It should come as no surprise that, according to research from Protiviti, ESG metrics and measurement are among the top priorities for CFOs and finance teams to address, and a majority are substantially increasing the focus on and frequency of their ESG reporting. A key part of these efforts must be building sustainable operations and supply chains.

But this only scratches the surface. Board members today are looking for deeper insights into the organization’s ESG footprint. In this podcast, our conversation with Beverly Norman-Cooper, Chief Strategist with Reimagining Economic Regeneration Strategies, and Protiviti’s Tony Abel will inform you of key ESG considerations in business operations and supply chains, and also help you formulate the right questions to pose to management to understand clearly the organization’s strategy and policies in these areas.

One particular takeaway from this discussion stands out. Building sustainable operations and supply chains should be approached as a business strategy. It’s not just about a commitment to being green or being socially responsible – rather, this should be considered and managed like a business strategy, similar to any other critical enterprisewide initiative in the organization. These areas warrant close and frequent consideration by the board.

Beverly, in her current role with Reimagining Economic Regeneration Strategies, helps companies harness supply chain purchasing to create good jobs, increase community wealth, and accelerate the economic, social, and physical regeneration of under-resourced communities. She previously led supplier diversity and environmentally preferable sourcing for a major healthcare organization. Over three years, she took the organization from $1.3 billion in annual diverse spend to more than $2.3 billion in annual spend.

Tony is a Managing Director with the Business Performance Improvement solution at Protiviti. He is a leader with the firm’s Supply Chain and Procurement Practice and leads Protiviti’s Manufacturing, Supply Chain and Circular Economy ESG Working group. Tony has more than two decades of experience as a procurement and supply chain leader within companies, management consulting and outsourcing environments across a variety of industries.

Find more of Protiviti’s thought leadership for board members at www.protiviti.com/board.

To learn more about Protiviti’s ESG services, visit www.protiviti.com/ESG.

Additional resources:
- “SEC Issues Proposed Rules for Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures – www.protiviti.com/US-en/insights/flash-report-032122-sec-issues-proposed-rules-climate-related-disclosures

- “Understanding the ESG ratings, rankings and metrics landscape - with Bob Hirth and Melanie Larkins of Protiviti” – www.protiviti.com/US-en/podcast-board-perspectives

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