2023 Sustainability Symposium

About the Event

The Council continues to be a leader in minority business development and capacity building including, being one of the first to provide consistent workshops on the topic of Supply Chain Sustainability. As we continue to evolve into an understanding of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) matters, we remain committed to keeping our supplier and corporate partners aware and engaged.

Join us on Tuesday, December 12 for our 12th annual Sustainability Symposium. The goal of the session this year will be to speak broadly about ESG and its current applicability to, and impact on, all businesses, inclusive of small or diverse businesses. Specific attention will be provided to pending global regulatory considerations and supply chain awareness.

Date

Tuesday, December 12, 2023

9:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Location

Citi Headquarters
388 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10013

Agenda

Attendees will hear from industry leaders, including Citi, CDP, and other members of both the Legal and Corporate community. Speakers will share their perspective on Supply Chain Sustainability, ESG metrics and Diverse Supplier Business Growth. MBEs will have the opportunity to engage in discussion and dialogue about existing practices currently in place as best practices.

Session Information
Welcome from the Council
Welcoming remarks from President & CEO of the NYNJMSDC – Terrence Clark Opening Remarks & Kick-off – I. Javette Hines
Legal View – What’s on the Horizon?
Citi will be providing legal thoughts to ponder relative to existing and pending regulations like SEC, CRSD, CSDDD, and more.
Panel Discussion
40 minutes with corporate leaders and NGOs
Did You Know? A Breakdown of ESG and Supply Chain Readiness
Climate, Net Zero, Human Rights, and Reporting
Mini Workshop with Citi
Join Citi for a brief awareness session and a reminder of what ESG is and why it is important for MBEs and corporations to keep in mind while conducting business.

Meet The Speakers

I. Javette Hines

Director, Global Head of Supply Chain Development, Inclusion & Sustainability
Citi Bank

IlLonka (Javette) Hines is the Director, SC Supplier Senior Group Manager, and Global Head of Supply Chain Development, Inclusion, and Sustainability at Citi. Javette leads Citi’s efforts to ensure the consideration and inclusion of diverse firms within Citi’s sourcing practice. She works across the firm to align supplier selection efforts a global strategy to continue to spend $1B with diverse suppliers globally, support capacity and supplier development, and create awareness and understanding of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) matters.

Javette has over 25 years of experience in supply chain management, operations, leadership, diversity, and management, including 11 years at International Business Machines (IBM). She holds a Bachelor of Science in Middle Grades Education from Clark Atlanta University, a Juris Doctor from the Wake Forest University School of Law, and holds a certificate as a Certified Professional Supplier Diversity (CPSD) from the Institute of Supply Management. Additionally, she earned a certificate in Human Rights from the Leitner Center for International Law and Justice, a certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from eCornell, as well as a certificate in Leading Effective Decision Making from the Yale School of Management.

Terrence Clark

President and CEO
NY & NJ Minority Supplier Development Council

Terrence Clark leads the way forward for staff and members of The Council community by providing oversight and guidance in relation to The Council’s goals and objectives. Prior to this position, he served as the Vice President of Entrepreneurship and Business Development for the National Urban League, where he was responsible for the management of all small business and entrepreneurship programs. Mr. Clark also served as the Senior Vice President of Knowledge Sharing for the Opportunity Finance Network, where he was responsible for community development for financial institutions nationwide.

In addition to serving on The Council’s board, Mr. Clark is proud to sit as a board member for TruFund Financial Services and the Supplier Diversity Development Council of New Jersey. He also sits on the Economic Impact Committee of Stonehenge Capital and on the Minority and Women Business Enterprise Advisory Councils for the NYC Comptroller and the NYS Governor. In 2021, he was named as one of the Notable Black Leaders and Executives by Crain’s New York.

Noah A. Smith

Human Rights Coordinator
UN Global Compact Network USA

Noah is a human rights coordinator with the UN Global Compact Network USA. In this role, he helps run programs and initiatives that support over 1000+ American companies doing business responsibly.

Before joining UN Global Compact Network USA, Noah was a Law & Policy Intern with OutRight Action International, a research fellow with The National Union for Democracy in Iran (NUFDI), and co-editor of RightsViews, a Columbia University blog published by the Institute for the Study of Human Rights (ISHR). He also worked as a Faculty Specialist in the Laboratory of Cognition and Emotion and the Laboratory of Motivated Cognition at UMD. In addition, Noah has been published with Amnesty International and has presented his psychological research at the Association for Psychological Sciences Annual Convention.

