Las Vegas|October 28 - 30, 2008
Wednesday | Thursday | Presenting Organizations
Select a session below session for a detailed description:
Corporate Values or Brand Reputation: What Drives Enterprise Sustainability?
In recent years, increasing media attention on global warming and environmental issues spurred in part from the rising cost of fuel and new developments in alternative energy has put companies’ efforts to measure and reduce their carbon footprints under the magnifying glass. As a result, many firms have begun to formally address sustainability, upgrading to more energy-efficient hardware, creating processes to reduce energy use in the data center, evaluating their supply chains and buying carbon credits to offset excessive emissions.
But just how deeply has the sustainability message been embedded into corporate strategy? Do companies see a means to extract tangible ROI and measurable value from their sustainability initiatives, or are these efforts undertaken mainly to satisfy external demands from customers, regulators and other special-interest groups?
During this roundtable discussion, we will debate the viability of corporate sustainability initiatives, suggest best practices for sustainable business operations and present data from recent Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) research that reveals how companies are approaching the issue at both regional and global levels.
Speakers:
- Rob Rolfsen, Director of Sustainable Development, Cisco Systems
- Debra D’Agostino, Senior Technology Editor, Americas, Industry and Management, The Economist Intelligence Unit
- Daniel Vermeer, PhD, Executive Director, Duke University Corporate Sustainability Initiative
- Alyssa A. Farrell, Marketing Manager for Sustainability Solutions, SAS
Rob Rolfsen is the Director of Sustainable Development for Cisco Sytems and is charged with measuring, monitoring and managing Cisco’s greenhouse gas emissions from its real estate portfolio. He led the greenhouse gas data collection process and discussions which led to Cisco’s recent announcement that it will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2012, based on 2007 levels, and is leading multiple initiatives to help achieve this goal. Prior to this position, he was a Director in Enterprise Risk Management, where he drove several enterprise risk management assessments across the company and oversaw global safety and security. He also has developed and managed an intellectual property protection program and an information security team.
Prior to joining Cisco, Rolfsen was a Special Agent with the FBI in San Francisco, where he worked computer intrusions and domestic terrorism, including the UNABOM investigation and trial. Prior to the FBI, he practiced law in Washington, DC, with the US government.
With more than a decade of experience in journalism, Debra D’Agostino joined the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) from CIO Insight, the business and technology strategy journal she helped launch in May 2001. During her tenure there, she held several positions, including Senior Reporter, covering all areas of business technology with a particular focus on alignment, leadership and strategy. She also served as Online Editor, overseeing content and strategy for CIOInsight.com.
D’Agostino has twice been a finalist for American Business Media’s prestigious Jesse H. Neal Award for business journalism, and has received several national gold awards for journalism from the American Society of Business Publication Editors.
Daniel Vermeer, PhD, is Executive Director of Duke University's Corporate Sustainability Initiative. Duke CSI is a joint venture combining the talents of faculty and staff at the Fuqua School of Business, the Nicholas School of the Environment and the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, created to engage leading scholars with those in the corporate and policy worlds to advance sustainable business practices.
Vermeer has extensive leadership experience in corporate strategy, innovation, risk management and sustainability efforts, focusing especially on natural resource issues. Prior to joining Duke, he led efforts at Coca-Cola to create and implement a global water sustainability strategy.
Alyssa Farrell is the Marketing Manager for Sustainability Solutions and works with SAS customers around the world to understand best practices and solutions for challenging business issues. She participates in environmental industry groups and supports the SAS Executive Sustainability Council, the leadership team that governs SAS’ sustainable business practices. Farrell regularly speaks with trade associations, analysts and the press about the opportunities organizations have to effectively manage a sustainable strategy and drive healthy economic growth.
Prior to joining SAS, Farrell was a senior consultant in the Deloitte Public Sector practice.