Conference Programme
-
-
08:45 - 09:10
Registration & Breakfast
-
09:10 - 09:25
Welcome Remarks
Speakers
Nandini Sukumar
CEO World Federation of Exchanges
Nandini Sukumar is the Chief Executive Officer of the World Federation of Exchanges, the global association for exchanges and CCPs. The WFE represents more than 250 exchanges and clearing houses globally, educating stakeholders on the vital role played by market infrastructures in the real economy and as a standard setter, finding the consensus on issues among the global membership. Of its members, 36% are in Asia-Pacific, 43% in EMEA and 21% in the Americas. WFE exchanges are home to 55,000 listed companies, and the market capitalisation of these entities is over $111 trillion; around $124 trillion (EOB) in trading annually passes through WFE members (at end 2023). WFE’s 87 member CCPs and clearing services collectively ensure that risk takers post some $1.3 trillion (equivalent) of resources to back their positions, in the form of initial margin and default fund requirements. Ms. Sukumar is Vice Chair of IOSCO’s Affiliate Members Consultative Committee and Chair of the AMCC’s Sustainability Taskforce.
John McKenzie
Chief Executive Officer, TMX Group & Chair, WFE Working Committee
Mr. McKenzie is a member of the TMX Group Board of Directors and also a member of the Board of Directors of several TMX Group subsidiaries.
Mr. McKenzie has worked for TMX for over 20 years; prior to his appointment as CEO on August 17, 2020, he served as Chief Financial Officer and was responsible for corporate strategy, corporate development, investor relations and the financial management of the company as well as for the administrative oversight of TMX Group’s Capital Formation business. He has led various TMX acquisitions, including the Maple transaction, and the acquisitions of Montréal Exchange and Trayport.
From July 2015 to August 2016, Mr. McKenzie served as President of CDS, Canada’s equity and fixed income clearing house and a wholly-owned subsidiary of TMX Group. Prior to that he was the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and CFO of CDS.
Mr. McKenzie is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CMA) and has an MBA from Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University and an Honours BA from Wilfrid Laurier University. He has served on a number of boards, and is currently the Working Committee Chairman of the World Federation of Exchanges, and a Board Member and Treasurer for the Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation.
Boon Chye Loh
Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Exchange & Chairman, World Federation of Exchanges
Mr Loh Boon Chye joined SGX as CEO on 14 July 2015. He is also an Executive and Non-Independent Director on the SGX Board. As CEO, he drives SGX’s growth strategy, with the aim of transforming SGX into a world-class multi-asset exchange.
Over the years, Mr Loh has played a key role in the development of Southeast Asia’s capital markets, having held a number of senior advisory positions. Apart from his directorship on the SGX Board from 2003 to 2012, he has been on the Boards of GIC Pte Ltd since November 2012, Economic Development Board Singapore since February 2017 and the World Federation of Exchanges since September 2017. He is also Chairman of the Sim Kee Boon Institute for Financial Economics Advisory Board and Co-Chair of the Council for Board Diversity.
With a career in the financial industry that spans three decades, Mr Loh was most recently Deputy President and Head of Asia Pacific Global Markets at Bank of America-Merrill Lynch from December 2012 to May 2015. He was also the bank’s Country Executive for Singapore and Southeast Asia and a member of its Asia Pacific Executive Committee. From 1995 to 2012, Mr Loh was with Deutsche Bank AG, where he held various leadership roles including Head of Corporate & Investment Banking for Asia Pacific and Head of Global Markets for Asia.
Mr Loh is a council member and Distinguished Fellow at the Institute of Banking & Finance Singapore and a council member at the Singapore Business Federation. He was also previously Chairman of the Singapore Foreign Exchange Market Committee, as well as Deputy President of ACI Singapore.
Mr Loh holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree from the National University of Singapore.
-
-
09:25 - 10:00
Celebratory Toast and Opening Bell (Photos Inside/Outside)
-
10:00 - 10:15
Session 1: Setting the Stage – An overview of Canada’s capital markets ecosystem and its unique challenges and opportunities on the road toward a more sustainable future
With a small population spread across the world’s second-largest country by land mass, Canada’s abundant natural resources and vibrant capital markets are each essential to its economic success. As countries around the world navigate their own pathway toward greater sustainability, Canada’s efforts to orient its resource-focused economy and capital markets toward a lower-carbon future offer important insights for all. This keynote speech will provide an opportunity to hear how Canada is tackling the issue of transition and will seek to identify some of the challenges and lessons being learnt in the process.
Speaker
Kevan Cowan
Chair of the Board of Directors Ontario Securities Commission
Kevan Cowan is a financial services executive with more than 30 years of experience in capital markets operational, regulatory and policy matters. He has been a key participant in the transformative changes occurring in Canadian capital markets over that time.
Mr. Cowan is the past Chief Executive Officer of the Capital Markets Authority Implementation Organization, where he worked on behalf of nine Canadian governments leading the development of a pan-Canadian securities regulatory authority. Prior to that, Mr. Cowan was President of TSX Markets, responsible for the equities business of the TMX Group, including the Toronto Stock Exchange, TSX Venture Exchange, Alpha Trading, TMX Select and related services. He is also a past President of the TSX Venture Exchange. Mr. Cowan was previously a partner in a large Canadian law firm, practicing corporate and securities law.
Mr. Cowan has served on many boards and in advisory roles, including with the Toronto Financial Services Alliance / Toronto Finance International (Chair of the Board), the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (Board member), the Ontario Capital Markets Modernization Taskforce Expert Advisory Group, the Calgary Economic Development Investment Advisory Committee, and the Ontario Securities Commission Small Business Advisory Committee.
