Over the last decade, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investments have exploded, as evidenced by global market projections, which predict 40 trillion dollars in ESG assets by 2030.

That will not only reshape our financial markets, but also our consumer choices, our recruitment prospects, the range of our suppliers, and even our leadership strategies. So how do we seize that opportunity for change? What new possibilities does ESG open up?

We answer these questions with two of the leading voices from EY Sustainability: Marie Johnson and Brandon Sutcliffe. Every day, these two experts in Business and Financial Sustainability help companies integrate ESG goals into their core strategies and operations. From stakeholders to customers, they show leaders how to reach the next stage of their development.

Today, they bring their wisdom to In Good Companies and help us see how Environmental, Social, and Governance goals can add value to our businesses. They undo misconceptions around sustainability, share strategies to implement effective reporting, and lift the veil on what will drive the transition towards ESG practices. Spoiler alert: it involves your stakeholders, your clients, your governance, and a component of education. To round up their conversation with Ari, Brandon and Marie will also discuss the development of ESG regulations and help us prepare for the future by asking: what’s next?

No matter where you’re coming from, sustainability is part and parcel of everyone’s business, so get ready to answer the bell.

Highlights:

• Introducing EY Sustainability, with Marie and Brandon (1:47)
• What does ESG look like for day-to-day business? (3:41)
• A home-based approach for small businesses (7:07)
• Middle market considerations: balancing sustainability and growth (8:37)
• How large corporations focus on capital deployment (10:05)
• Who or what can drive the transition towards ESG? (12:16)
• ESG as a strategy for long-term value (14:20)
• Do’s and dont’s of ESG reporting (16:06)
• Breaking out of the “sustainability silo” (18:34)
• How to turn ESG practices into business as usual (19:57)
• Reframing perceptions around sustainability: a “bottomline” argument (21:56)
• A tour around the world of ESG legislation (24:06)
• Why public-private partnerships could change everything (25:42)
• 10 years ahead, what’s next for ESG? (27:55)
• Embracing sustainability as a business opportunity (29:01)

Links:

• Cadence Bank Website
• Cadence Bank X (Twitter)
• Cadence Bank LinkedIn
• Cadence Bank YouTube
• EY Sustainability
• Marie Johnson EY Website
• Marie Johnson LinkedIn
• Brandon Sutcliffe EY Website
• Brandon Sutcliffe LinkedIn
• Bloomberg - “Global ESG assets predicted to hit $40 trillion by 2030”
• Microsoft - “Closing the Sustainability Skills Gap: Helping businesses move from pledges to progress””
• Article - “ESG regulation in 2024: Everything you need to know”

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show or topics you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producers, [email protected] or [email protected].

Read the full show transcript.

Meet the Host

Ari Marin, SVP, Family Enterprise Advisor, Cadence Asset Management & Trust and the new host of Cadence Bank’s In Good Companies (IGC) podcast, says his idea of “good company” is being around creative, insightful people who enjoy sharing personal stories about the things that helped make them successful.

From 9 to 5, Marin is a Cadence Bank senior vice president and family wealth strategist, whose specialty is consulting with family-owned and small businesses. Now, he’s squeezing in IGC hosting duties, bringing in a new voice and fresh perspectives.

As a lawyer with a master’s in taxation from Villanova, Marin holds his own in the business world. But hosting IGC gives him a new way of engaging with entrepreneurs and experts to learn smart ideas and new ways of doing things.

Outside the office, Marin is a history fan and podcast aficionado who loves reading and exercising with his two dogs: Friday–aka “the angel”--and Mahla, the stubborn Shih Tzu with selective hearing.

Meet the Speakers

Marie Johnson is a distinguished partner at EY, serving as the Global Sustainability Risk Management Leader and the Americas Risk Regulatory Office Leader. With a career spanning over two decades, Marie has become an expert in guiding complex global clients through the intricacies of regulatory compliance, internal audit strategy, and Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) readiness and transformations. Her expertise extends to risk management, global sustainability reporting, and the development of sustainable practices for third-party risk management and monitoring.

Marie is a sought-after speaker, frequently sharing her insights on sustainability, regulatory changes, and industry-specific topics at various conferences and events. Her ability to facilitate client discussions, presentations, and the implementation of robust processes and controls has significantly enhanced her clients' financial and sustainability reporting, helping them achieve their strategic objectives and commitments.

Brandon Sutcliffe is EY Americas Financial Services Sustainability Leader. He has over 30 years of consulting experience with 21 years focused on sustainability, risk, regulatory and compliance management serving asset management, banking and capital markets, and insurance clients. Brandon is responsible for the overall strategy for supporting our financial services clients in the Americas on their ESG and sustainability journeys.

Prior to joining EY, Brandon worked in the energy services industry assisting large, multi-facility commercial, industrial and governmental clients in reducing their energy spend through carbon foot printing and decarbonization initiatives.

This podcast is provided as a free service to you and is for general informational purposes only. Cadence Bank and its affiliates make no representations or warranties as to the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the content in the podcast. The podcast is not intended to provide legal, accounting or tax advice and should not be relied upon for such purposes.