DAY 1

Conference starts    8:00 am

Conference ends      5:30 pm

Cocktail party        5:30–7:00 pm

DAY 2

Conference starts      8:00 am

Conference ends       5:00 pm

Former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labour; Board Member, Oxfam America, Bennett Freeman

By its very nature, Visa’s unique organizational structure represents one of the largest partnerships in the world. Visa also has a heritage of partnering outside of the organization – including global strategic alliances for product and technology innovation and partnerships with non-profit organizations that provide support for emerging communities.

This session will cover:

• The need for partnerships in the current business environment
• The central role of partnerships in defining business success
• How partnerships between the public and private sector can deliver powerful returns on investment

Visa International, Deborah Arnold, Vice President and Managing Director, Emerging Markets

In 1992, Chiquita Brands began an engagement with the Rainforest Alliance, a conservation NGO, to improve environmental and social performance of its banana operations in Latin America. This effort impacted all aspects of banana production operations and gave the Rainforest Alliance complete access to Chiquita's facilities, employees and records.

Find out:

• The impact of the partnership on Chiquita's culture and strategy
• How the Rainforest Alliance helped Chiquita adhere to strong environmental and social standards
• The main challenges and how they were overcome
• The key to a long-term and mutually-beneficial partnership

Chiquita, David McLaughlin, Senior Director, Environmental and Social Performance

Rainforest Alliance, Tensie Whelan, Executive Director

For the past fifteen years, Timberland has partnered with City Year, a national service organization that annually unites over 1,000 young volunteers for a year of service, leadership and civic engagement in various sites across the United States and in South Africa. Discover the positive impact this collaboration has had on local communities.

The session will cover:

• How collaboration with a community organization can multiply efforts and lead to long-term impacts on the local community
• What effect the partnership had on staff motivation and retention levels
• Find out how much the partnership has cost

Timberland, Patrick Kirby, Global Service Manager

City Year, Nathan Pelsma, Corporate Partnerships Manager

What can we learn from failed partnerships: When companies and NGOs get it wrong, what are the key lessons?

Partnerships between NGOs and companies often fail because of differences in intentions, expectations, business expertise and/or organizational integrity. This session will analyse why the “rainforest harvest” project of the 1990s was unsuccessful, and what might be done in similar circumstances to ensure a successful project.

Find out:

• Why organizational due diligence is necessary when initiating and managing projects in unfamiliar environments and in working with inexperienced NGOs
• How to balance corporate responsibilities to customers and shareholders, when those responsibilities are at odds with the needs of the stakeholders the partnership is meant to benefit
• How to deal with a venture falling short of expectations or under fire from outside critics, including other NGOs and journalists, and internal critics within the corporation

In addition, Soren Vogelsang, Vice President of Danisco, one of the world’s leading food ingredient companies, will discuss the purpose of the Nordic Partnership, what it achieved and why the initiative failed. The Partnership was founded in 2001 by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and key corporate players operating in Sweden and Denmark. The goal of the partnership was to incorporate best practices for integrating sustainable development into business.

Danisco, Soren Vogelsang, Vice President

Jon Entine, Adjunct Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research

6 INTERACTIVE ROUNDTABLE SESSIONS

These off-the-record roundtables are completely interactive and will provide you with ample opportunity to get answers to your questions in a highly-focused, small group environment.   Each roundtable will run twice, allowing you to attend two separate sessions in one afternoon.

How to pick the right partner

*** PLEASE NOTE: THIS SESSION WILL RUN FIRST AS A WORKSHOP, THEN AS A ROUNDTABLE***

There have been few systematic efforts to assess the factors that corporations and NGOs should consider when choosing a business partner. The criteria that companies and NGOs should apply when selecting partners depend upon the goals of the partnership.

Topics to be discussed:

• Does the potential partner have a solid reputation for the quality of its work?
• Are the resources and capabilities of the partner complementary or overlapping?
• Is the partner willing to dedicate sufficient resources to make the partnership work?
• Is the culture of the partner so different that it could pose communication and negotiation problems?
• Do senior managers back the partnership and are they willing to use their public advocacy to support and endorse the goals of the partnership?

