European Corporate Governance Conference 2024

• Julie Teigland, EY EMEIA Area Managing Partner
• Sandra Gobert, Executive Director, GUBERNA
   

• Alexia Bertrand, State Secretary for the Budget and Consumer Protection, Belgium
• Didier Reynders, European Commissioner for Justice
   

Discussion showcasing the benefits of integrating sustainability into business strategies, i.e., new products, new services, talent attraction, systems, etc. And what is the role of policy-makers in accelerating focus on the commercial (and others) benefits of this new approach?

Moderator: Arie Van Hoe, Executive Manager, Competence centre Law & Business, VBO - FEB

Panellists: 

• Luke Blower, Senior Manager, Capital & Valuation, World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)
• Leontine Schijf, Sustainability Reporting Manager, L’Oreal
  
• Vincent Van Bueren, Corporate Communications & Sustainability Manager, GIMV
• Gerard Gallagher, EMEIA Sustainability Leader, EY
   

Strong, agile, and resilient companies have great risk management and internal controls. How do EU frameworks support such assets across a number of areas, e.g., financial, climate, human rights, cyber, etc. What more can be done and what would the benefits be? There is no competitiveness without resilience, and it is for all market participants to identify best practices, gaps, as well as potential issues.

Moderator: Florence Bindelle, Secretary General, EuropeanIssuers

Panellists:

• Sven Gentner, Head of Corporate Reporting Unit, DG FISMA, European Commission
• Luis Correia da Silva, Chair and Partner, Oxera
• John Bendermacher, President, ECIIA
• Jella Benner-Heinacher, Chief Managing Director (deputy), Deutsche Schutzvereinigung für Wertpapierbesitz (DSW), and President, BETTER FINANCE
• Andrew Hobbs, EMEIA Public Policy Leader, EY

Case study presentation:

• Adriana Cavaliere, Senior Manager Risk, Skeyes
   

The proposal for a Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive presented a new way for companies to do business inside and outside Europe. What kind of guidance would companies need? Will investors support the efforts made by issuers? How are other countries and regions addressing this agenda?

Moderator: Leena Linnainmaa, Secretary General of Directors’ Institute Finland

Panellists:

• Dan Dionisie, Head of Company Law Unit, DG JUST, European Commission
• Lara Wolters, Member of the European Parliament
• Maria Larsson, Senior Legal Advisor, Confederation of Swedish Enterprise, Chair of Company Law Working Group, BusinessEurope
• Uku Lilleväli, Sustainable Finance Policy Officer, WWF
• Catherine Clark, Sustainable Finance Centre for Excellence, Aviva Investors

Case study presentation:

• Barbara Cooreman, Program Lead Responsible Sourcing, Umicore
   

As several frameworks are being adopted and implemented, the capital markets and organizations are looking for interoperability in the reporting of ESG data. Will we see a big difference on how companies report? How to be prepared?

Moderator: Olivier Boutellis-Taft, CEO Accountancy Europe

Panellists:

• Séverine Neervoort, Global Policy Director, ICGN
• Mercedes Sanchez Varela, Director, Climate Governance asbl/vzw, Chapter Zero
• Xavier Baeten, Professor, Vlerick Business School
• Jeanne Boillet, EY Global Accounts Committee Assurance Lead
• Marc Bihain, Secretary General, IBR-IRE

Case study presentation:

• Pascal Chalvon Demersay, former Chief Sustainability Officer, Solvay
   

What does the audience find to be the most interesting areas for corporate governance policy and practise for the next 5 years?

• Andrew Hobbs, EMEIA Public Policy Leader, EY
   

• Luc Bertrand, Chair of GUBERNA Board of Trustees