2015 Agenda

 

Current Participating Companies Include:
AIG, AT&T, BNY Mellon, Cardinal Health, Chevron, Cisco, Colgate-Palmolive, Ernst & Young, Freddie Mac, General Electric, Goldman Sachs, IBM, KPMG, L’Oreal, Marriott, McDonald’s, Medtronic, National Grid, Prudential, Skadden, and Time Warner.

 

Monday, June 8, 2015
ASIA SOCIETY - 725 Park Ave, New York, NY 10021

 

2:30 PM – 3:00 PM Registration

 

3:00 PM – 3:15 PM Welcome Remarks
- Tom Nagorski, Executive Vice President, Asia Society
- Jyoti Chopra, Managing Director, Global Head of Diversity &Inclusion, BNY Mellon

 

3:15 PM – 4:30 PM Roundtable Discussion
Key Findings From the 2015 Best Asian Pacific Americans Employer Awards & Corporate Survey
Asia Society’s sixth annual benchmarking study looks at where Asian Pacific American leaders are on the corporate leadership ladder within Fortune 500 and other large companies. Discover data benchmarks showcasing best practices for promoting and developing Asian Pacific American leaders.

- Barbara Pak, Vice President, Conservatorship & Corporate Initiatives(C&CI), Freddie Mac

- Kimberly Marcelis, Vice President Strategic Planning Group, Executive Sponsor of CAAN, CISCO

 

4:30 PM – 4:50 PM Coffee Break

 

4:50 PM – 6:15 PM 2015 Best APA Employer Awards Ceremony
Awards will be presented for the 2015 Best Companies of Asian Pacific Americans in the following categories:

• Overall Best Employer for Asian Pacific Americans
• Best Employer for Asian Pacific Americans to Develop Workforce Skills
• Best Employer for Promoting Asian Pacific Americans into Senior Leadership Positions
• Best Employer for Asian Pacific American Employee Resource Groups
• Best Employer for Marketing & Support to Asian Pacific American Community
• Best Employer for Sponsorship
• Best Employer for Most Innovative Practices

Emcee:
- David Reid, Director of Global Talent Initiatives, Asia Society

 

6:15 PM - 7:15 PM 2015 Best APA Employer Awards Reception

 

 

Tuesday, June 9, 2015
TIME WARNER CENTER – Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10021

 

7:30 AM Registration

 

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM Continental Breakfast

 

8:30 AM – 8:45 AM Welcome Remarks & Setting the Tone
- Josette Sheeran, CEO & President, Asia Society
- Meeka Bondy, Senior Vice President, Legal Affairs, HBO
- Apoorva Gandhi, Vice President, Multicultural Affairs, Marriott International, Inc.

 

8:45 AM – 9:15 AM Setting the Framework
Join James Sun for an in-depth look at why it’s so important to constantly innovate - and how to build a culture that embraces change, entrepreneurship, and diversity. Hear lessons from his experience working with over 12 companies all over the world and the implications for Diversity and Inclusion, be nimble and relevant to evolving consumer habits. Most importantly, explore future trends that will impact the relevance and growth of your organization.

- James Sun, CEO, Pirq

 

9:15 AM – 10:00 AM Morning Plenary Panel: Award Winning Initiatives Advancing Asian Pacific American [APA] Talent
Senior leaders representing “Best Companies” will highlight initiatives that are front and center to develop and retain Asian talent. This panel will present proven solutions of how to:
• Develop workforce practices that facilitate employee growth
• Build market opportunities through leveraging APA talent into senior leadership positions
• Accelerate employee engagement through Employee/Business Resource Groups
• Build sustainable sponsorship programs

 

Moderator:
- Subha V. Barry, General Manager & Vice President, Working Mother Media & Diversity Best Practices

Panelists:
- Anilu Vazquez-Ubarri, Chief Diversity Officer and Global Co-Head of Talent Development, Goldman Sachs
- Mohammed Farshori, Lead Product Marketing Manager, Unified Communications & Collaboration, AT&T
- Belinda C. Tang, Vice President, Leadership and Diversity, IBM Corporation

 

10:00 AM – 10:30 AM Networking Break

 

10:30 AM – 11:45 AM MORNING BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Business leaders will present case studies and facilitate the breakout sessions/workshops as they draw on participants’ greatest challenges and/or best practices and identify potential solutions with an emphasis on action planning.

 

SESSION A: Development Track
A Road Map to Advancing YOUR Career into a Leadership Role [session repeats in the afternoon]
Reaching the top tiers of leadership requires a highly specialized skill set. It’s not enough to excel at managing responsibilities and delivering results. Senior-level executives must also know how to develop top talent that identifies new markets, builds capabilities and grows resources, revenues and market share.

In this session, experienced leaders will share strategies for building meaningful relationships with superiors who can become sponsors. Attendees will gain insight into tomorrow’s high impact jobs—and how to navigate the global job market.

