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2008 Women on Wall Street Conference
Positioning for Sustainability: Our Work, Our Lives, Our Planet
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
The Women on Wall Street (WOWS) conference held in New York City on Tuesday, October 21, 2008, was themed, "Positioning for Sustainability: Our Work, Our Lives, Our Planet."
In keeping with the theme, conference organisers undertook a program to minimise the carbon footprint of the event by investing in carbon-offsets to finance initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, making this year’s event the first "carbon neutral" WOWS conference in history.
Seth Waugh, CEO of Deutsche Bank Americas, opened the event, followed by a keynote speech by Mindy Lubber, President of Ceres and Director of the Investor Network on Climate Risk. A panel discussion moderated by Vickee Jordan Adams, Senior Vice President and US Director of Media Communications, Hill & Knowlton followed. Panellists included:
- Dina Habib Powell, Global Head of Corporate Engagement, Goldman Sachs
- Janesse Thaw Bruce, Publisher, "Body+Soul" magazine
- Majora Carter, Founder of Sustainable South Bronx and President, Majora Carter Group, LLC
- Mindy Lubber, President of Ceres and Director of the Investor Network on Climate Risk
- Roelfien Kuijpers, Global Head of DB Advisors, Deutsche Asset Management
The panel discussed how they came to embrace sustainability as a career focus, the decision whether or not to have children, and the importance of relationship-building and networking for success.
Waugh spoke to participants about their ability to serve as change agents. "We have options as a society facing a historic election, as employees working in an industry that has been battered. We have options in how we promote stewardship of the environment, and how we encourage our families, companies and communities to do the same. And we have options in how we position ourselves - professionally, intellectually, and emotionally - for success, even in the face of adversity."
Debbie Barry-Stanis, Conference Committee Chair, echoed Seth’s comments: "One idea can grow into something that can sustain our careers, our companies, our families, our communities and affect our planet."
Mindy Lubber urged participants to promote corporate governance as a means to institutionalise sustainability as very real and measurable fiscal issue for corporations. She paid kudos to Deutsche Bank as a firm that has been especially proactive on the sustainability front. She also spoke passionately about the similarities between global warming and the current financial crisis, where short-term gains and growth have too frequently come at the expense of long-term shareholder value and protecting the future.
Roelfien Kuijpers added: "Wall Street has always been a great place for creativity and teamwork. The current environment offers a tremendous opportunity to grow. We are here to help one another. Let’s make sure we as women help one another and our male colleagues."
Deutsche Bank’s WOWS Network has sponsored this annual event for professionals of the financial and broader business communities since 1995. Since its inception, attendance at the conference has grown from 200 to over 2,000 registered participants from across the industry.
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