Overview

The coming decade will witness businesses undertaking their most significant endeavour yet in response to the net zero challenge. With impending regulatory changes and physical challenges such as increasing temperatures, shortages of key resources such as water and precious metals and the impact of use of plastics, there are heightened expectations for businesses to harmonise profitability with their carbon footprint. Each of these factors have impacts on organisational models and are leading to shift in consumer perspectives, although consumption of fossil fuels remains at all time high levels. 

Our experts will lead insightful discussions on how green finance can fuel the Just Transition, the integral role of the profession in shaping responses, and actionable insights to drive purposeful change for your business and clients.  

This conference will bring together finance leaders, decision makers, trailblazers, and experts, to delve into the impact of the sustainability challenge on the business landscape. 

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Agenda

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Keynote Speakers

Jessica Long, Head of Sustainability / ESG Consulting, IPSOS UK

Jess is the Head of Ipsos’ Sustainability Management Consulting Practice and has nearly 20 years’ experience in research, insight and consultancy spanning three sectors. She is Head of ESG/Sustainability Consulting for Ipsos’ consulting arm, Strategy3, which supports businesses around the world with their sustainability challenges. Jess has had the privilege of speaking at COP26 blue zone in Glasgow to showcase Ipsos’ latest insights and has been featured in the Economist, Financial Times, BBC World News Live and more. She has completed Cambridge's Institute of Sustainability Leadership Course in Business Sustainability Management and holds an MSc from the London School of Economics.

Jose De Mayne Hopkins ACA, Founder and CEO, Simplify Climate

Jose helps organisations navigate the speed of change in mandatory and voluntary Sustainability and ESG reporting regulations by performing a holistic diagnostic review to help organisations assess their preparedness and fit against the requirements of SDG's, CDP, GRI, TCFD, TNFD, IFRS, ISSB to help develop and implement a transparent Sustainability and ESG strategy with a practical reporting roadmap to assist organisations decision making and budget the significant changes we are experiencing in reporting regulations.

Jose has significant experience in building/training internal ESG teams and on TCFD/ESG report preparation, has been responsible of challenging disclosures to evaluate greenwashing risk, responsible of preparing and reviewing TCFD risk assessments, and Jose experience involves working with the biggest copper mine in the world (Minera Escondida managed by BHP), one of the top agricultural companies in the world (Syngenta), biggest offshore windfarm renewable company in the UK (previous called Infinis), Trainline, Virgin group, KAZ Minerals and other listed complex mining companies.

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Moderator

Victoria Gillespie FCCA, Head of ESG, AlterDomus

Victoria is responsible for the management and development of Alter Domus’s global ESG Service offering.

She is a Certified Chartered Accountant with 20+ years’ experience in the financial services industry, specialising in various aspects of E S and G via her experience gained whilst working for asset managers, asset owners, corporates and family offices. Prior experience includes senior positions within JTC Group (a FTSE 250), SS&C, AXA Investment Managers, IFDS Managers (now part of the FundRock Group), BNY Mellon and various accountancy practices. She has also conducted bespoke projects with key Industry Associations.

Victoria holds the Investment Operations Certificate awarded by the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment, Certificate in ESG Investing with the CFA Institute, Certificate in Sustainability within Finance, awarded by ACCA and Certificate in Leading Sustainable Organisations, Certificate in Private Markets – both awarded by Oxford Said Business School. More recently, she was awarded Smiths School of Enterprise Climate Emergency Certification

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Panellists

Dr Suresh Gamlath, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Business Development), University of West London

Dr Suresh Gamlath is the Pro Vice Chancellor for Business Development and Institutional Lead for Sustainability at the University of West London. He is a member of the International Society for Sustainability Professionals. Suresh is an analyst by training, starting his career in fixed income and later moving into social impact investing. He consults on ESG and sustainable FDI projects. Suresh's scholarly interests are in climate investment and in the correlation between environmental and social sustainable development goals.

Sanda De Silva CFA, Vice President, Sustainable Debt Capital Markets, HSBC

Sanda is a Vice President in HSBC’s Sustainable Debt Capital Markets team, based in London, and supports deal origination and structuring for ESG-labelled bonds, with a particular focus on the SSA and FI sectors

She advises issuers on incorporating ESG considerations into their debt / funding strategies and navigating the dynamic regulatory and policy backdrop in the sustainable finance market.

Prior to joining the Sustainable DCM team, Sanda spent 5 years in HSBC’s Public Sector team where she was responsible for the bank’s institutional relationship with sovereigns, supranationals and state-owned entities in EMEA.

She also has a broad range of experience in several strategic debt and credit rating advisory projects for Public Sector clients, particularly in the MENAT region. Sanda is a certified CFA and CIMA professional.

