor Profile Walter Issacson | The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution Nancy Koehn | Forged in Crisis: The Power of Courageous Leadership in Turbulent Times Pia Flanagan | Chief of Staff to the CEO at MassMutual Dominic Blue | Head of Strategy Planning & Delivery at MassMutual   Brian Garner | Editor in Chief of Black's Law Dictionary | Twitter Account Charles Craver | George Washington Professor Patricia Diaz Dennis | Former Commissioner of the Dept. of Labor Jim Collins | Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap & Others Don't Eric Schmidt | How Google Works

Our business has many a slippery slope. Every day wholesalers are confronted with ethical temptations. Opportunities and urges to "work around" legal and compliance best practices. But at what cost? Trust issues, leadership missteps and ethics problems can threaten any organization, impact market value and cause irreversible damage. Frank C. Bucaro helps leaders and individuals at the best and most admired companies skillfully navigate the high road to success. Frank's unique career path from the classroom to the board room began a number of years ago when a succession high profile media reports captured his attention. While still an instructor of moral theology, he became increasingly aware that problems relating to unethical practices in the marketplace seemed to be on the increase. He is a business owner and author of the book The Trust Puzzle: How to Keep Your Company on the Ethical High Road. His articles have been published in a variety of industry publications and in ethics and compliance magazines such as Compliance & Ethics Professional, Corporate Compliance INSIGHTS, and ETHISPHERE. A member of the National Speakers Association, he has earned their designation of CSP which stands for Certified Speaking Professional and he was also presented with NSA's prestigious CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame Award for excellence and professionalism. Book Frank for your next event through Wholesaler Masterminds Speakers Bureau (services provided by Ro Morrison & Associates).  Ask us about our Conference Success Plans - We're Helping Distributors Maximize Their Conference ROI