9.25 Chairman’s Address and Welcome

Strong leaders guide successful companies. Committed employees, dedicated to improving both the business and community in which they live and work, join them. In theory, this is a simple thesis, but not in the fast-paced, ever-changing business world.

Research shows that investors believe socially responsible companies deliver better returns on investment while employees cite a company’s set of values as a key factor in determining their place of employment. Jeff’s speech will "connect the dots" on how and why socially responsible companies can lead the 21st century business community in profits and responsible action.

Timberland Corporation, Chief Executive Officer, Jeff Swartz

Is corporate responsibility simply one of the biggest-ever corporate fads or does it mean irrevocable change for large companies?
What should a most respected company really look like? If great financial performance is not enough, what is?
Are corporations becoming too timid in the face of activist pressure in modern times?
How far should you go in being a responsible company without taking on more than you should? When should be enough?
How can firms start to tackle the alleged decline in trust in corporations – how can this be done?

The Economist newspaper, Business Editor, Matthew Bishop
The Times newspaper, Business Editor, Patience Wheatcroft
National Grid Transco, Group Corporate Responsibility Director, Gareth Llewellyn

Hermes Pensions Management, Director of Corporate Governance, Colin Melvin

Moderated by Tomorrow’s Company, Director, Mark Goyder

Panel Discussion: How smart companies use corporate responsibility to achieve broader commercial objectives

Hear who they are, how they’re doing it… and what they get out of it.

Make sure you don’t put the cart before the horse, because a business case for corporate responsibility that doesn’t focus on achieving specific objectives will never work. This panel will debate the following:

Do responsibility and leadership require different types of business case?
How do you sell the concept of corporate responsibility up the command chain, and to the big investors?
Learn how quick the pay back is among the leading companies and what it looks like
Find out how to counter the measurement argument
Discover how you sell these corporate changes to boards and investors?
Can CR get onto the strategic planning agenda as a key tool for business advantage?
Reputation management: Does CR enable you to build some positive capital among stakeholders?

Westpac Banking Corporation, Chief Operating Officer, Martin Hancock
Vodafone Group Services, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, Charlotte Grezo
McDonald's Corporation , Vice President of European Corporate Affairs, Mike Love

Moderated by Steve Hilton, author, Good Business and Ethical Corporation columnist

Are new international laws really needed to regulate companies on non-financial issues? And if so, who will make and enforce them? Aren’t NGOs just trying to force companies and developing nation governments to make developing country governments to do their jobs better, but by the back door? This session will debate the following issues:

Voluntary vs. Mandatory approaches to corporate responsibility. Hear about the latest cases for and against.
Why are the current approaches to promote mandatory social reporting and corporate responsibility doomed to failure? And should NGOs and pressure groups stop wasting legislators’ time with laws that will never be passed?
Minimum standards vs. best practices – do minimum standards discourage best practice?
Or can “good” regulation raise sensible hurdles? Is there actually such a thing?
If minimum standards are to be considered, what should be “minimum” with regard to non-financial regulation?
Legislation and externalised costs: Where external costs exist, but the cost is outside the accepted legitimate operating obligations of the organisation, what should then be done?

Siemens, Manager International Labour Relations, Reto von Keller
Business in the Community, Development Director, and Ethical Corporation columnist, Mallen Baker
Christian Aid, author, behind the mask – the real face of corporate responsibility, Andrew Pendleton
CORE Coalition, Chair, Deborah Doane (The CORE Coalition is a group of NGOs campaigning for legislation on CR)
Tomorrow’s Company, Director, Mark Goyder

Part Two:

Host government agreements and bilateral investment treaties – Do existing investment strategies give appropriate weight to international human rights norms? Or do considered arrangements between companies and governments represent how investment can and should be done in developing nations by responsible companies? The case of the BTC pipeline project.

Amnesty International, Chief Legal Advisor, Sheldon Leader

BP, Vice President Corporate Responsibility, Graham Baxter

Session Chair: Former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Bennett Freeman

Litigation Risk: Are you sure you’re not sitting on time bomb?

Globalisation is not just markets now, its litigation risk as well. So what does globalisation mean for the ability of stakeholders in other nations to sue you in your own, or their, courts? You might think you are in a “safe” industry but what about the unexpected angle?
This session will debate what can litigation risk can do to your share price and where the emerging risks are for large firms in these times of litigious stakeholders. Covered will be the following:

What are the key cases going through the courts right now and what can you learn from them?