Mr. Cowan holds a B.A. from the University of Toronto, an LL.B. from Osgoode Hall Law School, and the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.
-
-
10:15 - 10:30
Session 2: The road to climate disclosures in the US
This session will outline the debate on climate disclosures in the US, how thinking in this area may evolve, and the extent to which US issuers are already engaged in planning for disclosures and transition aside from formal SEC-led regulation.
Speakers
Edward Knight
Executive Vice Chairman Nasdaq
As Executive Vice Chairman, Edward Knight manages global government relations and serves as a senior advisor on public policy and litigation.
During his tenure as Nasdaq’s General Counsel from 2001 to 2019, Knight championed many causes for investors and public companies: proxy reform; corporate governance modernization, including the JOBS ACT passage in 2012; regulatory reform; immigration reform; and enhancing the self-regulatory organization model. He has worked tirelessly to ensure Nasdaq’s U.S. equity market maintains its position as the premier global marketplace for capital formation.
Knight currently serves as a member of the Advisory Board of Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and is a member of the District of Columbia, Texas and Supreme Court Bars. He is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations and sits on its Committee on Corporate Affairs. Knight is Vice Chairman of the Board of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Chair of the U.S.-India Business Council. He is also chair of TechNet's Executive Council. He is a member of the Nasdaq Dubai Board and the Board of the World Federation of Exchanges. He is based in Nasdaq’s Washington, D.C., office.
Before serving as FINRA’s General Counsel from 1999-2001 and then NASDAQ’s General Counsel, Knight served as General Counsel of the U.S. Department of the Treasury from September 1994 to June 1999 — the longest tenure since the position was created in 1934. Upon his departure, he received the Alexander Hamilton Award, the Department's highest honor. He also received the Honor Award from the Secret Service. Before being named Treasury General Counsel, Knight served as Executive Secretary and Senior Advisor to Secretary of the Treasury Lloyd Bentsen. He also served as a member of the Obama Transition Team at the U.S. Treasury Department in 2008-2009.
Prior, he was a partner with the law firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer and Feld in Washington, D.C. A Texas native, Knight received his Bachelor of Arts, with honors, in Latin American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Texas School of Law.
Elina Yrgård
Associate Vice President, EU Affairs Nasdaq
Elina Yrgård is Associate Vice President EU Affairs in Nasdaq’s Global Government Relations team, based in Brussels. She has worked at Nasdaq over 15 years and is an expert in European regulation, including with a special focus on anything related to ESG.
Elina is active in many industry associations at European and global level, including WFE and FESE, where she Chairs the Equity Committee. She is engaged as a speaker in conferences and has represented Nasdaq in numerous consultative groups for public authorities and ministries, including the Swedish Financial Market Committee Subgroup on International Regulatory Affairs. Elina was also the first Chair of Nasdaq’s own Legal & Regulatory Group’s Innovation Committee.
She holds a Master of Laws Degree and a degree in Business Administration from Stockholm University.
-
-
Theme 1- The evolution of sustainability reporting: how far we've come and where we have still to go
We will be exploring four aspects of reporting: international comparability; application to and challenges facing SMEs; supply chains; and nature and biodiversity. In particular, session 3 will focus on the international comparability of reporting and the progress being made by standard setters such as ISSB and GRI, including how they are ensuring interoperability with other standard setters. Session 4 will consider challenges facing SMEs, efforts to calibrate ESG reporting frameworks for SMEs and the experience of SME’s, including the needs of investors. Session 5 and session 6 seek to explore the next priorities anticipated in the expansion of reporting to cover the supply chain and will consider the developments which are leading to increased efforts to deliver supply chain reporting in some jurisdictions and its impact on others. Many firms are aware that over seventy per cent of their emissions are generated within the supply chain.
New regulatory initiatives in Europe, such as the CSDDD, will require EU issuers to request more information from their supply chain (and therefore issuers in other jurisdictions will be impacted even if they are not caught directly themselves as importers or because they have subsidiaries in Europe). The ability of these issuers in the supply chain to respond to these requests may have a significant impact on their ability to attract international investment and to continue or expand their exports. Finally, integrating nature and biodiversity reporting is likely to be an area of increasing focus, as such in session 7 we explore the link between nature and biodiversity on the one hand, and the achievement of the climate targets set out in the Paris Agreement on the other, is becoming more apparent.
-
10:30 - 10:50
Session 3: Getting literate with a tale of two standards: Moving towards interoperability in the shape of international reporting standards
This fireside chat will explore how the work of International Reporting Standards' setters has evolved and what we can expect to see over the coming years. Will the gap between CSRD (the EU requirements) and international requirements be likely to close and where should we anticipate differences? What steps are being taken to ensure interoperability? Given progress in Europe, which is moving ahead at a significant pace with the implementation of CSRD (within the European Sustainability Reporting Standards or ESRS framework), how will international standards' setters work to support companies facing these different requirements? These rules will also impact many countries with subsidiaries operating in the EU (if they meet the threshold). ESRS may have a bigger, more challenging scope, with clearly defined data points.
Regarding the challenges faced in addressing elements such as a reporting regime calibrated for SMEs, what have the speakers observed about SMEs’ needs and those of SME investors? Will this differ significantly from the work developed by the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) in the EU? Regarding supply chain reporting, what are the main challenges in ensuring the accuracy of data and how can this be resolved? What timeframe will this take, given existing concerns about greenwashing risks? Regarding integrating nature and the importance of preserving biodiversity, what can we expect will be done to ensure interoperability between standard setters in this area?
