Putting Sustainability at the Organisational Core | ONLINE

17 October 2024

11:00–12:30

ONLINE

Sustainability has become an increasingly important governance issue for public bodies and public benefit entities, in terms of planning, execution and reporting. While aspects of organisational climate impact and reporting are a norm for organisations, sustainability has broader considerations including, inter alia, how we treat staff, stakeholders and the local community, the attention given to diversity and the public sector duty, financial management, and how we are governed. The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) from the EU has put a high-profile emphasis on sustainability and applies to large commercial state bodies.

Whilst the vast majority of public bodies do not currently fall under a specific sustainability reporting obligation, such as CSRD, there is an increasing recognition of the need to lead by example and this goes beyond reporting on carbon usage and climate actions alone. Through embedding sustainability at the heart of organisational strategy and culture and practices, public bodies and public benefit entities can set the right example, be an employer of choice, and create opportunities to achieve strategic progress, build resilience, and support people, society and the environment.

In this dedicated event for Governance Forum Members, we’ll explore sustainability as a key governance issue with the help of expert speakers sharing their experiences, and covering topics such as:

Our highly experienced panel comprises:
Lisa Fitzsimons, Strategy and Sustainability Lead, Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA)
John Ryan, founder and CEO of Healthy Place To Work
Eric Paquin & Angelo McNeive, AI & Sustainability experts, Stepstone Consulting

Speakers

Lisa Fitzsimons

Lisa Fitzsimons is the Strategy and Sustainability Lead at the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA), where she oversees the integration of sustainability principles into the museum's strategic direction. With a deep commitment to embedding sustainable practices within the organisation, Lisa leads IMMA's efforts to align its five-year strategic vision with sustainability goals. Her work emphasises the intersection of contemporary art, cultural leadership, and community engagement, best realised through the museum’s annual Earth Rising festival which she produces.

Lisa brings extensive experience in strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and communications. As a speaker at the IPA's Governance Forum, she will share insights on how organisations can embed sustainability at their core, drawing from her expertise in leading transformative strategies and change management.

John Ryan

A speaker, author, entrepreneur, founder and CEO of Healthy Place To Work. He has spent most of his working life consulting with multinational organisations in the areas of Trust, Health, Wellbeing and Organisational Transformation.
Formerly a broadcast journalist and expert trainer, John is a regular media contributor and international speaker on topics including organisational health, resilience, and sustainability.
Make Work Healthy is the title of his recent book which he co-authored with Dr. Michael Burchell. It was published by Wiley in the United States and Europe and has now been translated into Korean and Portuguese with a Spanish version later in 2024.

Angelo McNeive

Angelo is a business psychologist, advisor and facilitator with over twenty year’s experience supporting clients across the state and public sector, with a particular focus on building and sustaining high performing teams. His work also includes developing critical capabilities in change and innovation within governance and leadership teams.

He has also been nominated to various non-executive roles and he is an independent member of the FAI Governance Oversight Group.

Eric Paquin

Eric Paquin is an innovation and product management professional with over two decades of extensive experience in the technology sector. He has a proven track record as a Chief Technology Officer and Innovation Manager, where he has been pivotal in leading digital transformations and implementing innovation strategies particularly around language models products at CLEAR Global. Eric holds an MSc in Product Management and a Certificate in Innovation and Technology Management, with a specialization in Design Thinking for Strategy.

Eric is currently co-founder and Head of Product Innovation at a Web3 startup. He has developed the Design Thinking curriculum at UCD Professional Academy with an emphasis on using AI tools to fasttrack the innovation process, emphasizing his dedication to deepening his knowledge of AI. Additionally, he coordinated the MIT Professional Education Blended CTO program and actively helped developing the Generative AI professional program, mentoring and guiding participants through impactful project work. His communication skills and ability to engage audiences have been highlighted through his roles as a speaker at various international conferences and educational events, making him a respected voice in the field of innovation and technology. Eric's contributions to innovation are also recognized in his development of educational modules and active participation in professional communities focused on advancing innovation practices.