Emmeline Skelton, Head of Sustainability, ACCA

Emmeline Skelton is Head of Sustainability at ACCA and has a wealth of experience as a sustainability practitioner including over a decade at PwC, and with the UN Global Compact where she was involved with production of the SDG Compass. She leads on major events and projects for ACCA, including recently International Women’s Day; climate action work at COP; green finance research; developing continuing professional development (CPD) on climate finance with the CFA; chairing a conference with the FCA on green finance hosted by the UK Ministry of Trade, and leading international climate action summits in Vietnam, Cambodia and Turkey.

Elisa Moscolin, Executive Vice President, Sustainability, Sage

Elisa Moscolin is a sustainability professional with a track record of driving this agenda in global blue-chip organisations. She advises Boards and Executive teams on sustainability strategy and execution. She has worked in the ICT and Financial Services sectors. ​​

Elisa is currently Executive Vice President for Sustainability and Foundation at Sage Group plc.; Sage is a global market leader for technology for small and medium businesses and Elisa is leading its sustainability agenda. Prior to that, Elisa was Head of Sustainability & ESG at Santander where she led the transformation from old-fashioned CSR to sustainability. During her time at Santander, Elisa turned around all legacy programmes, worked with the Board and Executive team to agree on the bank’s ESG vision and ambition, designed a new ESG strategy, built a diverse and high-performing team, designed a sound governance and operating model, established an active dialogue with top investors and enhanced the bank’s ESG credentials. Elisa was also responsible for the bank’s Foundation, which she restructured by working closely with its Board of Trustees to enhance its governance, reputation, and impact. Before Santander, Elisa worked for Vodafone Group in global and local roles in Italy, the UK and Kenya. In Kenya she worked with Safaricom, a subsidiary of Vodafone which developed M-Pesa, the iconic mobile-based money transfer and banking platform that has greatly improved financial inclusion in the country. She is an alumni of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership and holds a Master’s Degree in International Studies and Diplomacy. ​​

​​Elisa’s professional ambition is to contribute to shifting the business community toward more ethical and responsible business practices. ​​

Clive Webb, Head of Business Management, ACCA

Clive Webb is the Head of Business Management in ACCA's Policy & Insights team. Clive's research focuses on the development of the chief financial officer and finance function. This spans from the purpose of the function to the implications of technological advancements, the changing skills needed and the inclusion of sustainability in a broader perspective of performance. His research also includes the impact of diversity, equity, and inclusion on the profession and also how accountancy and finance professionals must play a strategic role in delivering on the social agenda in a just transition.

Nelson Muhumuza FCCA, Senior VP Sustainability and ESG, Citi Group

Nelson is a Senior Vice President for Sustainability, ESG and Public Affairs (with Citi Bank- Internal Audit) focused on ESG Approach, Strategy, Policy and processes.

Fellow of ACCA(UK) with 11 years of Audit experience, ESG & Sustainability Accounting and IFRS consultations with Deloitte LLP.

Formerly a Manager within Deloitte UK National Accounting office – focused work on Climate Quality focused reviews across many industries, Sustainability Standards and Frameworks, ESG Strategy and Governance, regulatory monitoring , UK GAAP& IFRS consultations and Former Member of Deloitte UK Professional Standard Reviewers & External Audit manager financial services.

Former Manager for Deloitte East Africa for IFRS & Audit consultations, Audit risk management, Methodology Transformation Champion (represented Deloitte Africa at Global level), Audit Quality board member and member, managing relationships with Audit regulators and IFRS implementation industry Forums.

Holds credentials in Corporate Sustainability management Risk, Profit and Purpose from Yale University School of management , ESG investing from CFA institute (UK) and Fundamentals of Sustainability Accounting from SASB(Now part of IFRS foundation) & Honors Degree in Statistics.

Countries of work experience – UK, South Africa, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania

James Lizars, Founder and CEO, Thrive Accountants

James Lizars is a member of ACCA's Global Council and the founder and CEO of Thrive Accountants in West Sussex, a Xero partner firm specialising in early-stage technology businesses.

As one of the first UK accounting businesses to achieve B Corp certification and as one of the early partners of the Million Tree Pledge initiative, Thrive has an established track record of demonstrating the business case for sustainability. Their efforts have seen them achieve recognition as finalists in the upcoming Accounting Excellence Awards in the ESG category.

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Fees & discounts

ACCA member discount: £30 + VAT (applied automatically at checkout)

Non-member price: £60 + VAT

3 or more tickets discount: £20 off each ticket

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5 CPD Units

1 hour of learning = 1 unit of CPD

ACCA members can use this learning to meet their CPD requirements provided it is relevant to their career. If the event contributes to general knowledge and skills, it should be recorded as non-verifiable CPD in your CPD recording tool on myACCA. If the learning can be applied in the workplace, it will contribute to verifiable CPD.

No attendance certificates will be provided, however, in addition to the above being recorded, your registration confirmation email will be suitable evidence if this is requested.

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If you have any queries please contact us on:

england@accaglobal.com

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