Power Players in Corporate Social Responsibility

Victoria Lamberth co-founded ZenFi Networks in 2013 and serves as chief revenue officer. She has 15+ years of building, managing, and selling digital infrastructure in the New York metro market. Ms. Lamberth is a board member at the Center for Hearing and Communication and is an advocate for children with hearing loss. Ms. Lamberth holds a B.A. from Boston College, and an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.

Why is corporate social responsibility important to you and your organization?
Digital infrastructure sits at the intersection of social, environment, and economic justice. The work we do, building neutral network infrastructure supporting wired and wireless service providers, has a critical impact on our communities. With opportunity comes responsibility to ensure we are building networks in the most efficient and equitable ways.

How does your organization ensure that CSR flows through all of its areas?
ZenFi is a BAI Communications company, and for the first time last year, BAI adopted ESG targets into our business strategy. BAI has been measuring ESG performance since 2018 and in 2022 published its first Sustainability report, an annual report measuring performance against specific ESG targets. By measuring and sharing these targets we can hold ourselves accountable to our communities, customers, and shareholders.

What are some of your organization’s specific CSR goals and what social impact do you hope to accomplish?
Our company is focused on five core areas based on the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. These include targets around: (1) increasing diversity and equity across BAI and within the communities within which we operate; (2) connected communities; (3) responsible climate action; (4) maintaining ethical operations & supply chain; and (5) providing resilient infrastructure and services. Some specific targets include increasing female board participation, be net zero scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2040 across all BAI businesses, update all procurement policies to verify anti-slavery and health and safety standards. 

How would you describe CSR in three words?
Doing what’s right

Orit Lender has over 20 years of experience in outreach, community building, and philanthropy. In 2001, she began working at the JCC as the youth empowerment director, eventually rising through the ranks to be named the agency’s first female CEO in 2020. Orit fosters a sense of community driven by the Jewish principle of tikkun olam, or repairing the world. Her relationships with community organizations, government, and religious leaders has allowed the JCC to serve Staten Islanders of all backgrounds and work towards building a better, more caring community.

Beth Leonard is chief corporate affairs officer for the EmblemHealth family of companies. Ms. Leonard oversees marketing, communications, public relations, government affairs, community engagement, corporate social responsibility, and EmblemHealth Neighborhood Care. She drives messaging, campaigns, and actions to support the mission of safeguarding affordable, high-quality healthcare for over three million New Yorkers. Dedicated to uplifting women, she leads The Bold Collective, EmblemHealth’s women’s employee resource group. Ms. Leonard also serves on the Diversity and Inclusion Council, championing diversity, equity, and inclusion on behalf of employees, members, patients, and vendors.

Sabrina Macias is the vice president of corporate communications and corporate social responsibility for DraftKings, where she oversees the company’s corporate communications, public affairs and corporate social responsibility teams. Prior to joining DraftKings, Sabrina was the director of brand and consumer marketing communications at NASCAR, where she oversaw the company’s brand, consumer, events, multicultural and foundation communications. Sabrina spent 10 years of her communications career on the agency side, most notably as vice president of multicultural marketing at Edelman Worldwide.

Why is corporate social responsibility important to you and your organization?
One of DraftKings’ ongoing organizational goals is to “embody a culture of corporate and social responsibility in everything we do.” We believe success is measured not only by what we achieve in our industry but also the impact we can and will have in our local communities and globally.

How does your organization ensure that CSR flows through all of its areas?
When it comes to initiatives and causes we support, DraftKings solicits input from its employees and provides opportunities to engage in corporate philanthropy. By engaging with employees, DraftKings ensures our CSR program is accessible and well-championed. We also offer external opportunities for our customers to engage in contests that support our charity partners, spreading awareness and increasing funds for these programs and giving back to local communities.

What are some of your organization’s specific CSR goals and what social impact do you hope to accomplish?
DraftKings’ CSR program, DK S.E.R.V.E.S, is a catalyst that facilitates meaningful relationships between our employees and customers and the communities and causes they wish to support. S.E.R.V.E.S is an acronym for six pillars: Service, Equity, Responsibility, Vitality, Entrepreneurship, and Sports. These pillars define our areas of focus and our goals are to be consistent, thoughtful, and responsible in our approach. We also have a 2023 goal to increase our employee engagement in all areas of corporate social responsibility.