Dupont, Dawn Rittenhouse, Director of Sustainable Development

Oxfam America, Chris Jochnick, Director, Private Sector Engagement

Moderator: Villanova University, Jonathan Doh, Director, Center for Responsible Leadership and Governance

Negotiating the partnering agreement

Negotiating the details of a partnership (and capturing them in writing) is a critical step in the partnership cycle. Establishing clear assumptions, objectives, resource commitments and project management roles provides a solid foundation and helps to avoid common partnership pitfalls.

This session will cover:

• What the partnership agreement should include
• Financial considerations: who pays for what?
• When to involve a mediator
• When to call it quits and end on a good note

Shell, Samuel Agili, Partnership Implementation Advisor

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Bruce Friedrich, Vice-President, International Grassroots Campaigns

Moderator: Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, Washington Center, Dr. Jennifer Bremer, Director

Civicom and World Vision: Pioneering a new concept in partnerships

There are compelling reasons for a new venture to pledge stock—up-front—to an NGO, and this model is worthy of universal support. There is much to learn from the “Corporate Tithe" relationship pioneered by Civicom and World Vision in which 10% of a corporate startup was pledged to an NGO.

What are the pros and cons of the Corporate Tithe model? For the NGO? For the corporation?
What does it take to make it work? What mutually supportive activities are reasonable at what stage?

Civicom Inc., David W. West, Founder and CEO

World Vision, Michael J. Veitenhans, SVP External Relations & Corporate Engagement

Developing meaningful metrics for your partnership

*** PLEASE NOTE: THIS SESSION WILL RUN FIRST AS A ROUNDTABLE, THEN AS A WORKSHOP ***

Setting targets and measuring progress can be critical at any stage of a partnership's development. But it's not always easy and it's not always the first priority.

The session will cover:

• How to measure progress
• Some critical steps and factors in identifying indicators and monitoring them
• Who does measurement matter to and why?
• How to address key measurement challenges, including prioritization, budgeting and internal/external pressure

Nokia, Gregory Elphinston, Community Involvement

U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, Daniel Rochberg, Sustainable Development Officer

Moderator: University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business, Visiting Faculty, Kevin Sweeney

Strategies for managing conflict and change in local communities

This session will address innovative strategies for managing conflict and change at the local level in difficult environments where multiple stakeholders represent diverse, often antagonistic, interests.

You’ll discover:

• Specific approaches for managing local conflicts: how these strategies work, when they should not be used and what is needed for them to succeed
• The need for training and capacity-building for conflict prevention and resolution
• How to address labor issues at contract manufacturing sites in developing countries and how it can evolve into a movement for better international labor standards

Philips Van Heusen, Marcela Manubens, Vice President of Global Human Rights and Social Responsibility

Partners for Democratic Change, Anne Devero, Manager of Corporate Programs

Moderators: Columbia University, Center for the Study of Human Rights, Paul Martin, Executive Director

         CHF International, John Chromy, VP of External Relations

How to set up and maintain clear communications between the business and NGO

The corporate and non-profit sectors are often described as speaking two different languages. At times, this can hinder progress.

This session will help you:

• Understand the other side’s rhetoric and how each sector works
• Develop a common language that is clear to both sides
• Learn how to keep lines of communication open even during times of conflict

Pfizer, Jenny Flezzani, Specialist, Corporate Citizenship

International Trachoma Initiative (ITI), Jacob Kumaresan, President

Moderator: The Stanford Social Innovation Review, Eric Nee, Managing Editor

Chairman’s welcome address: Former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labour; Board Member, Oxfam America, Bennett Freeman

Chaired debate: Are Business-NGO partnerships a natural progression of corporate strategy or are big brands unfairly pushed into partnerships?

Do businesses actively seek out partnerships with NGOs? Many believe that businesses are forced into such alliances to regain a positive public image after disclosure of “unethical” behaviour.

This session will debate:

• Is there an unfair economic cost in being ethical since NGOs only go after big brands?
• Can public policy play a role in encouraging the laggards who are not on the NGO radar?

British American Tobacco, Adrian Payne, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility

Jon Entine, Adjunct Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research

Free Enterprise Action Fund, Tom Borelli PhD, Portfolio Manager

Oxfam America, Chris Jochnick, Director, Private Sector Engagement

The credible company, and the credible NGO: Can partnerships make or break reputations?

Large corporations have done well out of partnering with non-profits, while others have found it more difficult. Combined, the non-profit sector is the world’s eighth-largest economy and represents a wide variety of civil-society groups.

