Corporate Reporting Forum
Proxy Statements | ESG | Earnings | 10Ks

Wednesday, November 6, 2024

Clifford Chance offices, New York

ADVANCING CORPORATE REPORTING PRACTICES

As corporate reporting requirements increased globally and companies faced greater expectations in terms of reliability, quantity and quality of disclosures we created the corporate reporting forum to help advance corporate reporting practices so that they could add further strategic value, aid decision-making and serve the needs of public company stakeholders.

Throughout the one-day event, we held interactive discussions on a wide range of reporting disciplines, including ESG reporting, proxy statements and quarterly & annual financial results.

The corporate reporting forum was open to all involved in financial and non-financial reporting and was regularly attended by governance, investor relations, sustainability and communications professionals at public companies.


NIRI IRC® CREDENTIAL

Holders of the NIRI IRC® credential can earn up to 4 professional development units (PDUs) per day. IRC-credentialed speakers may also earn PDUs. For more information about the Investor Relations Charter (IRC)®, please visit www.niri.org/certification.

 

CLE CREDITS

Corporate Lawyers who are registered with the Bar in New York can claim credits toward their Continuing Legal Education program by attending. If you have passed the bar in another state, points may be transferrable dependent on the state.

Agenda 2024

Please see below the 2024 agenda.

Click here to view a pdf version.

Timings on the agenda are shown in Eastern Time (ET)

If you are interested in being on one of the panels please contact [email protected]

 

  • 08:15 AM
    Registration opens

  • 08:45 AM
    Welcome address

  • 09:00 AM
    Global reporting in 2025: Navigating the future

    The Corporate Reporting Forum will begin by outlining the key topics that will be crucial for preparers of reports over the next 12 months.

    Participants will gain insights into the challenges and strategies for harmonizing reports to meet various regulatory demands without diluting the core message.

    The session will also provide a forward-looking perspective on upcoming regulatory changes and trends in global reporting impacting multinational companies.

    • Trends in reporting: A review of the latest trends in corporate reporting, what companies needed to do to stay ahead, and what changes are on the horizon
    • Navigating Diverse Regulations: Hear strategies for coping with different reporting requirements in Europe and the US. Learn how to remain compliant across multiple jurisdictions
    • Exploring the impact, risks, and opportunities of new disclosure rule: As companies continually face with increased reporting requirements in a variety of areas, learn which processes can be implement to help you understand the requirements, format and peer activities when a new disclosure is required
    • Harmonizing reporting for multinational companies: Best practices for aligning reporting so that it complies with various international regulations. Learn how to gather, prioritize, and summarize the necessary information effectively.

    Moderator: Steven Wade, head of content, IR Magazine and Governance Intelligence
    Dana Eddis, associate general counsel and corporate secretary, Corteva
    Roxanne Sharif, senior manager, sustainability compliance, Mohawk Industries

  • 09:45 AM
    Preparing for the next proxy season: Essential Steps

    This session will provide a comprehensive overview of the critical preparations needed for the upcoming proxy season. Attendees will gain insights into the potential impacts of the SEC’s rulemaking agenda and trends in investor voting policies and proxy advisor recommendations.

    The session will also delve into the latest disclosure requirements, including cybersecurity, clawbacks, executive compensation and the possibility of increased human capital disclosures.

    • Must-have disclosures based on SEC rulemaking and investor trends: Understand the SEC’s rulemaking agenda and its implications for 2025. Analyze trends in investor voting policies and proxy advisor recommendations to identify key disclosure priorities for the year ahead.
    • Cybersecurity reporting: Prepare for cybersecurity management and disclosure. Hear examples about how companies are approaching the new rule.
    • Executive compensation: Examine the increasing scrutiny of executive compensation as it relates to Pay Vs Performance. Explore the considerations and disclosure needs when tying remuneration to ESG metrics
    • Clawback disclosures: Discuss the implementation and implications of reporting on clawback policies
    • Human capital reporting: Evaluate the rise of human capital reporting and its significance in the current disclosure landscape.