Speakers
Boon Chye Loh
Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Exchange & Chairman, World Federation of Exchanges
Mr Loh Boon Chye joined SGX as CEO on 14 July 2015. He is also an Executive and Non-Independent Director on the SGX Board. As CEO, he drives SGX’s growth strategy, with the aim of transforming SGX into a world-class multi-asset exchange.
Over the years, Mr Loh has played a key role in the development of Southeast Asia’s capital markets, having held a number of senior advisory positions. Apart from his directorship on the SGX Board from 2003 to 2012, he has been on the Boards of GIC Pte Ltd since November 2012, Economic Development Board Singapore since February 2017 and the World Federation of Exchanges since September 2017. He is also Chairman of the Sim Kee Boon Institute for Financial Economics Advisory Board and Co-Chair of the Council for Board Diversity.
With a career in the financial industry that spans three decades, Mr Loh was most recently Deputy President and Head of Asia Pacific Global Markets at Bank of America-Merrill Lynch from December 2012 to May 2015. He was also the bank’s Country Executive for Singapore and Southeast Asia and a member of its Asia Pacific Executive Committee. From 1995 to 2012, Mr Loh was with Deutsche Bank AG, where he held various leadership roles including Head of Corporate & Investment Banking for Asia Pacific and Head of Global Markets for Asia.
Mr Loh is a council member and Distinguished Fellow at the Institute of Banking & Finance Singapore and a council member at the Singapore Business Federation. He was also previously Chairman of the Singapore Foreign Exchange Market Committee, as well as Deputy President of ACI Singapore.
Mr Loh holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree from the National University of Singapore.
Michael Jantzi
Member ISSB
Michael Jantzi was appointed as a member of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) in June 2022, effective 16 July 2022. He currently serves on a part-time basis.
He has 30 years’ experience in responsible investment and sustainable finance. He joined the ISSB from Morningstar, where he served as Managing Director of ESG Strategy. He is the founder and former CEO of Sustainalytics, an ESG research and ratings firm that grew to global market prominence under Michael’s leadership and was subsequently acquired by Morningstar in 2020.
In 1992, he founded Jantzi Research and led a multiple-company merger that formed Sustainalytics in 2009.
He has served on the Board of Directors of the Value Reporting Foundation and of the Principles for Responsible Investment. He has also served as a committee member of the Independent Review Committee on Standard Setting in Canada and as a board director of the MakeWay Foundation.
Mr Jantzi holds a Master of international relations from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada.
-
-
10:50 - 11:35
Session 4: A tailor required?: Establishing a bespoke reporting regime for SME’s
The panel will discuss the challenges of sustainability reporting for SMEs and explore the approaches being considered in certain jurisdictions to lighten the load (such as the efforts of EFRAG). The panel will consider: What kind of information do investors need from SMEs and how might it differ from larger issuers? What are the challenges in developing a bespoke regime for SMEs and should it be mandatory or voluntary? What is the likelihood of international consensus and what jurisdictions/reporting frameworks are developing this? How similar are they? What is the experience of an SME and what aspects are the most challenging?
Chair
John McKenzie
Chief Executive Officer, TMX Group & Chair, WFE Working Committee
Mr. McKenzie is a member of the TMX Group Board of Directors and also a member of the Board of Directors of several TMX Group subsidiaries.
Mr. McKenzie has worked for TMX for over 20 years; prior to his appointment as CEO on August 17, 2020, he served as Chief Financial Officer and was responsible for corporate strategy, corporate development, investor relations and the financial management of the company as well as for the administrative oversight of TMX Group’s Capital Formation business. He has led various TMX acquisitions, including the Maple transaction, and the acquisitions of Montréal Exchange and Trayport.
From July 2015 to August 2016, Mr. McKenzie served as President of CDS, Canada’s equity and fixed income clearing house and a wholly-owned subsidiary of TMX Group. Prior to that he was the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and CFO of CDS.
Mr. McKenzie is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CMA) and has an MBA from Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University and an Honours BA from Wilfrid Laurier University. He has served on a number of boards, and is currently the Working Committee Chairman of the World Federation of Exchanges, and a Board Member and Treasurer for the Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation.
Speakers
Jeff Killeen
Director of Policy and Programs PDAC
Jeff Killeen is the Director, Policy & Programs for the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) and leads the association’s advocacy, government relations and policy programming. Mr. Killeen was previously a Director for CIBC World Markets, specializing in equity research and providing portfolio recommendations to investors around the globe, and covering mineral exploration and mining projects across five continents. Mr. Killeen holds a B.Sc. (High Honors) in Geology from Carleton University and has extensive experience in precious and base metal exploration and mining within several major Canadian camps, including the Sudbury basin and the Abitibi greenstone belt.
Sarah Keyes
CEO ESG Global Advisors
Sarah is an ESG and climate change expert with over a decade of work experience as a thought leader, consultant, facilitator, and auditor. She regularly presents to Executive teams and Boards of Directors on the link between ESG and climate change with financial and operational performance and long-term value. Sarah helps her clients establish ESG and climate change strategies that align with strategic priorities, enabling effective integration with existing risk and strategy processes.
Prior to joining ESG Global Advisors, Sarah was a Principal at CPA Canada where she produced research, thought leadership and guidance for companies to integrate climate change considerations into business strategy, risk management, governance, and reporting. Previously, Sarah held senior roles at PwC and MNP working with the energy and mining sectors.
