Contributors
Tara GrecoTara is a senior director with experience on both sides of the equation, having worked in corporate CR and nonprofit communications & marketing. She focuses on trends and innovations in community engagement, strategic philanthropy, volunteerism, cause marketing, and CR/nonprofit communications.
Robin DelisoRobin is an associate director who works in APCO’s corporate responsibility practice and is interested in the blurring lines between consumer and influencer expectations of companies. She looks at how companies use CR to engage audiences in innovative ways, especially re: social media, and started her career in nonprofit communications strategy.
Andrea ShatzmanAn associate director in APCO’s Washington, D.C. office, Andrea works on a broad range of CR issues. She’s particularly interested in the evolution of CR over time and how businesses can capitalize on their strengths to make unique contributions to society.
Rachel ThompsonRachel is the global corporate responsibility practice manager for APCO. She has worked on global trade and CR in government and business. Her interests include the role (and limits) of CR in making globalization more sustainable; evidence and measurement issues; and the relationship between CR and preventing trade protectionism.
Leela StakeLeela is a director who helps businesses innovate, collaborate and communicate to be more successful. She’s based in San Francisco, has worked in six Asian countries and is interested in the relationship between long-term business success and community prosperity.
James RobinsonJames is a director who brings ten years of experience working on CR strategy and communications in New York, Beijing, and Jakarta. He looks at how CR is employed as part of broader business strategy and has a particular interest in the evolving role of technology and innovation in managing social and environmental issues.
Julie JackA director in APCO's New York office, Julie works on corporate responsibility with a focus on business strategy and emerging issues and trends. Her currents interests and work focus on sustainable agriculture and supply chain management, the integration of CR and financial communications, and CR in the consumer goods space.
Kitty PotterKitty is a senior director and leads APCO's CR practice in the Asia-Pacific region. Her current work and interests include the development of multi-stakeholder initiatives addressing corruption in supply chains, sustainability performance ratings, and engagement with private sector in climate change adaption.
Ellen MignoniEllen is a senior director and helped build APCO’s global corporate responsibility practice. She works primarily with APCO’s corporate clients on business alignment and corporate responsibility, stakeholder engagement and partnership development, and communication and outreach.
Author Archives: Julie Jack
Looking Forward to Better Reporting
The International Integrated Reporting Committee published a Discussion Paper on September 12 that presented a compelling case for integrated reporting. One of the more interesting statistics cited was that physical and financial assets represent a shrinking percentage of market value – falling from 83 percent in 1975 to 19 percent in 2009! Many of these intangible assets aren’t covered in most reports, which speaks to the need for different and more interconnected reporting. Some of the reasons it’s worth the read:
Posted on Thursday, September 15th, 2011
Catogories Communicating CR Communications Reporting Women and Girls Tagged communicating CR, CR reports, Integrated Reporting, reporting, sustainability, transparency Leave a comment
Catogories Communicating CR Communications Reporting Women and Girls Tagged communicating CR, CR reports, Integrated Reporting, reporting, sustainability, transparency Leave a comment
Sustainability and Financial Communication – APCO Meets with Emerging Market IROs on Wall Street
The setting is Wall Street and the topic is “Aligning Strategy, Sustainability and Financial Communication.” We are at Deutsche Bank speaking with about 35 emerging market company investor relations officers about ESG-related megatrends shaping the global operating and investment outlook.
“How many of you believe that environmental, social or governance factors represent material long-term risks or opportunities for your company?” Pretty much every hand goes up. “Okay, now, how many of you get questions from investors about ESG-related issues or meet with SRI funds on occasion?” At least half the group keeps their hands raised.
Posted on Friday, August 5th, 2011
Catogories Business Alignment/Integration Communicating CR Measurement & Evaluation Tagged ESG, Investor Relations, SRI 1 Comment
Catogories Business Alignment/Integration Communicating CR Measurement & Evaluation Tagged ESG, Investor Relations, SRI 1 Comment
Diversity and Inclusion: How Do We Encourage Diverse Talent to “Stick”?
Recently, a colleague called my attention to an eye-opening report by the Alliance for Board Diversity (ABD). Entitled “Missing Pieces: Women and Minorities on Fortune 500 Boards,” the report shows that corporate boards are still vastly underrepresented by African Americans, Asian Pacific Islanders and Hispanics, who together make up 33.7 percent of the total 2010 U.S. population. Given the arguments made in favor of diverse boards and diverse organizations – and their contribution to innovation, global collaboration and optimal risk management -- I couldn’t help looking at my own industry and asking why diversity continues to be a vexing challenge for us as well. If diversity and inclusion provide real value to our business, then why does it continue to be so elusive?
Posted on Thursday, June 2nd, 2011
Catogories Business Alignment/Integration Measurement & Evaluation Reporting Tagged authenticity, diversity, employee-engagement Leave a comment
Catogories Business Alignment/Integration Measurement & Evaluation Reporting Tagged authenticity, diversity, employee-engagement Leave a comment
Confessions from a Recession
While it has been nearly two years since the market crept back onto its feet in June 2009 and out of a recession, the effects of the 18-month economic stand-still have affected every aspect of the way we do business.