    Moderator: Ben Maiden, editor-at-large, Governance Intelligence
    Danielle Kloeblen, vice president finance & investor relations, McGraw Hill
    Fionna Ross, sustainability investment director & head of sustainability institute, Americas, abdrn
    Ron Schneider, director of corporate governance services, DFIN

  • 10:30 AM
    Networking coffee break

  • 11:00 AM
    The new era of ESG: Adapting to drastic changes

    This session is designed to equip governance, investor relations, and sustainability teams with the knowledge and tools needed to navigate the rapidly evolving ESG reporting landscape.

    Participants will learn how to adapt their disclosures to meet new standards and expectations, ensuring their reports remain relevant and impactful. Covering key actions for different levels of ESG reporting, and the latest trends in materiality and standardization.

    Additionally, it will address the impact of social and geopolitical changes on future ESG reporting requirements and the importance of integrating ESG issues into broader business strategies.

    • Trends in ESG reporting: Explore trends in materiality, standardization, and investor-focused disclosures. Learn how peers are managing these trends and how not to get left behind with your sustainability disclosures
    • Sustainability reporting best practices: Discuss whether the frequency of materiality analysis is fit-for-purpose. Learn about what makes best-in-class ESG reporting different, and what are the key focus areas when beginning on your ESG reporting journey
    • Levels of ESG data: Hear key actions companies should take at the Basic, Better, and Best levels of ESG reporting. Also discuss the enhanced role of third-party auditors and learn how to get started with data assurance
    • Risk management through ESG reporting: Strategies to overcome risks and add value to the company through robust ESG reporting practices
    • Geopolitical impacts on ESG reporting: How changes in political leadership could affect corporate reporting. Discuss what will need to be disclosed in the future, and to what extent

    Moderator: Laurie Havelock, editor, IR Magazine
    Darrah Feldman, senior vice president of sustainability and responsibility, Ziff Davis
    Chris Librie, head of ESG, Applied Materials
    Aaron Rudd, vice president, ESG practice lead, Broadridge Financial Solutions
    Aron Treso, senior ESG analyst, Novisto

  • 11:45 AM
    Cross-Department collaboration to fulfil stakeholder expectations

    This session will explore the critical role of cross-department collaboration in meeting stakeholder expectations and enhancing corporate reporting.

    Participants will learn strategies to ensure all departments are aligned and working cohesively, minimizing duplication of efforts.

    • Ensuring Departmental Alignment: Strategies to ensure all departments are “singing from the same hymn sheet” and avoiding duplication of work
    • Understanding stakeholder needs: Identifying what investors, stewardship teams, management and the board want to see in corporate reports and where they are looking for information about your company. Additionally, discuss how to work with sustainability and procurement teams to help suppliers provide relevant data for your reports
    • Educating all functions on the value of reporting: Educating departments on the risks involved in reporting and ensuring everyone understands the value that accurate and compliant disclosures can provide the company.

    Moderator: Steven Wade, head of content, IR Magazine and Governance Intelligence
    Erika Balbuena, head of ESG and sustainability, Robinhood Markets
    Carrie Christopher, former senior director of governance, Cisco and former senior director ESG & sustainability, Splunk
    Lisa Ware-Alexander, vice president, deputy general counsel, corporate secretary and chief compliance officer, Bunge

  • 12:30 PM
    Networking Lunch

  • 12:30 PM
    Optional roundtable - Navigating ESG in the post-election landscape: Strategic insights for board directors and management teams

    ESG and sustainability initiatives face heightened scrutiny and divergent perspectives from key stakeholders, including investors, employees, and policymakers. This session will explore strategies for navigating these conflicting viewpoints while maintaining strong corporate governance and gain insights into how these factors impact strategic planning and risk management. Join us as we discuss how companies and boards can determine when to speak out on social issues , balance stakeholder expectations, and navigate the evolving environment post-election.

