In the first live session of our podcast that was held in August 2023 we discuss the secrets to 'Building a Sustainability Culture'.
We explore the highlights and insights from a new report with Paul Washington from The Conference Board' and Srinand Yalamanchili from Baker Tilly. We discuss how boards, management, and the entire organisation play crucial roles in shaping this culture, as well as the role of purpose and incentives.
The report 'Building a Sustainability Culture' can be downloaded here: https://www.conference-board.org/press/press-release-building-a-sustainability-culture
Listen to the podcast here:
About Paul Washington
Paul Washington has led The Conference Board ESG Center, the premier US-based nonprofit think tank addressing corporate governance, sustainability, and citizenship, since 2019. Before joining The ESG Center, he served for nearly 20 years as an executive at Time Warner Inc., including as Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary, as well as Chief of Staff for the company’s Chairman and CEO.
In those roles, he was responsible not only for leading the company’s corporate governance practices, but also for an array of legal areas including antitrust, intellectual property, and regulatory and international law. He also played a key role in developing the company’s sustainability strategy and restructuring its corporate citizenship programs. Prior to Time Warner, Paul practiced law at the firm of Sidley & Austin and served as Vice President and Corporate Secretary of The Dime Savings Bank of New York.
Paul’s career also includes extensive work in public service at the federal, state, and local levels and all three branches of government, including serving as a law clerk for former Supreme Court Associate Justice William Brennan and Associate Justice David Souter, and for Circuit Court Judge David Tatel. Paul also served as the lead staffer on tax matters for former Congressman Stanley Lundine and, later, as his principal speechwriter when Lundine served as New York’s Lieutenant Governor.
A long-time, active Member of The Conference Board, Paul chaired its Advisory Board on Corporate/Investor Engagement from 2013–2014. Paul has also served on over two dozen boards of cultural, civic, and professional nonprofit organizations, including as the former Chairman of the Society for Corporate Governance. He also served as an adjunct professor at Fordham Law School where he taught corporate governance for over a decade and later served as a Resident Fellow. Paul graduated from Yale College and Fordham University School of Law.
About Srinand Yalamanchili
Srinand is a director with Baker Tilly in the strategy and management consulting advisory practice. With specific experience focusing on environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters, Srinand’s subject matter industries extend across the ESG landscape including climate change mitigation and ESG strategy, regulatory reporting requirements, net-zero strategy, materiality, and renewable energy incentives. His focus is industry-agnostic, centered on providing businesses revenue, operational and reputational benefit through the adoption of ESG principles.
About 'Leadership Conversations by TSB'
The Sustainability Board is an independent non-profit organisation, supporting sustainable leadership and governance through research, thought leadership, and intelligence services.
We believe that poor leadership is a systemic risk, and that business is a powerful vehicle for positive change. Our reports, intelligence, dialogues, and community aim to drive accountability for a sustainable future.
Leadership Conversations is the podcast of TSB. In this interview series we interview global leaders who advocate for more positive societal impact and responsible business. Leadership Conversations is hosted by Frederik Otto.