Posted on Monday, April 18th, 2011
Catogories Business Alignment/Integration Communicating CR CR in North America Tagged #bccccConf11, BCCCC 2011 International Conference, Charles Bentley, cr, CR investment 2 Comments
Catogories Business Alignment/Integration Communicating CR CR in North America Tagged #bccccConf11, BCCCC 2011 International Conference, Charles Bentley, cr, CR investment 2 Comments
Corporate Citizens of the World
Having spent as much of my life and career outside my home country as in, I’ve always found the question, “Where are you from?” to be a difficult one to answer. At the 2011 Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship Conference in Minneapolis, it was interesting to see companies from a wide range of sectors seeking to answer various forms of this question as they build, expand and nurture their global corporate citizenship programs.
Posted on Monday, April 18th, 2011
Catogories Business Alignment/Integration Communicating CR Community Engagement Tagged #bccccConf11, BCCCC 2011 International Conference, cr, Jennifer Hart, resources Leave a comment
Catogories Business Alignment/Integration Communicating CR Community Engagement Tagged #bccccConf11, BCCCC 2011 International Conference, cr, Jennifer Hart, resources Leave a comment
Corporate Water Risk and Management from FT Conference
One-third of U.S. counties in the lower 48 states are expected to experience severe water shortages by 2050. Some nations in Asia, Africa, and South America already face severe shortage. For many companies, especially those in water-intensive industries (e.g., agriculture, food and beverage), water scarcity is a material business issue. In a world where nearly one billion people are without access to clean water, it is also front and center on the sustainability agenda for human rights and the environment.
Posted on Tuesday, March 15th, 2011
Catogories CR in North America Environment Tagged Calvert, EIRIS, MSCI, Peter Webster, water Leave a comment
Catogories CR in North America Environment Tagged Calvert, EIRIS, MSCI, Peter Webster, water Leave a comment
A Look at Integrated Reporting from FT’s Investing in a Sustainable Future Conference
We had a chance to attend part of the FT’s Investing in a Sustainable Future Conference yesterday. While some of the discussion remained in well-trod territory, the panel on integrated reporting provided a candid discussion of the progress on and barriers to integrated reporting. Some highlights below:
Posted on Thursday, March 10th, 2011
Catogories Business Alignment/Integration Environment Reporting Tagged Financial Times, FT, Goldman Sachs, GRI, International Integrated Reporting Committee, Merck, Sustainable Future Conference Leave a comment
Catogories Business Alignment/Integration Environment Reporting Tagged Financial Times, FT, Goldman Sachs, GRI, International Integrated Reporting Committee, Merck, Sustainable Future Conference Leave a comment
NYSE Hosts GRI Launch of Focal Point USA, an ESG and Sustainability Reporting Resource
GRI recently opened an office in the US and launched “Focal Point USA” – an effort to encourage adoption of the guidelines in the US market. Michelle Lau, a New-York based member of our corporate responsibility team, attended the launch event at the New York Stock Exchange. She reports below.
All seats were filled Monday morning at the Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) launch of “Focal Point U.S.A.” – a new U.S. effort to urge companies toward transparency and adopt the GRI reporting framework.
Posted on Thursday, February 3rd, 2011
Catogories Measurement & Evaluation Reporting What's Next for CR Tagged Avon, Bloomberg, CERES, Curis Ravenel, Focal Point USA, Global Reporting Initiative, GRI, Michelle Lau, Mindy Lubber, NYSE, Steve Leffin, Susan Arnot Heany, UPS Leave a comment
Catogories Measurement & Evaluation Reporting What's Next for CR Tagged Avon, Bloomberg, CERES, Curis Ravenel, Focal Point USA, Global Reporting Initiative, GRI, Michelle Lau, Mindy Lubber, NYSE, Steve Leffin, Susan Arnot Heany, UPS Leave a comment
We Can Do Small Things Too
I got an e-mail this morning from Barack Obama, and the subject line was "We Do Big Things." I watched the State of the Union last night and lately I have to admit to a certain amount of discouragement about our seeming inability to tackle big problems. As someone who lives and drives in northern [...]
Posted on Wednesday, January 26th, 2011
Catogories Health Philanthropy Women and Girls Tagged cooking oil, Jakarta Post, Ray LaHood, SOTU, transportation, vitamin A, We Do Big Things Leave a comment
Catogories Health Philanthropy Women and Girls Tagged cooking oil, Jakarta Post, Ray LaHood, SOTU, transportation, vitamin A, We Do Big Things Leave a comment
The Diverse Face of Food Day
Catogories Communicating CR CR in North America Health | Tagged #foodday, CSPI, Food Day, GMA, health, Jessica Gover, Julie Jack, nutrition, tofu | Leave a comment