The FORTUNE CEO Initiative
The FORTUNE CEO Initiative is dedicated to helping members find ways to promote social progress as part of their core business strategies.
Business as a Platform for Change
The Fortune CEO Initiative is a forum for global corporate leaders committed to addressing major social problems as part of their core business strategies. We will meet in Washington, D.C. to emphasis the role of public-private partnerships and collaboration. However, this summit will be about more than just talk. We will focus on action by drilling down on four key issues with our CEOI Collaboratives: Redesigning the Workplace, Building Stronger Communities, Working Toward a Sustainable World, and Tech That Works for Everyone. Our goal is to determine what success looks like and develop a metric to measure progress in these areas.
The Initiative is the place to share best practices, make meaningful connections, and identify actions that need to be taken to address some of the most critical challenges facing CEOs today. Through collaboration we will devise strategies to tackle everything from preparation for the next global crisis to navigating the various social issues on which corporations and CEOs are now being called to take a stand. At the annual meeting members will hear from experts on the impact of policies, both foreign and domestic, business’ role in navigating the U.S.-China divide and how to advance stakeholder capitalism’s principles. The future of SEC disclosures on companies ESG will also take center stage alongside a town hall discussion about how CEOs need to balance creating value with speaking out on their values and new charted waters modern-day corporations’ and their leaders are facing.
Participation is by invitation only.
Fortune is following guidance issued by local authorities and the CDC (including local mask mandates), and is taking several additional steps to prioritize participants’ health and safety. Entry requirements include digital proof of full vaccination (submitted through Health Pass by CLEAR) as well as a negative COVID-19 rapid antigen or PCR test result, from a test taken within 72 hours of the start of Annual Meeting. We will announce specific information in advance of the event. For those unable to travel to Washington, DC, a virtual program will be available.
Overview
FORTUNE CEO INITIATIVE 2021: A New Path Forward: Collaborating to Solve the Challenges of People and Planet
This year, the CEOI will be emphasizing the role of public-private partnerships through Collaboratives in four strategic areas:
The CEOI Collaborative Working Toward a Sustainable World
Building a green economy that expands opportunity while reducing waste and CO2 emissions.
Co-chairs:
Rich Lesser, Chief Executive Officer, Boston Consulting Group
Jim Loree, Chief Executive Officer, Stanley Black & Decker
Vicki Hollub, President and CEO, Occidental Petroleum Corporation
Fortune editorial chair: Alan Murray, Chief Executive Officer, FORTUNE
The CEOI Collaborative on Redesigning the Workplace
Rethinking culture and retraining people to build an inclusive, economically secure workforce.
Co-chairs:
Chano Fernandez, Co-chief Executive Officer, Workday
Julie Sweet, Chief Executive Officer, Accenture
Fortune editorial chair: Maria Aspan, Senior Writer, FORTUNE
The CEOI Collaborative on Building Stronger Communities
Investing in our local communities to create shared prosperity for employees, customers, suppliers and other stakeholders.
Co-chairs:
Rob Acker, Chief Executive Officer, Salesforce.org
Michelle Seitz, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Russell Investments
Fortune editorial chair: Matt Heimer, Senior Features Editor, FORTUNE
The CEOI Collaborative on Tech that Works for Everyone
Envisioning and guiding the ethical and wise use of technology as a unifying, equitable force in business and society.
Co-chairs:
Jennifer Tejada, Chief Executive Officer, PagerDuty
Tiger Tyagarajan, President and CEO, Genpact
Fortune editorial chair: Brian O’Keefe, Acting Editor-in-Chief, FORTUNE
At the annual in-person meeting there will be breakout sessions for each of the four CEOI Collaboratives with public and private sector leaders to develop ideas and recommendations to translate new approaches into business strategies.
Agenda
The ongoing supply chain chaos that has emerged from the coronavirus pandemic has spurred one of the largest disruptions to the global supply chain in recent memory, but even before its impact became clear, risks and vulnerabilities were on the rise. Everything from geopolitical tensions to climate change have forced business leaders to rebalance and shift their supply chains. Sustained economic recovery and growth are directly correlated to the health of global supply chains. So how are companies using technology to revamp their operations? How can supply chains be reinvented to be more resilient, transparent, and climate friendly?
We’ll take a closer look at the proposed US Infrastructure plan, what it means for businesses
that are committed to stakeholder capitalism, and its implications on taxes, technology, jobs, schools, and more. We’ll also explore technology regulation legislation.
Senator Mark Warner, D-VA
Rapid advances in software over recent decades have brought opportunities for the private sector, but they pose new challenges, too. The emergence of software-defined technologies like cyber warfare, artificial intelligence, and more have empowered bad actors with new tools to disrupt operations in both the private and public sectors. Security concerns from state (China, Russia, Iran) and non-state (terrorist groups, international criminal networks) organizations alike pose a novel and increasingly complex set of challenges for business leaders. This conversation will dive into the threats that lurk in a digital world, from the tools you need to protect your enterprise to a breakdown of the most pressing security concerns today.
