Event Calendar

Start Date: 9/14/2023 7:45 AM EDT
End Date: 9/14/2023 10:00 AM EDT

Venue Name: Westwood Country Club

Location:

Organization Name: HR Alliance DC

Contact:

Networking: 7:45 - 8:15 AM
Join us early for an opportunity to meet new people!

Program Description:
ESG stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance and it means using Environmental, Social and Governance factors to assess the sustainability of companies and countries. Investors are increasingly applying these non-financial factors as part of their analysis process to identify material risks and growth opportunities. Likewise, employees are paying attention to the environmental and social consciousness of organizations and ESG preparedness is an indication of an organization's commitment to climate change, human rights and adherence to laws.  

How can HR best support or even take first steps towards ESG initiatives that are meaningful to employees and good for business?

Hear from three panelists who are approaching this question from very different perspectives:

• Mala Persaud – Owner, Trace – The Zero Waste Store.  She is an environmental activist, who successfully initiated a sustainability challenge for businesses in the Town of Vienna
• Dr. Robert L. Smith - Vice President of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging, Amentum. He is responsible for managing Amentum’s ESG program and related initiatives.
• David Eisenberg, CFA, Principal, OCIO Leader, Wealth Practice, Buck, a Gallagher Company.  His responsibilities include leading Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO) and Financial Risk Management (FRM) services within our investment team.

Panelists' Bios:

Mala Persaud is a former TV producer, current communications consultant, and now the owner of the first (and so far only) zero waste store in Fairfax County. She was with NBC News Dateline in London for 12 years, covering everything from Princess Diana’s funeral to the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami. As a communications consultant, she has advised global health, environmental, and global development nonprofits on messaging and media strategies.  

Mala has been in Fairfax County for 15 years, where she’s been a proud band parent and community volunteer.

Dr. Rob Smith is Amentum’s Vice President of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging. In this role, he is responsible for leading the company’s diversity, equity, inclusion & belonging vision and strategy by developing and implementing programs and initiatives that advance Amentum’s business objectives and reinforce the organization’s culture. In addition, he is responsible for managing Amentum’s ESG program and related initiatives.

Previously, Dr. Smith served as BAE Systems’ Intelligence and Security Sector Director of Talent Acquisition and Diversity and Inclusion (D&I). In this role he led the talent acquisition as well as the D&I function for the organization, driving efforts to attract and retain top talent; improve candidate and employee experience; and lead a team in delivering the people and resources to support successful execution of BAE Systems’ business. Dr. Smith also served as the Director of National Recruitment for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) where he led the planning and direction of CBP's strategic human capital recruitment programs and related initiatives.

Dr. Smith served in the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) for 28 years, retiring at the rank of Captain/O 6. In his final assignment he served as Commanding Officer, Coast Guard Recruiting Command in Washington, DC.

Dr. Smith has a Ph.D. in Psychology, Master of Science in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Master of Science in Instruction & Performance Technology and a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications

David Eisenberg is a Principal in the Wealth Practice at Buck.  His responsibilities include leading Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO) and Financial Risk Management (FRM) services within our investment team.  David is an accomplished investment professional with over 35 years of investment management and consulting experience.  He has also served as an adjunct professor of finance, teaching investments at the graduate and undergraduate level.  David is a frequent speaker at investment industry conferences, primarily on topics related to investment manager selection and investment policy.

David has managed funds, provided outsourced investment management services, and consulting to a wide variety of tax-exempt investment programs, including employer-sponsored defined-benefit and defined-contribution pension plans, public retirement funds, multi-employer pension plans, endowments, foundations, and health care providers.

David has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Economics from Beloit College.

Moderator:  Friderike Butler

Friderike Butler is Nebo’s Vice President of Coaching Solutions. In this role, she applies her talent for connecting people with ideas and new opportunities in a number of ways. Internally, Friderike leads Nebo’s coaching services team and creates the conditions for excellence in coaching delivery and the continued development of Nebo’s diverse coaching pool. She partners with Nebo’s Community of Practice through continued education opportunities, training and networking events and serves as a coaching resource for Nebo’s coaches. In addition to her internally focused Nebo work, Friderike identifies new business opportunities, establishes new partnerships and represents Nebo’s thought leadership on transformational coaching.

Friderike has established a reputation for being a visionary and creative intra- and entrepreneur, who built several businesses in the travel, IT and communication industry. She brings extensive international management expertise, a genuine appreciation for diversity of perspective, curiosity around culture and the power of words, a heart-centered, pragmatic, people-focused approach, and flexibility to all her engagements.

At the core of her work, Friderike is a catalyst for change, growth, purpose and inspiration in the workplace. Friderike thrives on creating collaborative and inspiring partnerships with coaches, clients and Nebo business partners alike.

People who work with Friderike describe her as a creative, supportive and inspiring leader committed to serving others and a fun and committed collaborator with a strong backbone and a generous heart.

Professional Development:
HR Certification Institute's® (www.HRCI.org) official seal confirms that HR Alliance DC meets the criteria for pre-approved recertification credit(s) for any of HRCI’s eight credentials, including SPHR® and PHR®.  This program has been awarded 1.50 HR (General) credits.



HR Alliance DC is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP® recertification activities. This program is valid for 1.50 PDCs for the SHRM-CP®or SHRM-SCP®. For more information about certification or recertification, please visit shrmcertification.org.

Staff Notes:

• On line registration for this in-person program will close at 4:00 PM on Tuesday, September 12.
• Late registrations will be handled thereafter by contacting staff@hralliancedc.org.  We will do our best to accommodate late registrations.

Pricing for the In-Person Program:

• Members:
  • Individual and Organizational Members - Free; Guests - $40
  • Annual Sponsors - Free; Guests - $40
  • Virtual Members - $20; Guests - $40
• Org. Member Substitutes - Free (promo code must be entered)
• Public - $60