Upcoming EEA Shows: Update on Sustainability Reporting, Lessons From a Winner on Failure, State of Stakeholder Capitalism
Attorney Jon McGowan on Sustainability Reporting, Dec. 4 at 1 pm ET
Josh Linkner: Lessons From a Winner on Failures, Setbacks and More, Dec. 11 at 1 pm ET
R. Edward Freeman, Bart Houlahan, and Martin Whittaker: State of Stakeholder Capitalism, Dec. 19 at 1 pm ET
Click here for links to information about EEA sponsors; here to subscribe to ESM weekly; here for an ESM media kit.
On Dec. 4 at 1 pm ET, the Enterprise Engagement Alliance Stakeholder Management and Purpose Leadership channel will feature an attorney specializing on sustainability reporting to get an update on developments in light of potential pushback in the European Union on excessive regulations and the arrival of a second Trump administration. On Dec. 19 at 1 pm ET, a webinar with leaders in stakeholder capitalism will provide an update on the state of the field.
On Dec. 11, the Meaningful Meetings, Lessons Learned EEA YouTube channel playlist will feature an interview with jazz guitarist, entrepreneur, best-selling business author, and venture capitalist Josh Lintner on the lessons learned from his life and professional journey.
Attorney Jon McGowan on Sustainability Reporting, Dec. 4 at 1 pm ET 
With signs that the European Union may attempt to simplify or consolidate the European Union Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, and the expected arrival of a new Securities & Exchange Commission chairman under the Trump administration, momentum may be slowing for increased transparency in sustainability reporting. Tune into this Enterprise Engagement Alliance YouTube Show at 1 pm ET Dec. 4.
Click here to register.
Suddenly, the push for more sustainability reporting in the European Union and the US may be slowing.
Chances are growing that the European Union might revisit certain aspects of its Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, which while in effect, still has not been implemented in every country. These delays are in violation of EU rules, as concerns rise that the law is overly onerous for business. In the US, with the coming replacement of current SEC chair Gary Gensler, any additional push for climate and human capital reporting appears remote.
To get an update on the state of sustainability reporting, the Enterprise Engagement Alliance’s ESM will host a live interview Dec. 4 at 1 pm ET with Jon McGowan, an attorney who advises businesses, boards, attorneys, professional organizations, and governments on the impacts of international legal development in ESG, sustainability, and climate change regulations.
What are the prospects for the EU CSRD? How do European companies appear to be engaging and/or what resistance is occurring? What about sustainability reporting in the US? How are large US companies responding to the push from Europe for more reporting or the fact that there will be little risk for further US government action during this administration? Should sustainability reporting be viewed as a compliance issue or an opportunity?
Click here to register or stay tuned for the show to appear on the EEA YouTube Purpose Leadership and Stakeholder Management channel.
McGowan is a contributor for Forbes, for which he provides analysis and commentary on legal developments relating to ESG, sustainability, and climate change. He has authored multiple legal journal articles and presented at international law conferences on ESG and sustainability laws and regulations and how they impact business. He is particularly focused on developments in the European Union and the United States.
McGowan is the founder of The McGowan Law Firm in Jacksonville Beach, Fl.
Josh Linkner: Lessons From a Winner on Failures, Setbacks and More, Dec. 11 at 1 pm ET 
Growing up in Detroit with a single mother, Josh Linkner says he felt like a misfit, but he didn’t act like one. He says he started his first business, an (illegal) fireworks venture, at the age of 11 and played his first paid gig at a jazz club at 13. His passion for jazz led him to become the highest-ranking incoming jazz guitarist at the Berklee College of Music at 17.
Register here to attend the live 30-minute session with Linkner on Dec. 11 at 1 pm ET. This is part of the YouTube Meaningful Meetings: Lessons Shared series hosted by EEA Founder Bruce Bolger and co-host Jaki Baskow, Founder and CEO of Baskow Talent and the Las Vegas Speakers Bureau.
We’ll ask Linkner to share the key lessons learned from a remarkable career in which he:
- Founded, built, and sold five tech companies, creating over 10,000 jobs and generating over $1 billion in investor returns.
- Became a New York Times bestselling author, known for books like Big Little Breakthroughs: How Small, Everyday Innovations Drive Oversized Results, which emphasizes the power of small, creative acts to unlock massive rewards.
- Developed what he calls a simple system for growth and transformation, helping individuals and organizations tackle tough challenges and seize opportunities without burnout or excessive risk.
Linkner says he delivers about 80 keynotes a year, inspiring audiences with his insights on creativity, innovation, and leadership, and still performs as a jazz guitarist, weaving the lessons from that work into his presentations.
R. Edward Freeman, Bart Houlahan, and Martin Whittaker: State of Stakeholder Capitalism, Dec. 19 at 1 pm ET
What is the state of stakeholder capitalism today in the US and around the world? Did the anti-woke movement crush this alternative approach to capitalism
that focuses on enhancing returns for investors only by creating value for stakeholders, or is the field continuing to thrive? Click here to register for the live show, Dec. 19,, at 1 pm.
These are just some of the questions that show host Bolger will address to:
*R. Edward Freeman, Professor, Business Administration at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia, author of the seminal work on the subject published in 1984, Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach, and often called the “father” of stakeholder capitalism.
*Bart Houlahan, Parter, Irrational Capital, and Co-Founder of B-Lab.
*Martin Whittaker, CEO, JUST Capital.
The program will cover:
- An update on what stakeholder capitalism is and isn’t along with a brief discussion of its history and roots.
- What happened to the subject after the Business Roundtable pronouncement?
- What is the current level of awareness of stakeholder capitalism in the US and around the world?
- What do people generally think of stakeholder capitalism when it is explained to them?
- With the best-known proponents all retiring---Klaus Schwab, Jamie Dimon, and Larry Fink retiring--is that a setback? Who could replace them?
- What will be the drivers of stakeholder capitalism, if any, going forward?
Enterprise Engagement Alliance Services
Celebrating our 15th year, the Enterprise Engagement Alliance helps organizations enhance performance through:1. Information and marketing opportunities on stakeholder management and total rewards:
- ESM Weekly on stakeholder management since 2009. Click here to subscribe; click here for media kit.
- RRN Weekly on total rewards since 1996. Click here to subscribe; click here for media kit.
- EEA YouTube channel on enterprise engagement, human capital, and total rewards since 2020
Management Academy to enhance future equity value for your organization.3. Books on implementation: Enterprise Engagement for CEOs and Enterprise Engagement: The Roadmap.
4. Advisory services and research: Strategic guidance, learning and certification on stakeholder management, measurement, metrics, and corporate sustainability reporting.
5. Permission-based targeted business development to identify and build relationships with the people most likely to buy.
Contact: Bruce Bolger at TheICEE.org; 914-591-7600, ext. 230.