How would you describe CSR in three words?
Inclusive, responsible and innovative

Nancy Mahon is a transformational, collaborative leader with deep global experience in leading Environmental, Social and Governance strategy, operations, marketing, reporting and risk reduction. Nancy is a trusted and sought-after advisor, speaker and enterprise ambassador.  A senior executive serving on the CEO’s Executive Leadership Team, Nancy helms best practices, synergizing them across brands, regions and functions, integrating ESG operations into the enterprise and ensuring compliance with all local and international laws. Nancy oversees the enterprise wide leadership initiative on sustainability and serves on the Inclusion and Diversity Council.

Why is corporate social responsibility important to you and your organization?
We see social impact and sustainability as key to not only managing our business for the long term, but also helping to improve the resilience of our broader global communities. Our sustainability strategy focuses on the areas where we can have the biggest impact both in our industry and beyond.

How does your organization ensure that CSR flows through all of its areas?
I oversee a cross-functional team that drives ELC’s social impact and sustainability strategy, programs, and goals. It’s our job to operationalize these efforts across the company’s brands, regions, and functions. This encompasses everything from expanding our renewable energy portfolio to advancing progress on our racial equity commitments by fostering partnerships with non-profit organizations. We do not do this in a silo. The work only succeeds when everyone is working together to collectively drive progress.

What are some of your organization’s specific CSR goals and what social impact do you hope to accomplish?
For the past three years, we have achieved carbon neutrality across our Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions and sourced 100% renewable electricity globally for our direct operations. We continue to embed social impact and sustainability throughout our operations. Some of our key priorities include climate, packaging, sourcing, green chemistry and ingredient transparency, women’s advancement, racial equity, and social impact.

How would you describe CSR in three words?
CSR isn’t a destination for us — it’s a journey.

Brandee McHale has been working in the financial services and philanthropy space for more than three decades. From her start as an intern in 1991 for what was then Citicorp Foundation to her current position as head of community investing & development at Citi and president of the Citi Foundation; she has focused on dedicating her career to developing forward-thinking initiatives that connect low-income communities and communities of color to jobs, housing, and a more economically secure future. 

Why is corporate social responsibility important to you and your organization?
Citi’s mission is to enable economic growth and progress. As a leading global bank, with a presence in nearly 160 countries and jurisdictions and a workforce of 200,000+, we can mobilize our capital, expertise and networks to support the social and economic needs of society.

How does your organization ensure that CSR flows through all of its areas?
It’s not philanthropy versus market-based solutions – you need both. My current role as head of community investing & development is a culmination of this approach. I spend my time thinking about how we can catalyze social impact across Citi’s functions through equity investing, innovative financial solutions, community partnerships, and the philanthropy of the Citi Foundation. Across all levels of our organization, we recognize what initiatives matter to our employees, clients, and communities we work with.

What are some of your organization’s specific CSR goals and what social impact do you hope to accomplish?
Through our business and through the philanthropy of the Citi Foundation, we aim to address some of society’s greatest challenges. In the U.S., we launched our Action for Racial Equity initiative to help close the racial wealth gap. Globally, we have committed $1 trillion to sustainable finance by 2030. Also, the Citi Foundation works to promote economic progress and improve the lives of people in low-income communities around the world through grant making efforts that increase financial inclusion, catalyze job opportunities for youth, and reimagine approaches to building economically vibrant communities.

How would you describe CSR in three words?
Trust, collaboration, innovation

Rose McKinney-James is a pioneering advocate for clean energy and climate policy. The managing principal of Energy Works LLC and McKinney-James & Associates, her firms provide consulting services in public affairs, energy policy, strategy, and economic and sustainable development. She is the CSR committee chair and board member for MGM Resorts International, and director for Ioneer, Toyota Financial Services Bank, the National Association of Corporate Directors Pacific Southwest, CLEAResult, and the US Energy Foundation.

Why is corporate social responsibility important to you and your organization?
At MGM Resorts, we believe businesses have a responsibility to their communities. We are committed to making a positive impact while setting the industry standard. Focused on What Matters: Embracing Humanity and Protecting the Planet outlines our commitment to the longevity of our company, our communities, and the global environment.