Sarah facilitates a module on ESG and sustainable finance in the ICD’s Director Education Program and she is the National Academic Director for the ICD’s Board Oversight of Climate Change program. Sarah serves on the Boards of Directors of Leading Change Canada and Sustainable Buildings Canada. She has a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University, ISO 14064-3 Certification for Greenhouse Gas Verifications, and received the 2018 Emerging Leader Award from CPA Ontario. In 2023, Sarah received a Top 50 Changemaker Award from the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business.
Chris Birkett, CPA, CA
Vice President and Head of TSX Listings TMX Group
Chris is the Vice President and Head of TSX Listings. He has been with the Exchange since 2006. Chris is responsible for management of the TSX Listings team who work with and facilitate the growth of Corporate Issuers and ETFs, starting with their original application for listing on TSX, and subsequently as they successfully access capital and complete other transactions that involve the issuance of securities. In addition, Chris leads policy reform at TSX in an effort to reduce the regulatory burden faced by TSX listed issuers while maintaining the integrity of the market. Chris has been a member of the OSC’s Securities Advisory Committee, and represents the Exchange at numerous conferences and seminars.
-
-
11:35 - 12:20
Session 5: Packing a punch: addressing the challenge of making supply chain decarbonisation a reality
Supply chain reporting is considered to be a game changer if we are to have an accurate assessment of GHG emissions. For example, the Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders identified 80% of the total 4.3Gt emissions footprint from their businesses was produced in their supply chains. Establishing ambitious climate change targets for an exchange or issuer is only the first step; the real test lies in fulfilling these objectives. For numerous companies and exchanges, particularly those in energy - and resource-intensive sectors like heavy industry, achieving net zero emissions for Scope 1 and Scope 2 is a daunting technical and economic endeavor. Adding to the challenge is the intricate task of addressing Scope 3 emissions. This layer introduces new complexities such as grappling with carbon accounting practices; necessitating collaborative efforts with customers; supply networks; and industry groups. Moreover, sustaining stakeholder engagement throughout the intricate, multiyear transformation process presents yet another hurdle.
The panel will discuss: Why is supply chain reporting considered to be important? Are the drivers coming from regulation, or other investors and issuers’ demands? What will the implications be on supply chain listed companies in countries outside the EU? How should exchanges support issuers in preparing? What is the role of exchanges in supporting and drawing to issuers’ attention the changes internationally that might impact them? What impact will supply chain reporting have on transition plans? How are the buyside assessing progress on this and how will it impact investment internationally.
Speakers
Dr. Güzhan Gülay
Executive Vice President Borsa Istanbul
After graduating from the Faculty of Business Administration of Istanbul University in 1993, Güzhan Gülay received a degree of a specialist from Ziraat Bank Banking School and worked in the Capital Markets Directorate of the same bank. He joined the Borsa İstanbul family as an assistant specialist in the Equity Markets Directorate in 1995, became a specialist in 1998, and a manager in 2014 in the same department. He was appointed as the Business Development Director in 2018 and as the Precious Metals and Diamonds Market Director in 2019. He has acted in many projects by taking fundamental positions in designing, configuration, testing, legislation, and development for the improvement of the markets and infrastructure of Borsa Istanbul. After his master's and doctorate education, he acted as a visiting lecturer for a year at the City University of London Cass Business School and taught part-time at various universities. He had his Associate Professor degree in 2023.
Rosalind Share
AVP of Sustainability Research and Insights Mackenzie Investments
CPA, CA, FSA, SCR®, Gr. Dipl. Social Responsibility & Sustainability
Rosalind is currently the AVP of Sustainability Research and Insights at Mackenzie Investments. In her current role she is responsible for leading Sustainability thematic research and designing the digital Sustainability Data strategy and solutions. She has technical depth from her time at the Canadian Sustainability Standards Board where her responsibilities included technical research, informing standard proposals, leading market outreach, and educational capacity building. Prior to that, she was the CFO of NASDAQ’s first Alternative Data business where she led post-NASDAQ acquisition integration, finance transformation, strategy setting and all regulatory reporting. Her earlier experiences provide industry depth from her time at Pension Plans, Banks and Fintechs. She’s contributed to the development of the SASB level II exam as well as GARP's Sustainability and Climate Risk examination. In addition, she recently won University of Toronto’s prestigious President’s Award for her research specializing in decarbonization. Rosalind began her career at PWC auditing. Her areas of specialty included among others, environmental remediation obligations and indigenous rights impacts for clients such as Barrick Gold, Alcan, Cascades among others. She also holds a Graduate Diploma in Social Responsibility & Sustainability from the University of Toronto.
-
-
12:20 - 13:20
Lunch
-
13:20 - 13:40
Session 6: Nature’s Ledger: Amplifying impact through comprehensive reporting
A presentation on the value of nature and biodiversity reporting for exchanges and how international compatibility is being achieved on these initiatives.
Speaker
Elizabeth Aceituno
Finance Private Sector Lead WWF US
Elizabeth leads WWF’s engagement with US private sector financial institutions. Before joining WWF US, Elizabeth spent six years WWF’s Global Finance Project , helping influence the global financial system to improve integration of environmental risks, beyond climate, deliver investment for sustainable development and eventually drive sustainable practices through other sectors. During her tenure at WWF International, she contributed to the creation of the TNFD and she was temporarily seconded to the Science Based Targets Network (SBTN) as finance sector lead.
Prior to joining WWF, Elizabeth was the Director of Corporate Engagement for the Latin America Region at The Nature Conservancy, working with a variety of local and multinational corporations towards more sustainable business practices and investments in natural capital. She also supported TNC’s Impact Investment division, NatureVest, as a project manager working on debt conversions.
