ESG Insider: A podcast from S&P Global cover image

ESG Insider: A podcast from S&P Global

Latest episodes

undefined
Apr 7, 2023 • 21min

How big bank BBVA is approaching the low-carbon transition

The low-carbon transition will require some major innovations, a rapid buildout of existing technologies, and significantly more financing, the recently released synthesis report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states.  In this episode of the ESG Insider podcast, we sit down for an interview with BBVA Chair Carlos Torres Vila to learn how one of the largest banks in Spain and Mexico is approaching the transition.  Carlos talks about steps BBVA is taking to lower the carbon profile of its portfolio in sectors high in emissions intensity. He explains how the bank is mobilizing capital for the low-carbon transition. And he tells us that the right economic incentives will help unlock the innovation needed to advance the transition.   Listen to our episode about S&P Global CERAWeek here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/on-the-ground-at-ceraweek-where-the-energy-world-stands-on-the-low-carbon-transition   Photo source: BBVA  Copyright ©2023 by S&P Global   DISCLAIMER   This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part of S&P Global.   By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties.   S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.
undefined
Mar 31, 2023 • 40min

Women in Leadership: What we learned talking diversity with leaders around the globe

March is Women's History Month. To mark the occasion, we’ve been interviewing women CEOs and executives from across industries and around the globe. In our final episode in this special series of the ESG Insider podcast, we hear from three women leaders from very different backgrounds.  We talk with Dr. Amani Abou-Zeid, Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy of the African Union Commission. She talks about the importance of ensuring women have a seat at the table when designing energy and infrastructure policies.  We speak to Alethia Jackson, Senior Vice President for ESG and Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer for the U.S. at Walgreens Boots Alliance, a healthcare, pharmacy and retail company with a presence in the U.S., Europe and Latin America. Alethia shares her experience leading during the pandemic and helping her company bring the COVID-19 vaccine to local communities — which she said required trust-building, communication and collaboration.  And we hear from Jessica Economos, Vice President for Global Diversity Equity & Inclusion at Wolters Kluwer, a Dutch information, software solutions and services company with operations around the globe. She explains how approaches to diversity and equity can vary by region, but respect and inclusion are universal.  "What resonates regardless of country is inclusion: How we treat others, how we respect others, how we treat and respect our customers and our vendors," Jessica tells us.  You can listen to previous episodes in our Women in Leadership podcast series here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/insights/featured/special-editorial/women-in-leadership   Listen to our episode on S&P Global CERAWeek here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/on-the-ground-at-ceraweek-where-the-energy-world-stands-on-the-low-carbon-transition   Read recent research from S&P Global on women in leadership here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/insights/featured/special-editorial/women-ceos-leadership-for-a-diverse-future     And here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/insights/featured/special-editorial/the-path-to-gender-parity   Photo source: Getty Images  Copyright ©2023 by S&P Global   DISCLAIMER   This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part of S&P Global.   By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties.   S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.
undefined
Mar 24, 2023 • 23min

Women in Leadership: Why UPS head of sustainability says you don't need a title to lead

Throughout Women's History Month, we're bringing you a special series of the ESG Insider podcast focused on women in leadership. We're speaking to women CEOs and executives from across industries and around the globe.   In this episode, we interview Laura Lane, Executive Vice President and Chief Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Officer at UPS, a multinational shipping & receiving and supply chain management company.  Laura explains how her "life-changing" experience as a Foreign Affairs officer during the civil war in Rwanda impacted her outlook on life and leadership.   "That taught me the importance of people, the importance of principles, and gave me that internal courage to challenge the status quo, advocate for new paths — and in many ways, set me on the path to eventually joining the private sector and being a part of the change that we wanted to see in how companies show up in the world," Laura says.  Laura explains how her leadership style has evolved over the course of her career. "One of the constants has always been something that was career advice that I was given early on in my Foreign Service days, which was: Don't wait for someone to give you a title to act. Lead from where you are," she says.  Diversity in leadership has received increasing attention in recent years from stakeholders in the sustainability world. Investors have pushed for diversity on company boards and management teams, and in some parts of the world, that push has extended to laws and regulations. But the number of women in top roles remains low. Read recent research from S&P Global on women in leadership here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/insights/featured/special-editorial/women-ceos-leadership-for-a-diverse-future     And here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/insights/featured/special-editorial/the-path-to-gender-parity   You can listen to previous episodes in our Women in Leadership series here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/insights/featured/special-editorial/women-in-leadership   You can listen to Laura's TED Talk on her time in Rwanda here: https://www.ted.com/talks/laura_lane_when_you_shouldn_t_follow_the_rules  Photo source: UPS  Copyright ©2023 by S&P Global   DISCLAIMER   This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part of S&P Global.   By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties.   S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST. 
undefined
Mar 17, 2023 • 1h 14min