How does your organization ensure that CSR flows through all of its areas?
Our commitment to embracing humanity and protecting the planet is at the heart of our business. Our board and company leadership are engaged in strategy development and ensuring a balanced relationship between investing for societal impact and generating business results. Our purpose and commitment are visible inside our company as we build an inclusive culture through programs such as scholarships for children of employees, and in our communities through our robust volunteerism and giving program.

What are some of your organization’s specific CSR goals and what social impact do you hope to accomplish?
Our 2025 goals include: fostering inclusion by spending at least 10% of our annual procurement dollars with diverse suppliers; investing in communities by donating 5 million meals; and protecting the planet by reducing carbon emissions per square foot by 45%. In bringing the MGM Resorts Solar Array online last June, we made significant progress toward our carbon emissions targets and established additional goals of reducing absolute scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 50% and sourcing 100% renewable electricity in the U.S. by 2030. 

How would you describe CSR in three words?
Values, accountability, impact

Christina McNeilis currently serves as associate director of corporate sustainability for Mount Sinai Health System. Mount Sinai Health System’s sustainability program was founded by McNeilis and she continues to lead the corporate sustainability initiative in her current role. Prior to this position, McNeilis was the associate director of EH&S at The Mount Sinai Hospital and an EHS consultant at Triumvirate Environmental. McNeilis earned her M.P.H. with a Certificate in Climate and Health from Columbia University and has a B.S. from the University of Wisconsin.

Johanna joined Centerbridge in 2013 and, as head of the Centerbridge Foundation, leads the Firm’s philanthropic and community engagement strategies, which are primarily focused on increasing access to educational and economic opportunities for young people. Prior to Centerbridge, Johanna worked in the finance, nonprofit and education sectors for a decade. She is a founding member of the Mount Sinai Hospital NICU Family Advisory Council and serves on the board of the nonprofit, projectBasta. Johanna is a NYC native and holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania.

Why is corporate social responsibility important to you and your organization?
I believe that we cannot make progress and have meaningful impact across our communities without the deep partnership of businesses, nonprofits, government and funders working together.  We have a responsibility to give back to the communities in which we live and work, and also to strengthen them, together.  

How does your organization ensure that CSR flows through all of its areas?
Guided by our sustainable value creation framework, Centerbridge promotes sustainability and the use of ESG criteria across our portfolio, fosters a culture focused on diversity, equity & inclusion and strives to promote a more inclusive society through our philanthropic partnerships. Centerbridge Foundation’s mission to increase access to educational and economic opportunity for all young people is integral to this framework and our culture, with the intent to strengthen communities through the Foundation’s deep philanthropic investments.

Krissy Moore has a proven track record of helping the business community maximize its social impact. Since joining Wells Fargo, she has been dedicated to forging partnerships that result in meaningful change both inside and outside the company. In her role as SVP, she leads a team focused on driving community impact and supporting nonprofit programs and initiatives aligned with Wells Fargo’s national philanthropic priority areas, which include financial health, housing access and affordability, small business growth, and sustainability.

Why is corporate social responsibility important to you and your organization?
For me, CSR is about addressing the most pressing societal needs and challenges and making a positive impact in the community. As a leading financial services company, Wells Fargo believes that it has a role to play in addressing social, economic, and environmental sustainability, and is committed to doing so.

How does your organization ensure that CSR flows through all of its areas? 
CSR is a top priority at Wells Fargo. In collaboration with community partners and through our grantmaking, Wells Fargo is working to address systemic barriers to financial inclusion and opportunity. We hope to help build wealth, enhance economic mobility, and strengthen diverse and historically marginalized communities. We utilize our resources and expertise through philanthropy and business efforts to help build stronger communities and a more sustainable, equitable future for all.

What are some of your organization’s specific CSR goals and what social impact do you hope to accomplish? 
Wells Fargo is committed to building an inclusive, sustainable recovery for all through a focus on opening pathways to economic advancement, championing quality, affordable homes, empowering small businesses to thrive, and enabling a just, low-carbon economy. One of my biggest goals as a leader in CSR is to ensure that through grantmaking we are supporting the needs of underserved communities, advancing racial equity, and improving access to opportunity.

How would you describe CSR in three words? 
Helping communities thrive