Recalibrating for the new reality

Wednesday, January 5, 2022

12:00pm–5:30pm (Eastern)

• Paul Knopp
  Chairman and CEO, KPMG LLP

Geopolitical Radar: Top Risks for 2022

Even as the world emerges from its worst crisis since World War II, some risks—at the doorstep and on the horizon—are likely to extend much of the uncertainty and volatility of the past two years, and potentially change the course of world politics. Join us for a discussion of Top Risks for 2022, Eurasia Group’s annual prediction of the ten greatest threats to the trajectories of nations, global politics, industries, and institutions.

• Ian Bremmer
   President and Founder, Eurasia Group
• Maziar Minovi
  Chief Executive Officer, Eurasia Group

The Economy in Focus: View from the Corner Office

Growth is back on the agenda, but the macro-economics and megatrends reshaping the business landscape will test even the most agile of corporate strategies in 2022. KPMG Chief Economist, Constance Hunter, will explore the factors driving corporate strategies and risk in the year ahead—from supply chain and labor market dislocations, to the acceleration of “everything digital,” heightened expectations on social and racial justice issues, and other forces that are disrupting business models and upending industries.

• Constance Hunter
  Former Chief Economist, KPMG LLP

Calibrating Committee Agendas for 2022

As board committees calibrate their agendas for the year ahead, these concurrent sessions will highlight hot-button issues and explore the critical challenges and priorities driving committee agendas in 2022.

Concurrent breakouts:

• On the 2022 Audit Committee Agenda
• On the 2022 Compensation Committee Agenda
• On the 2022 Nomination & Governance Committee Agenda

• Stephen Dabney
  Leader, KPMG Audit Committee Institute, KPMG LLP
• Tom Kim
  Partner, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP
• Debbie Messemer
  Director, Allogene Therapeutics, Carbon 3D, PayPal

On the 2022 Compensation Committee Agenda

• Annalisa Barrett
  Senior Advisor, KPMG Board Leadership Center, KPMG LLP
• Stephen Brown
  Senior Advisor, KPMG Board Leadership Center, KPMG LLP
• Robin Ferracone
  Chief Executive Officer, Farient Advisors LLC

• Susan Angele
  Senior Advisor, KPMG Board Leadership Center, KPMG LLP
• Claudia Allen
  Senior Advisor, KPMG Board Leadership Center, KPMG LLP
• Irene Chang Britt
  Board Chair, Amica Senior Lifestyles; Director, Brighthouse Financial, Victoria’s Secret, Peloton Capital, MikMak, Partake Foods

Disinformation and the Trust Deficit

More than half of Americans get their news from social media, where algorithms amplify and accelerate the spread of news and information—with fabricated content spreading six times faster. What happens when trust—the most basic currency of capital markets and social cooperation—is undermined to the point of disfunction, fraying norms, institutions, and the “shared reality” that make the world go around? In this session, we’ll explore what’s driving today’s infodemic—from AI-driven business models to malicious actors—and the implications for news and the public square, corporate reputations, and the trust that drives open societies.

• Ronan Farrow
  Pulitzer Prize Winning Investigative Journalist
• Jonathan Swan
  Axios National Political Reporter and Emmy Award Winning Journalists

Thursday, January 6, 2022

12:00pm–5:30pm (Eastern)

• Stephen Dabney
  Leader, KPMG Audit Committee Institute

Climate at a Crossroads: In conversation with Dr. Steven Chu

The urgent focus on climate change—as a business risk and a catalyst for game-changing opportunities of a lower-carbon economy—continues to accelerate, with investors, regulators, customers, and employees moving these issues front-and-center. In this fireside chat with Dr. Steven Chu, we’ll look at the realities of climate change and explore the implications for business leaders and boards as they help their companies navigate the road ahead.

• Dr. Steven Chu
  Former Secretary of Energy; Nobel Prize-winning physicist; Professor, Stanford University
• Amanda North
  CEO and Founder, Plan C Advisors

Cyber Risk in a Complex World

The wave of ransomware attacks is just the latest chapter in the accelerating challenge of managing cybersecurity and data privacy. The financial, reputational, and regulatory costs of a major breach, as well as the risk of a critical infrastructure failure, continue to climb—as do the expectations of stakeholders for how their information is protected and used. Drawing on insights from the front lines of public and private sector cybersecurity efforts, we’ll explore “what good looks like” in terms of readiness and response, talent and culture, and board oversight.

• Christopher Krebs
  Former Director of the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and CBS News Contributor
• Michael McFaul
  Former U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation; NBC News Analyst; Professor, Stanford University and Hoover Institution
• Sandy Torchia
  National Managing Partner, Advisory, KPMG LLP

Recalibrating for the New Reality: A Boards-eye View

From finance, talent, and labor to technology innovation, IP, and know-how, corporate capital has driven progress and lifted the standard of living to unprecedented levels since the Industrial Revolution. Yet, progress has been uneven and is pushing the limits of the globe’s resources and, in many cases, the public’s patience. With the pandemic crisis as a catalyst for change, we’ll consider the role of corporate capital and leadership in driving sustainable growth and long-term value. How are investor and stakeholder views of “corporate success and value creation” evolving? What needs to change—in business and the boardroom—at this pivotal moment for Corporate America?

• Fernando Aguirre
  Director, CVS, Synchrony Financial, Barry Callebaut AG
• Sara Mathew
  Chairperson, Freddie Mac ; Director, State Street, Reckitt Benckiser, NextGen SPAC, Dropbox; Former Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Dun & Bradstreet (D&B)
• Tom Rogers
  Executive Chairman, Engine Media, Inc.
• Jeffrey Sonnenfeld
  Senior Associate Dean, Yale School of Management

Resilient Leadership on the World Stage

With all eyes on the strength and standing of American leadership on the global stage, we’ll delve into the challenges facing the country, the state of world affairs, and the leadership—including from Corporate America—that will be critical to guiding businesses and the country forward.

• Dr. Richard Haass
  President, Council on Foreign Relations
• Katty Kay
  Award-winning Journalist & Anchor, and Bestselling Author

• John Rodi
  Leader, KPMG Board Leadership Center