How do tell the difference between a flavour of the month lawsuit and a long-term substantial problem? - Can a $50 no-hope legal attack create a $50 million dollar PR disaster? Ands is the law being used as a PR tool?
The International Criminal Court in The Hague, might they come knocking on your door? - Personal liability for non-financial risks – what might directors and board members be personally sued for now and in the future?
Obesity cases – whoever thought you could be sued for having overweight customers?
Are these cases going to keep coming back and back? Can food companies show leadership without exposing themselves to unacceptable risks?
Are the Americans likely to repeal the Alien Tort Claims Act? If so, what might come in its place?

International Criminal Court, Advisor to the Chief Prosecutor, Eliseo Neuman

Foley Hoag, Partner, former counsel, McDonalds Corporation, Phil Rudolph
Leigh Day, Partner, Chair, Solicitors Human Rights Group, Richard Meeran

Moderated by: Royal Holloway College, London University, Politics and International Affairs Research Group, Peter Davis

How companies should be looking at future issues and risks

What on earth are people going to be worried about next! It’s your job to know – but how do you spot the trends? Could you be next for a nasty shock - is your future risk assessment good enough?

Climate change risk – what will it mean for your bottom line and risk profile?
Will non-Africa HIV costs for your workers in places like China and India spiral your costs out of control in the next decade?
What are your risks in the countries with most of your new investment?
Trace ability and responsibility in supply chains – what can we learn from meat and GMOs?
Chemicals and Electronics legislation – What might happen and what might WEEE and REACH mean for other sectors?
Where are the emerging risks for companies with new technologies? What about issues like RFID, telematics and nanotechnology – how might they impact on customer trust?
Product impact and risk – What would happen if you were responsible for the impact of your products?
Whistle blowing mechanisms and risks: Is this an issue companies need to think more seriously about?

Hewlett-Packard UK, Government and Public affairs, Sandy Johnstone
Isis Asset management, Head of governance and SRI, Karina Litvack
Marks & Spencer, Sustainable Development manager, Mike Barry

Warwick Business School, Chair of Strategy and International Development and Director, Corporate Citizenship Unit, Alyson Warhurst

Moderated by: Oliver Dudok van Heel, Commercial Director, Sustainable Business Unit, Enviros Consulting

11.30 – 1.00
Auditing the supply chain and who should pay

Rationales behind different approaches – the pros and cons

Under the Anglo-Saxon model the supplier owns the audit information and can use it, while Scandinavian firms often cover the costs and take the information themselves.

In other cases, the brand pays for it and owns the data; the supplier simply gets list non-compliances.

Facilitators: SGS,

Product Manager - Sustainability Report Assurance

Rebecca Bowen

Global Key Account Manager, Effie Marinos

11.30 – 1.00
That’s enough codes!

Practical tips On wading through the quagmire of codes and standards

Which ones ’match’ and complement each other? How do you use GRI, AA1000, SA8000 and others together, if at all?

Facilitator: Deborah Leipziger, Author, The Corporate Responsibility Code Book

11.30 – 1.00
Reputation and Trust in brands

How can firms capture customer hearts and minds? How does CR impact on reputation?

Values for money – how are the leading companies cashing in on their reputations and how did they get there?

Revisiting the purpose of the brand – customers buy because they buy in – how do you get there?

Corporate DNA, how to splice the concept of responsible business into corporate DNA.

How do the top brands that customers buy into, do this?

Facilitator: Steve Hilton, author, Good Business and Ethical Corporation columnist

11.30 – 1.00
Corruption, bribery and whistle blowing – why you need to take it seriously

Laws and initiatives to tackle bribery and corruption are springing up in many nations. But how do these cross borders?

What kind of training works, and how do you make sure a policy is not just that?

Legal compliance with SOX and the combined code

Discussion leaders to be announced - watch this space!

Shell International Limited, Group External Relations and Policy Adviser, Albert Wong

Transparency International (UK) Chairman, Laurence Cockcroft

Facilitator: Alyson Warhurst

11.30 – 1.00
Limits to responsibilities

Is business going to be responsible for everything? - assessing the limits to corporate responsibility

Where are the boundaries – is it right for companies to lobby host governments on CR issues, how does this match with concerns over political power?

Externalisation of costs, how far is it right to go on internalising external costs?

Former BP Vice President, (External Affairs Indonesia) John O'Reilly

Marks & Spencer, Sustainable Development manager, Mike Barry

Chair, Financial Ombudman Service, Sue Slipman

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Director,

Hilary Sutcliffe