This article was originally published on July 12th
What a difference a few decades make.
CEOs from mega-cap companies are increasingly briefing institutional investors on their environmental, social and governance (ESG) agenda. It’s the work of corporate responsibility and sustainability professionals that provides the substance of those high-stakes presentations to portfolio managers who control trillions of investment dollars.
The practice of corporate responsibility has evolved into a complex role that touches every corporate function – from HR and Marketing to Manufacturing and IR.
While attending the recent Charities@Work employee engagement conference in New York, Michael Carren of Guardian Life summarized the company’s shift from philanthropy and volunteering to AI and brand reputation.
“CSR has become an absolute business fundamental. It’s a culture driver, it’s a business driver and it’s a skillset that young people who are coming into the professional really need to master very, very quickly because the expectations of companies and their shareholders are very, very high,” said Carren, who served as the United Way of New York’s chief strategy and operations officer before taking on the CSR role at Guardian Life.