A View From the Boardroom—Company Directors to Speak at Ethisphere's 10th Annual Global Ethics Summit

New York, NY , November 29, 2017 (Newswire.com) -   The Ethisphere Institute, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices, announced today that directors from three major companies have committed to present at the 10^th Annual Global Ethics Summit. During a plenary panel discussion, Directors David Jahnke of Schnitzer Steel Industries, Bridget Macaskill of Jones Lang LaSalle; and Deborah C. Wright of Voya Financial Inc., will share the lessons from the boardroom.

The annual Summit takes place on March 14-15, at the Grand Hyatt in New York City. It is the premier event where legal, compliance, and governance professionals, representing a diverse set of experiences, gather together to share best practices. Attendees of the Summit will gain valuable insights from a sophisticated faculty of speakers and peer-to-peer connections equally committed to advancing business integrity and performance.

Today's directors can never be too careful or too current about the latest trends in promoting positive corporate cultures and ethical practices, particularly in connection with their work on Audit, Compensation and Governance committees

Bridget Macaskill , Director, Jones Lang LaSalle

Each year a diverse mix of CEOs, Board Members, Chief Legal Officers/General Counsels, Chief Ethics and Compliance Officers, and other business influencers comprise the list of more than 70 leaders who address leading themes across the global business community through interactive panels and conversations.

The voice of the Board has emerged as one of the most valuable of the shared experiences at the Summit and these leaders amplify their expectations for culture and integrity. The 2018 agenda will offer a unique opportunity to hear from Directors who frequently navigate a complex set of challenges facing companies today, apply a multidisciplinary set of experiences, and take a forward-thinking approach to driving performance through values and purpose.

“I am looking forward to addressing how boards and the compliance function within the business must be true partners to address risk and integrity throughout the organization,” Mr. Jahnke said. “Through the impressive business and compliance leaders that come together at the Summit, this is the perfect platform to share insights on effective governance practices, and it is a process I am particularly proud to be a part of at Schnitzer Steel.”

“Today’s directors can never be too careful or too current about the latest trends in promoting positive corporate cultures and ethical practices, particularly in connection with their work on Audit, Compensation and Governance committees,” Ms. Macaskill said. “Whether addressing diversity challenges or keeping up with swift changes in regulation, ethics, and governance, practitioners have to account for it all as these functions become more intertwined and rely on decision-makers in the business to ensure their organizations remain committed to their values and the financial and reputational performance those values support.”

“The Global Ethics Summit serves as a platform for companies and leaders to connect, network and share actionable strategies and best practices,” Ethisphere Chief Executive Officer Tim Erblich said. “The Board Members and CEOs joining us have been selected because they have an uncompromising commitment to their organizations. We are joined each year by respected executives such as these as, like Ethisphere, they are inspired to achieve more together as leaders in the global business community.”

David Jahnke has been a Director at Schnitzer Steel since January 2013. He worked for the international accounting firm KPMG from 1975 until 2010. From 2005 to 2010, Jahnke was the Global Lead Partner for a major KPMG client and was located in KPMG's Zurich, Switzerland office. Prior to that time, he held positions of increasing responsibility in KPMG, including Office Managing Partner and Audit Partner in Charge of the Minneapolis office from 1999 to 2004. Dave is also a director of First Interstate Bank System, Inc. where he is Lead Independent Director, Chairman of the Audit Committee and serves on its Risk Committee.  He is also a director of Swiss Re America Holding Corporation where he serves as Chairman of its Audit Committee and is a member of its Executive Committee. 

Bridget Macaskill serves on Jones Lang LaSalle's Audit and Governance Committees. She is the non-executive Chairman of First Eagle Holdings, Inc. and serves as Senior Adviser to First Eagle Investment Management and to its CEO. She was formerly President and Chief Executive Officer of First Eagle, which she joined in 2009. With a heritage dating to 1864, First Eagle has $116 billion in assets under management. Prior to joining First Eagle, Macaskill served as Chief Operating Officer, President, Chief Executive Officer and chairman of Oppenheimer Funds, Inc., where she is recognized for creating the Oppenheimer Funds’ Women & Investing program, dedicated to educating American women about the need to take charge of their personal finances. Macaskill has served on a number of public company and not-for-profit boards. 

Deborah C. Wright was appointed a Director of Voya Financial, Inc. in May 2014. Wright serves as Chairperson of Voya’s Finance Committee. She served as the Chairman of Carver Bancorp, Inc. and Carver Federal Savings Bank from 2005 to 2016, as Chief Executive Officer of Carver Bancorp, Inc. and Carver Federal Savings Bank from 1999 to 2014 and as President of Carver Bancorp, Inc. and Carver Federal Savings Bank from 1999 to 2005. Wright was a Senior Fellow in the Economic Opportunity and Markets Program of the Ford Foundation from 2014 to 2016. From 1996 to 1999, Wright served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation. She is a director of Citigroup Inc. and is a director and chairman of the audit and finance committee of Time Warner, Inc., and was previously on the board of directors of Kraft Foods Inc. (now Mondelēz International, Inc. and Kraft Foods Group Inc.).

As members of Ethisphere’s Business Ethics Leadership Alliance (BELA), Jones Lang LaSalle, Schnitzer Steel Industries and Voya Financial Inc., have underscored their commitment to ethical business practices by joining this exclusive initiative that connects experts with expertise. BELA has been at the front of connecting like-minded leaders on themes that matter most. 

BELA was founded with the notion that companies, regardless of industry, face many common and often complex issues in some of the most challenging regions in the world. By bridging the divide that companies often encounter, BELA has been at the front of connecting like-minded leaders on themes that matter most. To learn more about the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance, go to http://bela.ethisphere.com. For a recap of the community’s priorities and highlights from BELA activities, click here.

To see highlights from the 2017 Global Ethics Summit, please click the link below or copy it into your browser.

https://events.ethisphere.com/wp-content/uploads/2017-Global-Ethics-Summit-Recap.pdf.

The complete archive of session recordings from the Global Ethics Summit can be found on Ethisphere’s YouTube channel. To register for the 10th Annual Global Ethics Summit at the Grand Hyatt in New York City March 14-15, 2018, please click here.

About Ethisphere 

The Ethisphere® Institute is the global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices that fuel corporate character, marketplace trust, and business success. Ethisphere has deep expertise in measuring and defining core ethics standards using data-driven insights that help companies enhance corporate character. Ethisphere honors superior achievement through its World’s Most Ethical Companies® recognition program, provides a community of industry experts with the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance (BELA), and showcases trends and best practices in ethics with Ethisphere Magazine. Ethisphere is also the leading provider of independent verification of corporate ethics and compliance programs that include: Ethics Inside® Certification and Compliance Leader Verification™. More information about Ethisphere can be found at http://www.ethisphere.com.

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Media Contact​​

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Source: The Ethisphere Institute