Corporate sustainability is no longer just about sustainable development or social responsibility. New issues and trends present themselves everyday and Canadian organizations must adjust quickly in order to succeed. Join Canadian Club Toronto for a vibrant discussion of the new realities facing corporate sustainability. What are the trends? What do they mean? How can companies seize these new opportunities to achieve success? On September 27, join industry leaders Andrea Barrack (TD), Robert Fosco (Export Development Canada), Brendan Seale (IKEA Canada), and Phillip Haid (PUBLIC Inc.) as they discuss why simply “making a difference” is no longer the only option.
Andrea Barrack
Vice President, Global Corporate Citizenship, TD Bank Group
Andrea Barrack is the VP, Corporate Citizenship at TD Bank Group. In this role, she brings together the bank’s business, philanthropy and human capital for greater intent, focus and impact. Under her leadership, TD recently launched The Ready Commitment, its new Corporate Citizenship platform, ensuring the development of a best-in-class integrated strategy that is aligned to business objectives while creating positive social, economic and environmental impacts in communities across its footprint.
Prior to coming to TD, Andrea was the Chief Executive Officer of one of Canada’s leading granting foundations, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, providing strategic and operational leadership to a government agency that distributes over $120 million in public funding to the charitable and not-for-profit sector. Andrea Barrack worked in healthcare administration for more than a decade, focused on primary health care and community health. She is recognized for her expertise in making organizations more effective by ensuring that systems are integrated and impact is both measured and assessed.
Andrea Barrack earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology at the University of Guelph and a Master’s of Health Science in Health Administration at the University of Toronto. She has also earned certificates in non-profit management and governance from Harvard University’s Business School and John F. Kennedy School of Government. In 2016, she was named in the Women’s Executive Network Top 100 Most Powerful Women in the Trendsetter and Trailblazer category.
Robert Fosco
Vice President, Environment and Corporate Responsibility, Export Development Canada
Robert Fosco is currently Vice-President, Environment and Corporate Responsibility at Export Development Canada (EDC). He joined EDC in October 2000 and has since held leadership positions within the Financing, Business Development, Human Resources, and Insurance Groups. Between 2006 and 2008, Robert led the Insurance Groups’ preparations for EDC’s Legislative Review. He is the 2006 recipient of EDC’s Excellence in People Leadership Award. From 2008 to 2011, Robert was seconded to the Consulate General of Canada in Seattle, Washington where he led the Mission’s Trade and Investment efforts as Consul & Senior Trade Commissioner. Prior to joining EDC, Robert practiced law in Montreal within the commercial litigation group of Borden Ladner Gervais. He holds both Civil and Common Law degrees from the University of Ottawa as well as a Political Science degree from McGill University. He is fluent in English, French, Italian, and speaks rudimentary Spanish. He has a passion for cooking and soccer and lives in Ottawa with his wife and two teenage boys.
Brendan Seale
Head of Sustainability, IKEA Canada
As Head of Sustainability for IKEA Canada, Brendan Seale is responsible for activating the IKEA “People & Planet Positive” strategy across the country – to inspire and enable Canadians to live a healthier & more sustainable life at home, to achieve circular and climate positive operations, and lead towards a fair & inclusive Canadian society.
Previously Brendan served as Sustainability Advisor with The Natural Step Canada, and worked in communications with Barrick Gold Corporation. He holds an MSc in Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability from Blekinge Institute of Technology (Sweden), and a BA in Communication Studies & Multimedia from McMaster University.
Brendan’s feet like to keep the company of bicycle pedals, soccer cleats, ski boots, and infectious beats, and he is now a father to two young sons who have given his work a greater depth of purpose.
Phillip Haid
CEO, PUBLIC Inc.
Phillip Haid co-founded PUBLIC in 2008 to disrupt the way companies think about doing “good”. Driven by a passion to prove that social impact is a key business driver to achieve profit with purpose, he set out to build a hybrid company – part consultancy/part creative agency– designing social purpose brands, community impact strategies and social change campaigns. As CEO, he is responsible for overseeing the strategic and creative growth of the business. PUBLIC’s clients include: TD Bank, NBC Universal, Converse, The Body Shop, Danone Canada, Kruger Products and the LCBO. Phillip is also a columnist for Fast Company writing on “profit with purpose”.