Noah holds a BA in Psychology focusing on neuroscience from the University of Maryland and an MA in
Human Rights Studies from Columbia University.

Ben Ngobi

Global Supplier Inclusion & Sustainability Lead
Accenture

Ben Ngobi leads Accenture’s Global Supplier Inclusion & Sustainability programme. Ben is responsible for the strategy to embed Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors into purchasing decisions, working closely with multiple stakeholders in the company. Ben has also been instrumental in building strategy, operational and technological excellence with regard to implementing supplier inclusion and sustainability programmes.

Ben was responsible for enhancing Accenture’s approach to integrate small, medium, and diverse suppliers in its supply chain, in addition, he is helping establish innovations/initiatives that support Accenture’s approach on ESG due diligence in procurement, reporting of progress on modern slavery, human rights, biodiversity, audits, stakeholders engagement, and is part of the team setting new corporate goals in supply chain.

Ben participates in several nonprofit organizations around the world in the areas of supplier inclusion and sustainability. He was part of the team that attended the Climate Conference (COP21) in Paris, setting an ambitious supply chain goal which the company achieved on time. He is a speaker on climate and human rights topics within procurement, and a subject matter advisor on implementing supplier diversity programmes. Ben has degrees in Business Management and Environment, Development Studies, and International Management from UK universities.

Amanda Zalk

Senior Strategic Account Executive
EcoVadis

Amanda has driven sustainable behavior changes since her earliest days. With a background in carbon-emission mitigation policy and international relations, Amanda is passionate about harnessing the power of global business for positive change. Now at EcoVadis, Amanda partners with the world’s largest Financial Services organizations to leverage ESG as a performance and value driver for procurement as well as various bank lending products and investment strategies.

Betty M. Huber

Corporate Partner & Global Co-Chair
Latham’s Environmental, Social, and Governance Practice

Betty Moy Huber, a corporate partner and Global Co-Chair of Latham’s Environmental, Social, and Governance practice, shapes business-critical corporate sustainability initiatives, policy, and reporting for leading companies, funds, and their boards. Ms. Huber also advises on sustainable finance products, M&A transactions, and capital markets offerings.

An ESG and corporate sustainability trailblazer since the field’s nascency, Ms. Huber leverages
more than 25 years’ experience and trusted C-suite relationships to guide clients on:

ESG policies and disclosure
Corporate culture and corporate social responsibility (CSR)
Sustainable finance, impact investing, and “net-zero” and other climate change matters
SEC and other mandatory and voluntary reporting and disclosure requirements
Board oversight, risk management, composition, and refreshment
Fiduciary duties
Board assessments
Stakeholder engagement
Shareholder proposals

Ms. Huber serves on the Board of Advisors for NYU’s School of Law Institute for Corporate Governance & Finance. She frequently speaks and writes for the American Law Institute, the American Bar Association, Aspen Institute’s Business & Society Program, the New York State and City Bar, the Practising Law Institute, and the Society for Corporate Governance.

A recognized thought leader and former member of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board Advisory Council, Ms. Huber is quoted in various media outlets, including the Financial
Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, and American Banker. She lectures on ESG matters at law schools, including Harvard Law School, New York University School of Law, and Stanford Law School’s Rock Center for Corporate Governance.

Before joining Latham, Ms. Huber was co-head of the ESG Group and Environmental Practice Group at another global law firm.

Delia Creveling

Sector Lead
CDP North America’s Corporate Engagement Team

Delia Creveling is a Sector Lead on CDP North America’s Corporate Engagement Team. The team works to support 3,000+ companies requested to disclose environmental data by investors and guides them along their environmental journey from first response to adopting best practices like science-based targets. Her areas of focus include the Financial Services and Manufacturing sectors.

Lullit Jezequel

Procurement Manager, Sustainability & Partnerships for Unilever North America

Lullit Jezequel leads the region’s partnership agenda as well as social sustainability programs including supplier diversity, responsible sourcing, and living wage programs, while being a central point for environmental sustainability programs in plastics and carbon.

Lullit joined Unilever in 2017 as an Assistant Procurement Manager with a focus on marketing services. Prior to that, she held sourcing and supply chain positions at Avon and the World Economic Forum after graduating from Columbia & Sciences Po Paris with a Master’s in International Affairs.