Business Leaders Convene to Discuss Corporate Societal Engagement as The New Competitive Advantage

NEW YORK, NY, May 24, 2016 /3BL Media/– CECP: The CEO Force for Good will convene the 2016 CECP Summit: The New Competitive Advantage, bringing together leading practitioners in the field of corporate societal engagement to share powerful insights on trends and the business case to advance companies’ role in solving global challenges. CECP is a coalition of more than 200 companies and CEOs united in the belief that societal improvement is an essential measure of business performance.

During the two-day event, thought leaders in the field and senior peers in corporate community engagement will explore the gains global companies are experiencing–and opportunities for more–as a result of growing societal engagement efforts, including a majority of which that have seen increased attention from investors, as reported in CECP’s Giving in Numbers Survey, conducted in association with The Conference Board.

“CECP’s leading companies understand that societal engagement is a path to solving business challenges, offering an unmistakable competitive advantage,” said Daryl Brewster, CEO, CECP. “As a result of this appreciation, we’ve watched companies invest more deeply and strategically in society for mutual benefit.”

The Summit will include the presentation of the Charles H. Moore Award for Leadership in Corporate Community Engagement, this year awarded to Lance Chrisman, Executive Director, Anthem Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Anthem, Inc. The “Charlie Award”–named to honor CECP’s founding Executive Director–is presented to individuals who exemplify perseverance in the pursuit of societal advancement, the trait for which Charlie Moore is best known. Lance has worked in and shaped the corporate engagement field for nearly 20 years, and led the Anthem Foundation’s commitment to enhance the health and wellbeing of individuals and families in communities that Anthem serves. 

“Anthem Foundation is committed to helping create a healthier generation of Americans, and I am privileged to lead that effort,” said Lance Chrisman. “It’s a true honor to be recognized by CECP with the Charles H. Moore Award in Leadership, however, I am a firm believer that social responsibility is everyone’s responsibility, so  it’s encouraging to see so many CSR peers come together this week. By harnessing the power of our collective resources, we can accomplish great things.”

The CECP Summit, running May 24-25, offers an unparalleled line-up of speakers, including:

• An opening keynote session with Darren Walker, President, Ford Foundation sharing insights and perspectives on transforming impact strategies with Sarah Murray, Journalist, Economist and Financial Times.
• Blair Taylor, CEO, My Brother’s Keeper Alliance and former Starbucks Chief Community Officer; Todd Jacobson, SVP Social Responsibility, National Basketball Association; David Shapiro, CEO, MENTOR; Bob Lanier, Hall of Fame legend and NBA Cares Ambassador; and Ruth Riley, NBA Cares Ambassador, two-time WNBA Champion, and new San Antonio Stars General Manager, on how strong partnerships, internally and externally, are critical to success.
• Governor Tom Ridge, Founder and Chairman of Ridge Global, first U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, and 43^rd Governor of Pennsylvania; and John Veihmeyer, Chairman, KPMG International speak with Dr. Candace Kendle, Co-Founder and Former Chairman and CEO, Kendle International Inc. about restoring capitalism and taking a long-term view.
• Cheryl Dorsey, President, Echoing Green; Shannon Schuyler, Principal, Chief Purpose Officer and Corporate Responsibility Leader, PwC US; and Arthur Woods, Co-founder, Imperative will explore how companies can create culture that attracts and cultivates more engaged employees.
• Carol Gstalder, Leader, Consumer Insights North America, Nielsen; Bob Knott, Global Chair, Business + Social Purpose, Edelman; and Curtis Ravenel, Global Head, Sustainable Business & Finance Group, Bloomberg LP on how to keep societal engagement strategy both simple and tailored to business realities.

Breakout sessions will feature a variety of topics:

• Simplifying Strategy: Getting it Right for Your Business
• The People Advantage: Designing for Impact through Skills-Based Volunteering
• Your Critical Role in the Business
• Making the Case: Using CECP Data & Insights to Advance your Initiatives
• Ask the Experts: Insider Tips for Elevating your CSR Communications
• Investing with Purpose: Deploying Corporate Capital for Good
• Measuring Business Value: Human Capital and More
• Presenting with a Punch: Making your Message Stick

CECP will also share with attendees results from the Giving in Numbers Survey, an analysis of 2015 corporate giving trends data. This year’s survey had the highest number of respondents to date, with 272 companies submitting data. This trends database is regarded as the leading analysis of corporate societal engagement and giving, and covered widely in media year-round (see related press releases and news articles in CECP’s Press Room). The Giving in Numbers Brief, an infographic highlighting the survey’s key findings, will be released to the public in June. 

CECP thanks its Convening Sponsors for their generous support of the 2016 CECP Summit: The Allstate Foundation, BNY Mellon, General Electric Company, KPMG LLP, MasterCard, Newman's Own Foundation, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, Target, and UPS.

The application for the 2017 Charlie Award is available on the CECP website and is due June 30, 2016. The award will again be presented at the CECP Summit in 2017 to a senior executive in corporate societal engagement, someone who demonstrates a tenure of impact.

Following the 2016 CECP Summit, CECP will be posting on its website media, photos, videos, guest blogs, and an Executive Summary.

###

About CECP

CECP is a coalition of CEOs united in the belief that societal improvement is an essential measure of business performance. Founded in 1999 by Paul Newman and other business leaders, CECP has grown to a movement of 150 CEOs of the world’s largest companies across all industries. Revenues of engaged companies sum to $7 trillion annually. A nonprofit organization, CECP offers participating companies one-on-one consultation, networking events, exclusive data, media support, and case studies on corporate engagements. For more information, visit http://cecp.co.