The Financing Our Future Podcast

A year on from our first discussion, we reconnect with Harmit Singh, EVP and CFO of Levi Strauss & Co. This time, we learn how they have continued to weather the storm and their thoughts on how to drive action on climate change, diversity, and equity, as well as tackling the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
 
To hear the first part, listen to our previous episode. 

Resilience is one of the key emerging themes of the COVID-19 crisis. And, perhaps, nowhere has this been starker than in supply chains, especially those in fashion. This episode takes us back in time to late summer in 2020, 6 months into the COVID-19 pandemic. Featuring CFOs of two leading brands in the fashion industry - Burberry and Levi Strauss & co. – this episode features their experiences during this turbulent time and the innovative ways their organizations were able to reshape their supply chains, remain resilient and keep their focus on sustainability.  Julie Brown is the Chief Operating and Financial Officer of fashion house Burberry. Harmit Singh is Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Levi Strauss & Co. 

In this episode we focus on the financial benefits of investing in sustainable performance, and how CFOs and finance teams can understand the link. To navigate the issues we talk to Peggy Smyth, Chief Financial Officer of National Grid US and Elyse Douglas, Senior Research Scholar at NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business, and former CFO of Hertz.

No industry or, in fact, element of life has been untouched by the COVID-19 pandemic, but few have been quite as affected as the grocery market. In this podcast, we are joined by Judith Batchelor, Director of Sainsbury’s Brand at Sainsbury’s, the second-largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom. We hear how Sainsbury’s has dealt with the COVID-19 crisis, and what lessons can be learned to help us create a better future.  

Is the COVID-19 crisis our first ESG crisis? How can the finance community respond in a way that builds in resilience? In this podcast, Jessica Fries talks to Daniel Klier, Chief of Staff of Global Banking & Markets and Global Head of Sustainable Finance at HSBC, to discuss how sustainability is influencing performance during the crisis, and what this means for the energy transition, lending and investments.

CFOs can play a key role in supporting employee wellbeing and mental health. At a time when their teams are under huge pressure as they help their organizations to navigate through the pandemic, this is more important than ever. In this episode we talk to Karen Higgins, CFO at The Co-operators, about how she and her finance team have helped to put in place mental health programmes, sustaining the focus during these challenging times.

Useful resources:

• The Co-operators worked example 
• A4S Essential Guide to Social and Human Capital Accounting

For further information on mental health at work:

• Mind
• Canadian Mental Health Association
• Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety

What is biodiversity, nature and natural capital? And, what does it have to do with finance anyway? Jessica Fries talks with Rishi Kalra, Managing Director and Group CFO, Olam Food Ingredients and Mark Gough, Chief Executive Officer, Capitals Coalition, to explore why biodiversity is important to every business and how finance can contribute to the fight to save it. 

Useful resources: 

• A4S’s Biodiversity Briefing for Finance 
• Natural Capital Protocol
• Natural Capital Hub 
• Olam’s sustainability linked club loan 
• Business for nature
• Natural Capital section of Olam’s Annual Report 2019 
• A4S knowledge hub