Reminder: September 2019 Houston Chapter Dinner
Location: Ouisie's Table | 3939 San Felipe St, Houston, TX 77027
Date: Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Time: 5:30 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
5:30 p.m.-6:00 p.m. Registration
6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. Program
7:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. Networking Dinner
Sponsor: Vinson & Elkins
Topic: Culture, Climate and Capital: How ESG Is Changing Corporate Conversations
Today more than ever, investors believe that the health of a company’s corporate culture and its leaders’ deep understanding of emerging areas of risks are meaningful investment factors. Investors and other key stakeholders increasingly expect companies to communicate how they are addressing environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues and to demonstrate how their boards oversee strategic and operational decisions related to ESG. But with this imperative comes serious challenges – identifying the potential impact of ESG risks on a company’s operating model is not always easy, and the data necessary to address investors’ ever evolving expectations often does not yet exist or is based on significant assumptions and estimates, creating additional risks. Join us for a panel discussion that will focus on the board’s vital oversight role in ESG matters, feedback from various investor groups on ESG matters and how board members can navigate the tightrope stretched between addressing investors and other stakeholder interests and the risks and costs associated with taking on ESG.
Our speakers will be:
Sarah Fortt, V&E – Sarah’s principal areas of practice are corporate governance, board representation and securities law. As a member of V&E’s ESG Taskforce, Sarah advises clients on shareholder engagement and outreach efforts, ESG regime considerations (including ISS and Glass Lewis matters and international considerations), voluntary disclosures and reporting, including climate change-related disclosures, enterprise risk management considerations, crisis preparedness, cybersecurity and cyber-risk considerations, and corporate governance activism.
Maggie Peloso, V&E – Margaret Peloso is a partner at Vinson & Elkins where her practice focuses on climate change risk management and environmental litigation. She advises energy companies, financial institutions and funds on climate risk analysis and disclosure. The other significant component of Margaret’s practice focuses on translational science. She advises clients on a broad range of litigation and regulatory matters in which there are significant scientific or technical issues that require the use of outside experts. Prior to joining Vinson & Elkins, Margaret completed her Ph.D. in environment at Duke University and frequently authors articles on climate change, environmental law and environmental shareholder activism, including a recently published book titled Adapting to Rising Sea Levels: Legal Challenges and Opportunities.
Craig Webster, Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. – Craig Webster oversees the ESG advisory practice at Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. focusing on matters ranging from disclosure, risks to sustainability and strategic implications for the oil & gas industry. Craig was previously a managing director in equity sales at the firm and maintains close ties with the institutional investment community on ESG related issues. Prior to joining TPH, he was Head of Institutional Equity Sales (US region) at CIBC and began his finance career in oil and gas equity research at RBC Capital Markets.
Moderated by Sarah Morgan, V&E