    Due to limited numbers please sign up to this in advance here

    Beth Sasfai, partner, Cooley

  • 13:30 PM
    Fireside chat: Author of Leaving Planet Simple

    • What is Planet Simple and how to get your business from Planet Simple to Planet Earth
    • Some of the Planet Simple “traps” that corporate reporting can fall into
    • How to turn reporting into a competitive advantage across financial and sustainability disclosure

    Moderator: Steven Wade, head of content, IR Magazine and Governance Intelligence
    Dr. Alex Gold, CEO, BWD North America

  • 13:40 PM
    Roundtable discussion: Utilizing AI and automation to reduce reporting fatigue and improve disclosures

    This discussion will delve into the transformative impact of Generative AI, automation, and other advanced
    technologies on reporting. Attendees will explore how these tools can enhance efficiency and quality in
    reporting, reducing the burden on teams and improving the accuracy and timeliness of disclosures.

    • Enhancing materiality assessments with AI: How AI can be used to improve the materiality assessment
    process
    • Maintaining accurate public data and streamlining ESG questionnaires: discuss strategies for
    implementing technologies to monitor public data aggregators and rating agencies. Learn techniques
    for reducing survey fatigue and ensuring consistent responses across different questionnaires
    • Advanced reporting strategies: How technology and data can enable a best-in-class reporting
    strategy, including the use of databases and dashboards to automate data collection and standardize
    disclosures

  • 14:10 PM
    The evolution of earnings reporting

    Many companies are getting increasingly more creative when reporting their earnings. Moving away from the usual format and customizing one that best fits their own company and their analysts/investors needs.

    This panel will showcase how to effectively tell your story by taking a strategic approach to earnings reporting/communications.

    • Latest trends in company earnings reporting: Get a better understanding for best practices and what peers are doing
    • How to refine your communication strategies and keep consistent communications across the earnings cycle
    • Techniques to set up your team for success across the process and preparing management for Q&A.
    • Incorporating market feedback and peer analysis into your report
    • Understand how sentiment analysis software is being used
    • Tips and best practice for embracing the earnings transformation

    Moderator, Steven Wade, head of content, IR Magazine and Governance Intelligence
    Jen Earyes, vice president investor relations, Navient
    Nicole Fritz, assistant corporate secretary and senior counsel, corporate & securities, The Kraft Heinz Company

  • 14:45 PM
    Coffee break

  • 15:15 PM
    Re-thinking annual reports: Integration and Innovation

    This session will challenge the traditional concept of annual reports, questioning their necessity in an era where much of the information is available publicly.

    Participants will explore the benefits and challenges of integrated reporting, particularly the inclusion of ESG reports in 10-K filings. The session will address the complexities of aligning legal, financial, and ESG reporting to ensure comprehensive and transparent disclosures.

    • The Future of Annual Reports: Debate if there is still a need for traditional annual reports. Explore how the shift towards online and other forms of reporting has impacted communications approaches
    • Integrated Reporting: Discuss the benefits and challenges of adding ESG reports to the 10-K and hear strategies to consolidate reporting
    • Understanding your audience: Hear how companies choose where to disclose information based on the audience and their preferred information sources
    • Maintaining Data Integrity: Learn best practices for maintaining consistency and integrity of data across different types of reports.

    Moderator: Ben Maiden, editor-at-large, Governance Intelligence
    David Hamm, senior vice president, deputy general counsel and assistant secretary, Summit Materials
    Laura Maushart, corporate governance counsel, Allstate Insurance Company

  • 16:00 PM
    Increasing the reach and understanding of your reports

    This session will offer valuable insights on designing disclosures, messaging, and communication plans to ensure they effectively reach and resonate with the intended audience.

    Participants will learn how to create impactful campaigns around earnings, annual and ESG reports, addressing both supportive and critical stakeholders, whilst also exploring the strategic use of digital and social media to broaden the reach of quarterly and annual results, ensuring that disclosures are not only seen but understood by a diverse audience.

    • Designing impactful campaigns: How to design and create a campaign around your financial and ESG reports to enhance their impact
    • Addressing critical stakeholders: Strategies for considering negative actors, such as the anti-ESG audience, bearish analysts or activist investors. How can they may use your disclosures in a detrimental way, and what you can do to mitigate the impact
    • Leveraging digital and social media: Learn how to utilize digital and social media platforms to enhance the visibility and impact of your disclosures
    • Best practices for increasing reach: Techniques to achieve a wider reach for your quarterly and annual results, ensuring they are accessible and engaging to a broad audience
    • Effective messaging: Crafting clear and compelling messages that resonate with different stakeholder groups and effectively communicate the core message consistently across different channels
    • Food for thought on identifying the appropriate vendors for your process. Take the time to understand specific service offerings, value statements and history to be sure each service provider you chose aligns with your goals and objectives.