 

Learning Objectives
• Identify the hard and soft skills—and global competencies—that tomorrow’s leaders will need.
• Explore strategic steps that aspiring leaders can take to expand their knowledge and skill set.
• Understand how to clarify intentions so that mentor/sponsor relationships can be optimized.
• Learn how to prepare for a stretch assignment that can advance your career.

 

Moderator:
- Anthony Sammi, Partner, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Panelists:
- Cheryll Forsatz, Director of Communications, McDonald’s
- Sumita Banerjee, Senior Vice President, Talent Acquisition, L'Oréal Americas, L'Oréal
- Giang Val Bauduin Bao, Chief Accounting Officer/Controller, Marriott International, Inc.

SESSION B: Development Track
Mobile and Social - Leveraging the Power of Asian Talent and Their Social Communities [session repeats in the afternoon]
Technology has revolutionized recruiting, analytics and the way we work. By 2013, there were 1 billion smartphones and more than 420 million iPhones sold worldwide. That same year, the Chinese mobile messaging app WeChat surpassed 600 million users. Facebook now boasts an estimated 1.23 billion users, and cloud computing is expected to grow to a $241 billion business by 2020. How can Asian talent leverage the social web to advance work initiatives? What can companies do to build a strong digital presence among the Asian community to drive business growth? This session will explore ways that Asian talent can leverage their presence while working within the legal, marketing and promotional boundaries of their company. Experts will share strategies for developing a digital global voice that increases visibility, marketability and accessibility.

 

Learning Objectives
• Understand how accelerating changes in the marketplace demand strong digital competence.
• Discover how different generations are leveraging social media for business impact.
• Learn about growth initiatives that have been effectively implemented through the ability to foster collaboration, engagement, commitment and innovation.

 

Moderator:
• Rosena Sammi, Founder, A Lawyer’s Life Blog & Rosena Sammi Jewelry

Panelists:
• Theodore Chestnut, Regional Account Manager, Global Accounts, LinkedIn
• Ting Chin, Director of Internal Audit, KPMG
• Erica Dhawan, 'Co-Author, Get Big Things Done & CEO, Cotential 

SESSION C: Leadership Track
Resilience: Aligning Talent Pipeline to Community and Company Growth
High-achieving companies understand their future depends on business acumen—and retaining talent is imperative. According to LinkedIn’s 2014 Talent Trends study, the number one reason individuals seek a new job is lack of advancement opportunities. Companies must invest in their talent pipeline to stay ahead of the competition. High-impact U.S. companies spend more than $3,500 per person annually to develop mid-level leaders and over $10,000 to develop senior leaders. Early on, potential leaders must acquire core skills in supervision and management. Later, rising leaders need an understanding of all the business functions and how to run a P&L. Companies with APA talent must also consider how to translate science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) mindsets into executive jobs. Executives from a range of industries will discuss strategies for maintaining AND building successful leadership in the communities they serve.

 

Learning Objectives:
• Hear examples of how employee and market trends are impacting business practices.
• Gain strategies for talent recruitment, development and retention in today’s global market.
• Learn what executives predict will be the biggest obstacles and opportunities facing future leaders and their communities.

 

Moderator:
• Michele C. Green, Vice President & Chief Diversity Officer, Prudential

Panelists:
• Alan Echtenkamp, Executive Director, Global Organization and Leadership Development, Time Warner, Inc.
• S. Shariq Yosufzai, Vice President, Global Diversity, Ombuds & University Partnerships, Chevron Corporation
• Sue Suh, Chief Talent Officer, Rockefeller Foundation  

INDUSTRY ROUNDTABLE: Next Practices in the Finance and Banking Sector
The widening talent gap in the financial industry presents a major challenge for companies. However, it also creates unprecedented opportunity in this sector for rising Asian Pacific American leaders. In a recent survey by PwC, almost half of CEOs in the financial industry report that they are unable to find talent with the right skills and view the issue as a serious threat to their company’s growth. Almost 25 percent of those CEOs have had to cancel or delay a key strategic initiative over the past year because they didn’t have the right talent available at the time to execute. How can financial companies leverage APA professionals’ skills to help bridge the talent gap? What can APAs do to position themselves for leadership roles and capitalize on opportunities? Join industry professionals for a lively discussion on the attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that contribute to—and get in the way of—progress for Asian Pacific Americans in this sector.

 

Learning Objectives
• Explore strategies to create a work environment that leverages APA diversity in new ways.
• Discover how to strengthen employee engagement and foster a productive workforce that paves the way to new revenue streams and stronger shareholder value.