Before becoming a full-time environmentalist, Elizabeth had a diverse international career in finance, which included mergers & acquisitions, corporate relationship management, and risk analysis in Europe, the US and Latin America at institutions such as BNP Paribas and Barclays Capital. Elizabeth has a management degree from the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Paris (ESCP) and a diploma in Environmental and Ecological Economics from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). She is fluent in Spanish, French, English, and Portuguese. She is based in New York City.
-
-
13:40 - 14:25
Session 7: The next frontier: practitioners share their insights and secrets to integrating new best practices in reporting
This panel will bring together the various strands discussed on reporting, both on supply chain reporting; the experience of issuers in reporting and the incorporation of nature and biodiversity; And, for multilateral companies, it will consider the challenges of working over numerous jurisdictions with differing requirements.
To what extent is nature and biodiversity reporting becoming integrated? What have the challenges and opportunities been from including this aspect? How can issuers effectively manage requests for supply chain reporting and what have been the lessons learnt? How can leaders tackle the fears of reporting on what you cannot entirely control? How have issuers decided which reporting standards to use and what factors are influencing this? How can exchanges further support issuers?
Chair
Jos Dijsselhof
Chief Executive Officer SIX Group
Jos Dijsselhof joined SIX in January 2018 as CEO. He holds degrees in computer science and business administration, and has a long track record in international management in the financial sector. He has previously held positions at ABN Amro Bank, Royal Bank of Scotland and ANZ Australia & New Zealand Banking Group in various countries including Hong Kong and Singapore. His most recent role was Chief Operating Officer (2014–June 2017) and CEO ad interim (2015) at Euronext in Amsterdam.
Other Activities and Mandates
Chairman of the Board of Directors Bolsas y Mercados Españoles (BME), Madrid
Background
Before his appointment as COO of Euronext, Dijsselhof was a general manager at Australia and New Zealand Bank in Singapore. He has over 20 years of experience in the financial industry and has worked in Europe and Asia institutions including Royal Bank of Scotland and ABN Amro Bank.
Education
Jos Dijsselhof earned a bachelor's degree in computer science from the Stenden University of Applied Sciences and an MSc in business administration from the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. He completed the Advanced Management Program at INSEAD.
Speakers
Gabriela Figueiredo Dias
IESBA Chair and Co-CEO IFEA
Gabriela Figueiredo Dias is the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) Chair and co-CEO of the International Foundation for Ethics and Audit (IFEA).
Gabriela previously served as Executive Chair of the Portuguese Securities Commission (CMVM), the financial markets and audit regulator, where she ran an organizational transformation project for the CMVM and included sustainability regulation and supervision in the CMVM’s agenda and priorities since 2018.
She has been a member of the National Council of Financial Supervisors, member of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) Board and of its Sustainability Task Force, member of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) Board of Supervisors and of the ESMA Management Board, Chair of the ESMA Investment Management Standing Committee and Vice Chair of OECD Corporate Governance Committee. In 2015, she led the Task Force in charge of transposing the EU Audit Regulation into the Portuguese legal framework and oversaw the establishment of the new Portuguese audit supervision infrastructure.
Gabriela is President of the Board of Coimbra University on a volunteer condition, member of the European Corporate Governance Network (ECGN) and founding member of the Portuguese Corporate Governance Institute. She was a lawyer and an academic for 18 years and has published extensively on capital markets, corporate governance and finance, auditing, and sustainability. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in law (Coimbra University) and a certificate in Leadership and Communications (Nova University - Lisbon).
Alex Matturri
Board Member Cboe Global Markets
Alex Matturri is the retired CEO of S&P Dow Jones Indices. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of CBOE Global Markets, the Advisory Board of The Index Standard along with being an advisor to several data and analytics firms. He has extensive experience in index and data intellectual property and regulatory issues, ETFs, index/quant investment management and global capital markets.
Prior experience includes serving as Senior Vice President and head of index portfolio management at Northern Trust Global Investments, Director and Index Strategist at Deutsche Asset Management and Vice President and head of the Special Investment Products Group at The Bank of New York.
Alex graduated with a BS in Finance with Honors from Lehigh University in 1980 and a JD from Syracuse University College of Law in 1983. He is admitted as an attorney in New York and New Jersey along with having earned his CFA.
Temi Popoola
Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer Nigerian Exchange Group
Temi Popoola is the current Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Exchange Group.
Prior to this, he was the Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Exchange Limited, the operating Exchange subsidiary of the Group. He is a successful C-suite leader whose unique blend of business acumen, financial expertise, global market growth performance, and operational insight has earned him a reputation built on verifiable career achievements.
A wall street trained investment banker, Temi launched his career in London, working as an asset manager where he gained extensive experience researching and assessing investment opportunities across Africa’s energy sector. In his next professional role, he expanded his expertise as an Equity Derivatives Trader with Bank of America Securities in New York, NY, USA. During this time, he fine-tuned his trading and investment advisory skills, working closely with both large corporations and private clients.
He returned to Nigeria after achieving success on Wall Street and joined UBA as Head of Structured Products and Investments for global markets. He subsequently led the Sales & Trading business at CSL Stockbrokers, a wholly owned subsidiary of FCMB. In both roles, he facilitated the flow of capital from global investors into Nigeria, particularly those from South Africa, London, the US, and Nigeria. Leveraging his expert knowledge of the Nigerian financial services industry, he became recognized as a leader in the industry and was subsequently recruited by Renaissance Capital in 2015 where he rapidly progressed into the CEO role, assuming responsibility for the West Africa operations of the firm.