On the ground at CERAWeek: Where the energy world stands on the low-carbon transition

This week the ESG Insider podcast is on the ground in Houston, Texas for a special episode covering key themes from one of the world’s largest energy conferences — the annual CERAWeek event hosted by S&P Global. The event brings together big names from across the oil and gas, finance, government and technology sectors, and provides an opportunity to take the pulse of the global energy industry on the low-carbon transition.  In this episode we cover key themes that emerged throughout the week, from balancing sustainability goals with energy security needs, to emerging energy technologies, to the just transition.  Guests on today’s episode include:   Jigar Shah, Director of the U.S. Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office  Lance Uggla, CEO of BeyondNetZero, a venture targeting growth equity investments related to climate change, and the founder and former CEO of IHS Markit before it merged with S&P Global  Alok Sinha, Global Head of Oil & Gas and Chemicals at international bank Standard Chartered  Ben Wilson, Chief Strategy and External Affairs Officer at National Grid and Interim President of National Grid Ventures  Dr. Mike Howard, Chair of the World Energy Council  Allyson Anderson Book, Chief Sustainability Officer at Baker Hughes, an energy and industrial technology company  Amanda Eversole, Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy Officer at the trade association American Petroleum Institute  Jessica Monserrate, Head of Sustainability North America at BASF, the world's largest chemical company  David Victor, professor of innovation and public policy at the School of Global Policy and Strategy at UC San Diego in California  Shannon O'Neil, Vice President, Deputy Director of Studies, and Nelson and David Rockefeller Senior Fellow for Latin America Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, a think tank  You can find more coverage of CERAWeek from S&P Global here: https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en/market-insights/topics/ceraweek   And you can listen here: https://www.spglobal.com/en/research-insights/podcasts/essential-podcast/the-essential-podcast-episode-81-ceraweek-day-5   Listen to our previous episode on the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/what-landmark-new-us-climate-law-means-for-emissions  You can listen to our Women in Leadership podcast series here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/insights/featured/special-editorial/women-in-leadership    Photo source: Getty Images  Copyright ©2023 by S&P Global   DISCLAIMER   This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part of S&P Global.   By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties.   S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.   
undefined
Mar 15, 2023 • 21min

Women in Leadership: How Africa's largest stock exchange approaches diversity

To mark Women's History Month, we're bringing you a special series of the ESG Insider podcast focused on women in leadership. We're speaking to women CEOs and executives from across industries and around the globe.  In this episode, we interview Shameela Soobramoney, Chief Sustainability Officer at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. She explains how the JSE approaches gender equality internally and in its role as an exchange listing the stocks and bonds of hundreds of companies.  "At the JSE, there's a strong advocacy for women empowerment and female representation. And we do believe that it starts with leading by example," she says. "We're the largest stock exchange in the continent, a key player in the South African economy. And [the JSE] has an acute understanding of the role that exchanges must play in driving diversity in all its forms and inclusion beyond just our organization."  She also talks about the challenges she faced starting her career as a woman of color just as South Africa was coming out of apartheid.   "The challenges that women anywhere will face, it feels like were exacerbated for someone like me in a country like South Africa with its past," she says.   "Women need to be each other's supporters," she adds. "That is what we should be doing —and opening the door for others and helping younger women along who are facing some of the challenges that you might have had earlier in your career."  Diversity in leadership has received increasing attention in recent years from stakeholders in the sustainability world. Investors have pushed for diversity on company boards and management teams, and in some parts of the world, that push has extended to laws and regulations. But the number of women in top roles remains low. Read recent research from S&P Global on women in leadership here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/insights/featured/special-editorial/women-ceos-leadership-for-a-diverse-future   And here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/insights/featured/special-editorial/the-path-to-gender-parity   You can listen to previous episodes in our Women in Leadership series here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/insights/featured/special-editorial/women-in-leadership   Photo source: JSE  Copyright ©2023 by S&P Global  DISCLAIMER  This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part of S&P Global.  By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties.  S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST. 
undefined
Mar 14, 2023 • 22min

Women in Leadership: What South African CEO learned from taking the reins during COVID