 

Moderator:
• Vrinda Menon, Client Services & Co-Chair of the Asian Professionals Network, Goldman Sachs

Panelists:
• Kate Barton, Americas Vice Chair, Tax Services, EY
• Chandresh Iyer, Global Head Middle Office Solutions, BNY Mellon 

 

12:00 PM – 12:45 PM Networking Luncheon

 

12:45 PM – 1:30 PM Report Out: Findings Forum of the Breakout Sessions & Industry Roundtable

 

1:30 PM – 2:45 PM AFTERNOON BREAKOUT SESSIONS

SESSION A: Development Track [morning session repeats]
A Road Map to Advancing YOUR Career into a Leadership Role

 

SESSION B: Development Track [morning session repeats]
Mobile and Social - Leveraging the Power of Asian Talent and Their Social Communities

 

SESSION C: Leadership Track
Leveraging Asian Talent by Engaging White Men
Many companies struggle to create more opportunities for Asian talent, especially for Asian and Asian Pacific women. According to Grant Thornton’s 2013 International Business Report, women now comprise 24 percent of all senior executive positions worldwide. Other research shows that, globally, the percentage of men increases with the level of leadership. For example, in most U.S. companies, white men hold more than 70 percent of the senior leadership jobs. As a result, engaging male leaders, and white male executives in particular, is a key and under-developed driver for leveraging a diverse workforce. This session will offer insights on how to advance your talent strategy, by engaging white male (and other) leaders as allies for opportunity, with women and men of Asian descent.

 

Learning Objectives
• Hear from and about companies that create successful initiatives to advance Asian Pacific American talent – both men and men and women – into senior positions

• Explore emerging practices in engaging white male leaders as allies with women, globally
• Discover how women’s advancement benefits male leaders and the company’s growth

 

Moderator:
• Chuck Shelton, CEO, Greatheart Consulting

Panelists:
• Tom Greer, Partner, PwC
• Bo Young Lee, Senior Vice President Diversity & Inclusion, Marsh McLennan
• Tony Tam, Managing Director U.S. Excess Casualty Leader, Marsh McLennan
 

Executive Roundtable - A Peer to Peer Forum [Seats are limited - pre-registration]
Leading in the 21st Century
As corporations reorganize and hierarchies flatten, the demand for leadership skills at every level is exploding. However, according to Deloitte’s 2014 Global Human Capital Trends Report, not only are companies NOT developing enough leaders, but they are also not equipping new leaders with the critical capabilities and skills needed to succeed. Today’s global marketplace requires the ability to lead with speed and flexibility in uncertain situations. It is imperative to possess foundational and new leadership skills, including:
• Business acumen: Understanding the core business.
• Collaboration: The ability to build cross-functional teams.
• Global cultural agility: Managing diverse teams.
• Creativity: Driving innovation and entrepreneurship.
• Customer-centricity: Enhancing effective customer relationships.
• Influence and inspiration: Setting direction and driving employees to achieve business goals.
• Building teams and talent: Developing people and creating effective teams.

 

Join a lively discussion by global thought leaders on how companies can build relevant leadership programs across all business units. Executives attending this session will receive thought leadership reports and cutting-edge data analysis as a take-away.

 

Opening Facilitator:
- Royanne Doi, Chief Ethics Officer, Prudential

 

Facilitator:
- The Honorable Kevin Michael Rudd, former Prime Minister of Australia and President, Asia Society Policy Institute

 

2:45 PM – 3:15 PM Networking Break

3:15 PM – 3:45 PM Afternoon Keynote: Omar Ishrak, CEO, Medtronic

- Moderated by: Bin Wolfe, Managing Partner of Talent Asia Pacific, EY and Chair of the Asia Talent and Diversity Council, Asia Society

 

3:45 PM – 4:30 PM Afternoon Plenary Panel: Corporate Citizenship and APA Entrepreneurs’ Innovation Driving Corporate Margins
Leading corporations are partnering with communities at large and start-ups as a way to tap into innovation and influence the marketplace. During this expert panel of entrepreneurs and corporate executives, participants will hear about two case studies that address the new paradigm of knowledge partnerships.
• Hear from an APA entrepreneur who has leveraged their skills and captured the attention of a major global corporation and how in turn this corporation is actively pursuing these partnerships to achieve growth and increase ROI.
• Gain insights to how a company has successfully leveraged CSR in offering underserved, rural communities in India, affordable health services furthering local inhabitants’ health while building and scaling up a new market.

 

Moderator:
• Michael E. Chen, General Partner & CEO, Chen & Associates

Panelists:
• Shilpi Biswas, General Manager - North America Consumer Product Management, GE Appliances & Lighting
• Todd Lynema, Manager, LED Sales, Nichia America Corporation
• Paurvi Bhatt, Senior Director, Global Access, Medtronic Philanthropy
• Francis Kim, Vice President, Quality Restorative Therapy Group, Medtronic  

 

4:30 PM – 5:00 PM Closing Remarks & Charting Out Next Steps
- Apoorva Gandhi, Vice President, Multicultural Affairs, Marriott International, Inc.