During his six-year tenure at Renaissance Capital, Temi provided strategic market insight and leadership. He diversified the company’s revenue streams by adding fixed income, derivatives, structured products, financing, and wealth management. He oversaw a global workforce, expanded foreign investor capital opportunities into the Nigerian market, and introduced new processes, programs, and strategies to exceed corporate and client expectations.
Temi is passionate about business, collaborative team building, meeting organizational demands, and finance/investment banking. His greatest motivation is leading and guiding others to exceed expectations, and he uses his influence to help organizations exceed short- and long-term goals.
Temi graduated with a First-Class Honors Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Lagos and holds a Master of Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He is a CFA charter holder and also obtained his NASD series 7 and 63 licensures.
Nathan Maycher
Director, Climate, Disclosure & Integration Suncor
Nathan Maycher is midway through his third decade working on sustainability issues as a professional engineer. He is currently fulfilling the role of Director, Climate, Disclosure & Integration at Suncor Energy, a globally competitive integrated energy company. Nathan leads a team, which holds accountability for climate strategy and policy advocacy, sustainability disclosure, carbon finance and deeply integrating sustainability into key business decisions.
Formerly, Nathan held the role of Director, Environment and SD Systems and Manager Sustainable Development at ConocoPhillips Canada. His team held accountability for strategic sustainability projects, environmental strategy and policy advocacy, external reporting and SD risk management. Nathan focused on embedding sustainability behavior, systems and processes across the company.
-
-
14:25 - 14:45
Session 8: Bridging the Gap: Transition Finance, Plans, and Global Initiatives
This presentation will set the scene for the panel discussion to follow on transition finance and will outline the need for transition plans; their role in supporting transition finance and challenges issuers often face in considering the development and publication of credible transition plans. It will also explain the various global initiatives that exist and the extent to which they will support comparability for investors.
Speaker
Pratima Divgi
Head of Capital Markets, North America CDP
Pratima Divgi is the Head of Capital Markets, CDP North America. In her role, she leads engagement with the financial sector to measure and manage their climate and environmental impact, guiding them toward more sustainable practices.
Previously, Pratima was the Director for CDP’s regional offices in Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Before that, she spent 17 years in finance, most recently in private equity with Aberdeen Standard Investments. Besides her investment role at Aberdeen Standard, she was also a part of the private equity ESG working group which developed the ESG policies and implementation mechanisms for their Asia-Pacific private equity investments.
-
-
14:45 - 15:00
Coffee break
-
Theme 2 - Funding whole economy transition through credible transition planning
Transition finance for the whole economy is becoming a more critical factor for countries and companies to reach the climate targets and will require additional funding. Likewise, there is a distinction made between green products and transition products, that has emerged as we develop financial support for transitioning the broader economy. However, defining and managing this effectively, raises unique challenges if it is to avoid accusations of greenwashing. This session will explore how credible transition plans are a crucial element in ensuring the effective transition of issuers in all sectors and explores the unique issues this raises for issuers. It will also consider what investors are seeking and the role of third-party assessment. Additionally, it should be noted that taxonomies vary in their capacity to address transition elements and there are evolving approaches and unique issues raised by this which we will explore with the panel.
-
15:00 - 15:40
Session 9: Transition taxonomies: Fueling finance for a sustainable future beyond ‘green’
The panel will explore the way in which green taxonomies have been adapted to support transition and the implication and challenges of developing a more agile taxonomy. Questions the panel will discuss include: How are transition taxonomies different from green taxonomies? And how have taxonomies embraced transition to different extents? What are some of the challenges in developing a transition taxonomy and can transition taxonomies be developed for regions or are the challenges only possible to surmount if it is a national taxonomy? How have taxonomies elsewhere been shown to drive capital towards green or transition purposes?
Chair
Victoria Powell
Senior Manager, ESG Regulatory Affairs World Federation of Exchnages
Victoria Powell leads WFE’s sustainability work.
Victoria has decades of experience in financial services regulation gained both in the UK regulator and as a founding member and Director at the European Securities Markets Authority (ESMA). More recently she was a Director of Regulatory Policy at an Asset Manager, Ruffer LLP where she managed the implementation of numerous regulatory projects and contributed to Ruffer’s ESG strategy and processes.
Speakers
Robert White
Managing Director, Head of Green & Sustainable Hub, Americas Natixis
Robert leads Natixis’ Green & Sustainable Financing efforts for the Americas. He works closely with local business lines to assist issuers, borrowers, and investors access the growing and evolving world of green and sustainable finance. Robert works actively, along with the rest of Natixis’ Global Green and Sustainable Hub, to enhance Natixis visibility and brand as an expert go-to bank for green & sustainable finance. Robert represents Natixis as Co-Chair of the Green Enabling Taskforce within the ICMA Green, Social and Sustainability-Linked Bond Principles, and had previously served as Co-Chair of the Climate Transition Finance Working Group. In addition, Robert currently serves as a member of the Australian Sustainable Finance Taxonomy Technical Expert Group.
Robert brings over 20 years of experience in financial advisory, banking and project finance, with a focus on environmental and sustainable finance. He joined Natixis in January 2019 from National Australia Bank, where he held the position of Director, Specialized Finance, as well as various other roles during his 14-year tenure at the bank.
Robert holds a BSc in Biological Sciences & Psychology from the University of Edinburgh.
Barbara Zvan
President and CEO University Pension Plan Ontario
Barbara Zvan is President and Chief Executive Officer of University Pension Plan Ontario (UPP). She is responsible for realizing UPP’s strategies to deliver valuable, lifelong pension security, and service excellence to UPP’s over 39,000 members while establishing UPP as the pension solution of choice for Ontario’s university community.