    Moderator: Laurie Havelock, editor, IR Magazine
    Scott Lam, senior vice president US sales & partnerships, The Nuvo Group
    Erika Karp, principal, Cornerstone Impact
    Paul Sharobeem, associate general counsel and assistant secretary, Century Aluminum Company

  • 16:30 PM
    Closing remarks and networking drinks

Speakers: 2024

To inquire about future speaking opportunities, contact [email protected] or +44 0208 004 6322


Become a partner

Why partner with us?

The Corporate Reporting Forum brings together some of the most influential people in the IR, governance, sustainability and communications communities.

The event offers an effective approach to targeting clients when they are exploring how they can improve their financial and non-financial reporting practices. Through our unrivalled knowledge of the subject matter and commitment to in-depth agenda research, our events are guaranteed to attract a qualified audience.

The unique buzz we create at our events makes them multi-faceted and highly interactive with great engagement, particularly with decision-makers at listed companies. This allows our partners to have meaningful conversations with corporates deciding how to invest in improving their reporting output, which service providers to engage and which consultants to retain. By partnering with us on an event, you can generate leads, showcase your thought leadership and position yourselves as the partner of choice.

We’d love to have a chat with you about how you can get in front of a truly engaged and motivated audience at the Corporate Reporting Forum. Get in touch with Ian Richman or call on +1 212 430 6895.

Partners

What our attendees say

"The speakers were very knowledgeable on the topics that they were discussing."

The Home Depot

"I thought the roundtables were incredible, as it provided a more natural opportunity to network."

Anonymous

"The sessions were moderated very well with a quick pace. The panellists were well prepared and provided relevant insights."

Murphy Oil Corporation

"Great venue and food, very competent IR team enabling everything to flow. Great content and SME's speaking. Well done!"

Anonymous

"The guests and content are fantastic. Really appreciate all the work that goes into getting these sessions together. Thank you."

Nano One Materials

Who attends our event

Our attendees are leading governance, IR and sustainability practitioners with an established track record and strategic role within their company.

Below is a sample of some of our attendees:

Job title Company Job title Company
Associate GC & AS Century Aluminum Company Principal Cornerstone Impact
Associate GC and CS Corteva Agriscience Senior compliance officer abrdn
GC, corporate & securities Bunge Senior corporate counsel The Clorox Company
CFO Envela Corporation Senior ESG project manager Applied Materials
Corporate counsel Booking Holdings Senior manager, sustainability compliance Mohawk Industries
Corporate governance counsel Allstate Insurance Company Sustainability manager Emerson
Director Booking Holdings SVP, corporate communications Ziff Davis
EVP, corporate governance Strive SVP, deputy GC and assistant secretary Summit Materials
Finance, director Cognizant Technology Solutions SVP, senior counsel & assistant secretary Paramount
Global director, ESG News Corp SVP, sustainability and responsibility Ziff Davis
Head of investor relations Navient VP, audit and compliance Emerson
Head, ESG Applied Materials VP, investor relations Moody’s Corporation
Investor relations analyst Colgate Palmolive VP, chief SEC counsel and secretary American Water Works Company
IR MSA Safety VP, finance & IR McGraw Hill
IR Pegasystems VP, senior counsel & corporate secretary Henry Schein
Manager, corporate comms Ziff Davis VP, sustainability KKR
Manager, IR VF Corporation VP, sustainability UnitedHealth Group

 

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The Corporate Reporting Forum is part of Governance LIVE 2024, a series of events celebrating governance professionals and promoting excellence and good governance at public issuers. If you’d like access to all three events, visit our website to get your all-access two-day pass at a discounted rate!
 

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Thank you to those who were able to bring along any of the items outlined in the list below, to be donated to those in need through the Coalition.

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