This interactive gathering marks the fourth annual event addressing director duties amid the waxing and waning of the ESG movement, hosted by the Weinberg Center at the University of Delaware, led by John W. White of Cravath, Swaine & Moore and Lawrence Cunningham of the Weinberg Center. Our panelists, representing a wide cross-section of perspectives, will offer practical advice tailored to corporate directors as well as those who advise them and university students interested in related topics.
 

Rather than focusing on specific ESG rules or challenges to them, this session will explore how directors can fulfill their duties effectively amid a landscape of shifting expectations and mounting criticism, from ESG backlash to “green hushing.” The group will also delve into the importance of reliable data for ESG and other corporate disclosure, addressing how to ensure that directors and investors receive useful information.
 

The discussion will revisit key themes such as board oversight and the role of corporate leadership in addressing ESG debates, while offering updated perspectives on the growing pushback against ESG. Other new topics this year include how directors can reconcile ESG issues with their primary responsibilities of overseeing CEOs and shaping corporate strategy, and where the line should be drawn between board oversight and managerial discretion on ESG topics.
 

An underlying theme: even as debate over ESG continues, directors’ fundamental functions and duties remain stable. Our goals are to empower directors, their advisors, and the next generation of accounting and finance professionals with the insights they need to excel.
 

The confirmed participants are:

• Donna Anderson (T. Rowe Price)
• Michael Arnold (Cravath, Swaine & Moore)
• Paul Beswick (Ernst & Young)
• Lawrence Cunningham (University of Delaware)
• Mary Francis (Chevron Corporation)
• William Lafferty (Morris Nichols Arsht & Tunnell)
• Michael Montelongo (GRC Advisory Services)
• Polia Nair (CohnReznick)
• Anne Sheehan (PJT Camberview)
• Kent St. Pierre (University of Delaware)
• John White (Cravath, Swaine & Moore)
   

Reception following program.