The strain on the most important bilateral relationship in the world continues to escalate, impacting everything from geopolitics to the supply chain. In the absence of U.S. military forces, China’s national interest in Afghanistan is another step forward in demonstrating its influence. We will discuss how business leaders can navigate everything from human rights issues to trade disruptions and global economics as the chasm widens between the world’s two largest economies.
Every published prediction he has made to date on the global pandemic has been accurate, so where are we now and what will happen in the future? We’ll hear from Dr. Mark Dybul on what business leaders can do to navigate the global pandemic and what lies ahead in this one-on-one conversation.
Rethinking culture and retraining people to build an inclusive, economically secure workforce.
Hosted by Workday
Building a green economy that expands opportunity while reducing waste and CO2 emissions.
Hosted by BCG
Envisioning and guiding the ethical and wise use of technology as a unifying, equitable force in business and society.
Hosted by Genpact
The Biden Administration is working to enact one of the boldest and most aggressive legislative and policy agendas of any modern Presidency, with far reaching implications for business and society. The passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act this month is being followed by new climate commitments at COP26 and then a push for a massive tax and spending bill - the Build Back Better Framework - that may reshape American life. We discuss what this aggressive agenda means for business and how organizations can engage in meaningful public-private partnerships that leverage the power of business to improve the communities that they serve.
As employers work to build more diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplaces, how can they move beyond well-meaning pledges and create long-lasting change? How can they remove systemic barriers that impede progress? Business leaders share their approaches for meaningfully expanding their talent acquisition and retention strategies; creating more transparency and dialogue around internal employee metrics; and setting actionable business targets for themselves, their leadership teams, and their companies.
Some of the pandemic’s hardest-hit sectors were forced into a long and unprecedented hiatus, providing a chance for many businesses to revamp the way they relate to their client base, as well as reflect on how to use technology to surprise and entice their customers. What are some of the new offerings corporations are bringing to the consumer as they pivot in the face of crisis? And how can business leaders across the industries most impacted by Covid seize this opportunity to lead with creativity and empathy, to elevate and transform the customer experience?
Membership Benefits
The benefits of membership in the FORTUNE CEO Initiative include:
- Participation in the annual meeting November 15-16, 2021.
- CEO Initiative Collaboratives - We bring together members for discussions focused on the Initiatives 7 core themes and the shared belief that infusing broader purpose into corporate strategies is increasingly important in attracting and motivating talent, deepening bonds with consumers, and steadying corporate reputation.
- Virtual Calls – Occurring monthly, these calls provide a forum for CEOI members to share ideas and approaches with other CEOI members. Our objective is to understand how each of our members are leading, planning, and thinking in both the short and longer term.
- Video Interview - CEOI members have the opportunity to participate in a video interview series by a FORTUNE staffer, highlighting your business with purpose, and published on Fortune.com.
- Complimentary invitations and special opportunities to attend select FORTUNE events, including FORTUNE Brainstorm Health and the FORTUNE Global Forum for you and executives from your company.
- Premium-level access across all FORTUNE media platforms. In addition, your membership will include complimentary access to FORTUNE’s new platforms and products including subscriber-only journalism online; an immersive video portal including FORTUNE conferences via live stream or on demand; proprietary research each week; and subscriber-only calls.
Participation is by invitation only, and benefits of membership in the CEO Initiative extend beyond the annual meeting, and includes frequent virtual conversations. Annual membership is $15,000.
Contact Us
The CEO Initiative is developed with the guidance of FORTUNE editors, and the program is tailored with themes and speakers carefully selected to deliver maximum value to participants.
For Speaker Suggestions:
To suggest a speaker for the FORTUNE CEO Initiative, please complete the form at the link below. There are no exact deadlines for speaker submissions.
Please click here to submit a speaker suggestion.
For Participation:
Membership in the FORTUNE CEO Initiative is by invitation only, and subject to approval. Registration is non-transferable. The annual membership fee of US $15,000 includes all member benefits. Participants are responsible for their own travel and hotel charges for all events. The staff for the event will provide more information about accommodations.
Sarah Worob
E-mail: CeoInitiative@fortune.com
For Sponsorship Opportunities:
A limited number of corporate sponsors opportunities are available for 2021. Please contact us for more information.
Elizabeth Parks
Monica Sembler
E-mail: fortunesponsorships@fortune.com
For Press Inquiries:
Alison Klooster
Senior Manager of Brand Communications, FORTUNE
Tel: 646-437-6613
E-mail: alison.klooster@fortune.com