Formerly the Chief Risk and Strategy Officer for the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, Barb is globally recognized as a leading voice on sustainable investing and an ambassador for defined benefit pensions. She was named Canada’s CEO of the Year and Corporate Citizen of the Year 2022 by the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business magazine in honour of her contributions and leadership in both areas.
A sought-after responsible investing expert, Barb was appointed to the Government of Canada’s Expert
Panel on Sustainable Finance in 2018 and is an inaugural member of the Sustainable Finance Action
Council, which launched in 2021. On the global stage, Barb played a significant role in creating the G7 Investor Leadership Network and was named one of 26 Climate Champions by British High Commission in Canada and the Canada Climate Law Initiative ahead of COP 26 in 2021.
Barb also serves on the board of the Responsible Investment Association and the advisory board of the Institute of Sustainable Finance at the Smith School of Business. She chairs the Steering Committee of Climate Engagement Canada, and co-chairs the C.D. Howe Institute’s Pension Policy Council.
She holds a master’s degree in Math and Statistics from the University of Waterloo and a Bachelor of Science degree from McMaster University. She is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors, a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries (FCIA), and a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA).
Michael Ferguson
Managing Director, Americas Team Leader on Sustainability Finance S&P Global Ratings
Michael Ferguson is the Americas Analytical Manager for the Sustainable Finance group at S&P Global Ratings. He manages a team of 20 North American and LatAm Sustainable Finance Analysts. He has been involved in the development, roll-out, and updating of our ESG Evaluation, and is responsible for the inclusion of ESG risks into our credit ratings. He also supports our efforts on Second Party Opinions (SPOs). He is responsible for developing the learning curriculum on ESG throughout S&P Global Ratings. Much of his thought leadership research revolves around environmental regulation and energy policy, especially in the United States.
Michael joined S&P Global Ratings in December 2011 and was in the North American Energy Infrastructure practice as a credit analyst for approximately seven years, covering project financings and power companies. Previously, he worked as a forensic accounting consultant with FTI Consulting in Washington, DC. He worked on a wide array of cases, ranging from stock option backdating and revenue recognition to embezzlement and Ponzi schemes. Michael also worked in the Financial Services Assurance practice at Ernst & Young LLP; he audited hedge funds, insurers, and banks, as well as government agencies.
Michael graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2005 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. He also received an International Business Certificate. He received a Master of Science degree in Accountancy from the University of Virginia in 2006 and a Master of Business Administration degree from Duke University in 2011, as well as a Masters of Liberal Arts in Sustainability from Harvard University in 2023. Michael is a Chartered Financial Analyst, a Certified Public Accountant, a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst, and a Certified Fraud Examiner. He also holds the CFA Institute ESG Investing Certificate.
-
-
15:40 - 16:25
Session 10: Transition excellence: maximising value with effective transitions plans
This panel will explore: What role do transition plans have in supporting transition finance and products in this area? How important is it to distinguish this from other green products and the challenges in doing this? What is the investor appetite for transition finance and what are they looking for in transition plans? What are the challenges in transition planning for issuers and the benefits gained from the process? How can issuers navigate the need to adapt plans? The role of third-party assessment in adding credibility and what are the observations of third-party assessors on international uptake and progress? How can uptake be encouraged and confidence amongst issuers in developing transition plans be strengthened? What will be the role of off-setting and the voluntary carbon credits in the mix of tools identified in a transition plan? How likely are we to achieve international comparability of transition plans and what are the implications?
Chair
Nandini Sukumar
CEO World Federation of Exchanges
Nandini Sukumar is the Chief Executive Officer of the World Federation of Exchanges, the global association for exchanges and CCPs. The WFE represents more than 250 exchanges and clearing houses globally, educating stakeholders on the vital role played by market infrastructures in the real economy and as a standard setter, finding the consensus on issues among the global membership. Of its members, 36% are in Asia-Pacific, 43% in EMEA and 21% in the Americas. WFE exchanges are home to 55,000 listed companies, and the market capitalisation of these entities is over $111 trillion; around $124 trillion (EOB) in trading annually passes through WFE members (at end 2023). WFE’s 87 member CCPs and clearing services collectively ensure that risk takers post some $1.3 trillion (equivalent) of resources to back their positions, in the form of initial margin and default fund requirements. Ms. Sukumar is Vice Chair of IOSCO’s Affiliate Members Consultative Committee and Chair of the AMCC’s Sustainability Taskforce.
Speakers
Dr. Cesar Sanches
Head of Sustainability B3
Cesar Sanches is Head of Sustainability at B3 SA – Brazil Stock Exchange and OTC Market. He is based in Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil, and spearheads a number of projects and initiatives to promote ESG best practices, sustainable investing, education, reporting as well as develop innovative solutions in data & analytics, natural language processing and machine learning, supporting ground-breaking financial products and indices such as B3 Green Equities, ESG Workspace, Carbon Markets, Corporate Sustainability Index (B3 ISE), Carbon Efficient index (B3 ICO2), Corporate Governance Trade Index (IGCT), Novo Mercado Corporate Equity Index (IGC-NM), Special Corporate Governance Stock Index (IGC), Special Tag-Along Stock Index (ITAG), S&P/B3 Brazil ESG, Special Corporate Governance Stock Index (IGCX).
Cesar has earned his PhD in engineering from the University of Sao Paulo, MSc in Economics from the University of Aberdeen and completed the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) Business Sustainability Management course. He also worked on major capital projects across the globe whilst living in Scotland, UK.