To mark Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, we’re bringing you a special series of the ESG Insider podcast focused on women in leadership, featuring interviews with women CEOs and executives from across industries and around the globe.  In this episode, we’re speaking to Jackie van Niekerk, CEO of South African real estate investment trust Attacq, which is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Attacq has a majority of women employees from executive leadership right through the business and tries to create an environment for women to succeed, Jackie tells us.   “It's not a perfect science, but we really try to encourage that you can be a mom, you can be a wife, you can be a partner, and you can still have a beautiful career,” she says.  Jackie took on the CEO role during COVID-19, and she talks about the lessons she learned from leading through the pandemic.  "I really started listening to my people, to my clients, understanding what are you actually going through, learning how to pause and then implement," she says. "And that's the greatest thing I got out of COVID, and it's really, really helped me become a leader that's for the people and not just for the numbers." Diversity in leadership has received increasing attention in recent years from stakeholders in the sustainability world. Investors have pushed for diversity on company boards and management teams, and in some parts of the world, that push has extended to laws and regulations. But the number of women in top roles remains low. Read recent research from S&P Global on women in leadership here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/insights/featured/special-editorial/women-ceos-leadership-for-a-diverse-future   And here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/insights/featured/special-editorial/the-path-to-gender-parityy  You can listen to previous episodes in our Women in Leadership series here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/insights/featured/special-editorial/women-in-leadership   Photo source: Attacq  Copyright ©2023 by S&P Global  DISCLAIMER  This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part of S&P Global.  By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties.  S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.   
undefined
Mar 10, 2023 • 22min

Women in Leadership: How Amalgamated Bank CEO navigated a career spanning crises and continents

In the latest episode of our special Women in Leadership series of the ESG Insider podcast, we’re speaking with Priscilla Sims Brown, CEO of New York-based Amalgamated Bank — a company she describes as “a little bit unusual” in the financial services world in that it is a socially responsible bank focused on ESG and sustainability.    Priscilla's path to the CEO role has spanned continents and industries — from growing up in an Ethiopian family in Germany to working in business journalism in California to holding an executive role at Australia’s largest bank. She also tells us how her experiences working through crisis — from natural disasters to COVID-19 — have shaped her leadership style and her approach to diversity, equity and inclusion.  “I'm not uncomfortable with discomfort,” she says.   Priscilla explains how attitudes about leadership have evolved. “Often, you found women emulating men, you found women doing what was comfortable to men in the workplace in order to be accepted,” she said of her early career. “What's really nice today is that a lot of the women I see in the workplace are very comfortable dressing, acting, talking, thinking differently.”  Diversity in leadership has received increasing attention in recent years from stakeholders in the sustainability world. Investors have pushed for diversity on company boards and management teams, and in some parts of the world, that push has extended to laws and regulations. But the number of women in top roles remains low. Read recent research from S&P Global on women in leadership here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/insights/featured/special-editorial/women-ceos-leadership-for-a-diverse-future   And here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/insights/featured/special-editorial/the-path-to-gender-parity   You can listen to previous episodes in our Women in Leadership series here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/women-in-leadership-no-horace-mann-ceo-is-not-working-the-coat-check    Here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/women-in-leadership-seventh-generation-ceo-on-importance-of-being-radically-human-    And here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/women-in-leadership-how-norwegian-industrial-ceo-puts-diversity-on-the-agenda    We'd love to hear from you. To give us feedback on this episode or share ideas for future episodes, please contact hosts Lindsey Hall (lindsey.hall@spglobal.com) and Esther Whieldon (esther.whieldon@spglobal.com).    Photo source: Amalgamated Bank  Copyright ©2023 by S&P Global     DISCLAIMER     This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part of S&P Global.    By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties.     S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST. 
undefined
Mar 8, 2023 • 23min