This session will discuss:

• How a partnership can affect an organization’s reputation
• The wins for corporations and NGOs inherent in good engagement – what’s in it for all concerned?
• How the philosophical gap between the two sectors is the biggest barrier and how attitudes are changing
• What is the case for NGO accountability?

ExxonMobil, André Madec, Public Affairs

PETA, Bruce Friedrich, Director of Vegan Outreach

Intel, Gary Niekerk, Corporate Responsibility Operations Manager

Danisco, Soren Vogelsang, Vice President

4 INTERACTIVE ROUNDTABLE SESSIONS

These off-the-record roundtables are completely interactive and will provide you with ample opportunity to get answers to your questions in a highly-focused, small group environment.

Each roundtable will run twice, allowing you to attend two separate sessions in one afternoon.

Institutionalizing stakeholder engagement: Getting started, processing feedback and measuring progress

*** PLEASE NOTE: THIS SESSION WILL RUN FIRST AS A WORKSHOP, THEN AS A ROUNDTABLE***

As society becomes more aware of the extent of social and environmental problems globally, it is becoming clearer that governments alone cannot solve these problems. Filling the gap left by government is a proliferation of stakeholder groups that increasingly expect companies to help address these problems.

This session will discuss:

• The organizational resistance to stakeholder engagement and how to overcome it
• How to systematize and internalize stakeholder engagement while still being adaptable and flexible to local conditions
• How companies that process stakeholder feedback are better equipped to anticipate and respond to social and environmental crises that can tarnish brand and reputation

Dupont, Dawn Rittenhouse, Director of Sustainable Development

Future 500, Erik Wohlgemuth, Director of Stakeholder Engagement

Moderator: Villanova University, Jonathan Doh, Director, Center for Responsible Leadership and Governance

Communicating your partnership to employees and business partners

*** PLEASE NOTE: THIS SESSION WILL RUN FIRST AS A ROUNDTABLE, THEN AS A WORKSHOP ***

Getting the message out internally and to business partners is a critical step in creating a partnership. Clear communication and a common understanding of goals and objectives will greatly increase its chances of success.

The session will cover:

• How to jointly communicate your partnership to business partners
• How to internally market your alliance so it gets the support it deserves

Timberland, Patrick Kirby, Global Service Manager

City Year, Paige Kane, Director of Corporate Partnerships

Moderator: Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, Washington Center, Dr. Jennifer Bremer, Director

Disaster Relief: How advanced partnerships can facilitate a quick and efficient response to emergency situations - Case study

Socially responsible companies, including Henry Schein, a worldwide distributor of healthcare products, and Deutsche Post (DHL) have partnered with the Disaster Resource Network, an initiative of the World Economic Forum to form Medical and Logistics Emergency Teams. Under this program, DRN serves as the linkage between the private sector and IO/NGOs including the UN and the Medical Action Network.

You will find out:

• The importance of executive support
• How to build lasting capability and local capacity
• How this program helped the team respond more efficiently to domestic disasters like Hurricane Katrina

Disaster Resource Network, Bob Bellhouse, Executive Director

American Red Cross, Lou August, Manager of In-Kind Donations

Moderator: Henry Schein, Steve Kess, Senior Vice President

A multistakeholder partnership to combat HIV/AIDS in Botswana - Case study

The African Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Partnerships (ACHAP) is a five-year collaboration that began in 2000 involving the government of Botswana, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Merck and its corporate foundation. The partnership’s goal is to support and enhance Botswana’s response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic through a comprehensive approach to prevention, care, treatment and support.

In this session, you’ll discover:

• The impact of this partnership on the HIV/AIDS prevalence and infection rate in Botswana
• Key lessons learned and how they are being applied in China and Eastern Europe to combat the epidemic

Ambassador of Botswana to the United Nations, Samuel Outlule

Merck, Samir Khalil,Executive Director, Policy, Asia Pacific Human Health Division

Using the Best Ideas You’ve Learned at this Conference: 15 Key Tips to take back to the Office

Moderators from the roundtable sessions will present best practices and lessons learned from the two days and some of the most valuable insights they have come across.
Leave this session with essential tips to help you sort through your own best practice research and more effectively apply what you've learned during the conference to your own initiatives.

Don’t forget to reserve your copy of the conference report, available for purchase from Ethical Corporation two weeks after the event.

Villanova University, Jonathan Doh, Director, Center for Responsible Leadership and Governance

Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, Washington Center, Dr. Jennifer Bremer, Director