David Madon
Director, Sustainability, Policy & Regulatory Affairs IFAC
Mr. Madon joined IFAC in 2019, where he is Director - Sustainability, Policy & Regulatory Affairs. He is responsible for developing and coordinating IFAC’s sustainability policy and advocacy activities in addition to conducting research, policy development, and engagement with respect to a range of topics and stakeholders, including industry organizations, regulators, public authorities, and institutional investors. Mr. Madon's areas of expertise include sustainability/ESG, corporate reporting, financial audit quality/reform, sustainability assurance, ethics, investor protection, financial market regulation, and credit markets. Most recently, he has focused on the development of a global reporting system (including assurance) for sustainability/ESG information. Prior to IFAC, Mr. Madon represented the IFRS Foundation in the U.S. for nearly a decade, during which he focused on building institutional investor relationships, funding-raising, and the adoption of IFRS Standards by U.S. publicly traded companies. Prior to his public policy work, Mr. Madon spent twenty-five years in financial services, most recently as a Managing Director at Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein. He holds a Masters in Public Administration-MC from the Harvard Kennedy School, an MBA in Finance from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and a BS in Management-Accounting from Purdue University Northwest.
Samantha Hill
Head of Sustainability Integration CPP Investments
A Global Leadership Team member in the Office of the Chief Sustainability Officer, Samantha is responsible for integrating our sustainability insights and practices into our public and private investment activities and is a contributor to the CPP Investments Insights Institute.
Samantha has defined, led and executed sustainability-related strategies for value creation and preservation across all asset classes and ownership structures. She is recognized for her expertise in environmental, social, and governance intersectionality and building the capacity of organizations to integrate material sustainability considerations into core business practices.
Prior to joining CPP Investments in 2007, Samantha worked in the Commercial Banking division at CIBC in senior debt financing for national accounts and real estate, and with RoyNat Capital Inc.
Samantha holds an MBA from Dalhousie University in Finance and Environmental Management.
Alyson Slater
Managing Director, Head of Sustainable Investment, Public Markets Manulife Investment Management
Alyson leads sustainable investment and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) activities in Canadian public markets at Manulife Investment Management, which serves institutional, retail and retirement clients globally. She supports ESG integration across asset classes, investment stewardship activities with issuers, new sustainability-themed product development, and engages with clients and key stakeholders in Canada and beyond. Alyson brings over 20 years of experience to her role, with expertise in climate risk, sustainable finance, ESG data, inclusive finance, and a wide range of other sustainability issues gained through her work as a senior executive at leading consultancies and international organizations in Europe and Asia. Alyson has specialist knowledge in sustainability reporting and disclosure through her decade as an executive an international sustainability standard-setting body and is currently a member of the Canadian Sustainability Standards Board (CSSB). She also sits on the Canadian government’s Sustainable Development Advisory Council.
Chris Hackel
Global Head of Sustainability Indices Bloomberg L.P.
Chris Hackel is the Global Head of Sustainable Indices for Bloomberg Index Services Limited (BISL). Chris oversees the strategy and development of ESG, climate, and other sustainable-themed benchmarks across asset classes. He also works with clients and ETF providers on the creation of customized solutions. He has over a decade of experience working with investors to incorporate sustainable investment themes in indices, portfolios, and products.
Chris previously worked with fixed income index product at BISL, managing a team responsible for new product development focused on alternative weight, ESG, and smart beta indices.
Chris began his career as a developer in Fixed Income Quantitative Research at UBS. Subsequently, he worked on the Fixed Income trading desk at UBS structuring CMO deals, and developed and implemented automated strategies at a high-volume equity hedge fund. He holds a BA in Computer Science from Syracuse University.
-
-
16:25 - 16:30
Closing Remarks
Speakers
Nandini Sukumar
CEO World Federation of Exchanges
Nandini Sukumar is the Chief Executive Officer of the World Federation of Exchanges, the global association for exchanges and CCPs. The WFE represents more than 250 exchanges and clearing houses globally, educating stakeholders on the vital role played by market infrastructures in the real economy and as a standard setter, finding the consensus on issues among the global membership. Of its members, 36% are in Asia-Pacific, 43% in EMEA and 21% in the Americas. WFE exchanges are home to 55,000 listed companies, and the market capitalisation of these entities is over $111 trillion; around $124 trillion (EOB) in trading annually passes through WFE members (at end 2023). WFE’s 87 member CCPs and clearing services collectively ensure that risk takers post some $1.3 trillion (equivalent) of resources to back their positions, in the form of initial margin and default fund requirements. Ms. Sukumar is Vice Chair of IOSCO’s Affiliate Members Consultative Committee and Chair of the AMCC’s Sustainability Taskforce.
John McKenzie
Chief Executive Officer, TMX Group & Chair, WFE Working Committee
Mr. McKenzie is a member of the TMX Group Board of Directors and also a member of the Board of Directors of several TMX Group subsidiaries.
Mr. McKenzie has worked for TMX for over 20 years; prior to his appointment as CEO on August 17, 2020, he served as Chief Financial Officer and was responsible for corporate strategy, corporate development, investor relations and the financial management of the company as well as for the administrative oversight of TMX Group’s Capital Formation business. He has led various TMX acquisitions, including the Maple transaction, and the acquisitions of Montréal Exchange and Trayport.
From July 2015 to August 2016, Mr. McKenzie served as President of CDS, Canada’s equity and fixed income clearing house and a wholly-owned subsidiary of TMX Group. Prior to that he was the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and CFO of CDS.
Mr. McKenzie is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CMA) and has an MBA from Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University and an Honours BA from Wilfrid Laurier University. He has served on a number of boards, and is currently the Working Committee Chairman of the World Federation of Exchanges, and a Board Member and Treasurer for the Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation.
-
-