Women in Leadership: No, Horace Mann CEO is not working the coat check

Today, March 8, is International Women’s Day, and to mark the occasion we’re bringing you the latest in our special series of the ESG Insider podcast focused on women in leadership. We’re talking to Marita Zuraitis, CEO of Horace Mann, a financial services and insurance company that serves U.S. public educators.  Marita tells us how she handles the unconscious bias she has encountered on her path to the C-suite.   “I can't tell you how many times somebody handed me their coat,” she says. “Now we call it unconscious bias, and we talk about making people aware of their unconscious biases. I didn't have a label for it until a lot of the corporate social responsibility and ESG push that we see today.”  Marita also discusses how her company works to promote diversity, equity and inclusion for its workforce and for its customer base, which is 75% women.    "We work really hard to support our very heavily concentrated female customer base,” she says. "Females in our customer base are often the head of household, often working on and controlling the finances in the household, and many of those people are women of color. So concentrating our efforts on financial wellness and financial planning for our sector was something that we thought we could do to get right to the issue of helping females protect what they have today and secure their long-term financial future.”  Diversity in leadership has received increasing attention in recent years from stakeholders in the sustainability world. Investors have pushed for diversity on company boards and management teams, and in some parts of the world, that push has extended to laws and regulations. But the number of women in top roles remains low. Read recent research from S&P Global on women in leadership here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/insights/featured/special-editorial/women-ceos-leadership-for-a-diverse-future  And here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/insights/featured/special-editorial/the-path-to-gender-parity  You can listen to previous episodes in our Women in Leadership series here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/women-in-leadership-seventh-generation-ceo-on-importance-of-being-radically-human-   And here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/women-in-leadership-how-norwegian-industrial-ceo-puts-diversity-on-the-agenda   We'd love to hear from you. To give us feedback on this episode or share ideas for future episodes, please contact hosts Lindsey Hall (lindsey.hall@spglobal.com) and Esther Whieldon (esther.whieldon@spglobal.com).   Photo source: Horace Mann Copyright ©2023 by S&P Global    DISCLAIMER    This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part of S&P Global.   By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties.    S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST. 
undefined
Mar 6, 2023 • 20min

Women in Leadership: Seventh Generation CEO on importance of being 'radically human'

To mark Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day March 8, we’re bringing you a special series of the ESG Insider podcast focused on women in leadership. We’ll be speaking to women CEOs and executives from across industries and around the globe.  In our second interview of the series we interview Alison Whritenour, CEO of Seventh Generation, a U.S. producer of eco-friendly cleaning, paper and personal care products.   Alison has been at Seventh Generation for more than a decade and became its CEO in July 2021. She describes her leadership style as "radically human" — meaning she leads with an emphasis on transparency and collaboration, and by leaning into listening to the advice and experience of her team. She also describes her decisions along her career path as based on connecting the things that she personally cares about with her day-to-day work.   “I really believe that leaders are at their best when they can be themselves, and that then really opens up the door for folks around them to feel comfortable and feel like they can approach leaders with questions, challenges, opportunities,” she says.   Diversity in leadership has received increasing attention in recent years from stakeholders in the sustainability world. Investors have pushed for diversity on company boards and management teams, and in some parts of the world, that push has extended to laws and regulations. But the number of women in top roles remains low. Recent research from S&P Global found that women represented just 5.4% of CEOs in 2022, slightly up from 5% in 2021. You can read that research here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/insights/featured/special-editorial/women-ceos-leadership-for-a-diverse-future   We'd love to hear from you. To give us feedback on this episode or share ideas for future episodes, please contact hosts Lindsey Hall (lindsey.hall@spglobal.com) and Esther Whieldon (esther.whieldon@spglobal.com).   Photo source: Seventh Generation  Copyright ©2023 by S&P Global    DISCLAIMER    This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part of S&P Global.   By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties.    S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST. 
undefined
Mar 3, 2023 • 21min

Women in Leadership: How Norwegian industrial CEO puts diversity on the agenda

March is Women’s History Month and March 8 is International Women’s Day. To mark the occasion, we’re bringing you a special series of the ESG Insider podcast focused on women in leadership. We’ll be speaking to women CEOs and executives from across industries and around the globe.  In our first interview of the series, we speak to Hilde Aasheim, CEO of Norsk Hydro, a large Norwegian aluminum and energy producer with a big focus on renewables and operations in 40 countries. She tells us how she works with women across her company to help them develop their careers. She also explains her career path to the C-suite, and how she approaches diversity, equity and inclusion in her role.   “Leadership is a balancing act. You have to work with your heart and your head; you have to work short term and long term,” Hilde says.  Diversity in leadership has received increasing attention in recent years from stakeholders in the sustainability world. Investors have pushed for diversity on company boards and management teams, and in some parts of the world, that push has extended to laws and regulations. But the number of women in top roles remains low. Recent research from S&P Global found that women represented just 5.4% of CEOs in 2022, slightly up from 5% in 2021. You can read that research here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/insights/featured/special-editorial/women-ceos-leadership-for-a-diverse-future   We'd love to hear from you. To give us feedback on this episode or share ideas for future episodes, please contact hosts Lindsey Hall (lindsey.hall@spglobal.com) and Esther Whieldon (esther.whieldon@spglobal.com).   Photo source: Norsk Hydro  Copyright ©2023 by S&P Global    DISCLAIMER    This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part of S&P Global.   By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties.    S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
App store bannerPlay store banner

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode