- Overcoming changing market and consumer sentiment and their impact on reputation
- Mitigating increasing reputational and conduct risk rising from enhanced regulatory scrutiny
- Avoiding reputational damage from perceived greenwashing
Jennifer Sullo
Jen Sullo is Managing Director of Asset Management and Investment Solutions at Earth Finance. She brings significant expertise integrating sustainability into portfolio construction, investment, and due diligence processes as well as creating tailored, client-specific sustainable investment funds for private wealth and institutional investors – including corporate retirement plans, insurance reserves, non-profit investment portfolios, and financial intermediary platforms. Prior to Earth Finance, Jen was Global Head of Sustainable Investing Solutions at Goldman Sachs Asset Management where she was responsible for sustainable investing strategy, product development, and partnerships. She graduated from Fairfield University with an M.S. in Finance and from Trinity College with a B.S. in Economics.
Kirby Brendsel
Kirby Brendsel is Flagstar Bank’s VP, Environmental, Social, & Governance (ESG) and Sustainability Director, where he leads Flagstar's strategic sustainability and initiatives and the company's goal to be a recognized global sustainability leader. He is coming from Welltower Inc.’s (a real estate investment trust) where he headed their award-winning strategic sustainability and ESG initiatives. Prior to joining Welltower in 2019, Mr. Brendsel worked at Nuveen as a Director of Responsible Investing. Before Nuveen, he served as Associate Director of Sustainability for Starwood Hotel & Resorts Worldwide, where he supported the strategy, integration and management of Starwood’s sustainability program and worked collaboratively with the community programs/Starwood Foundation team on CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) strategy and reporting. Previously, Mr. Brendsel consulted for Deloitte where he assisted in the creation of Deloitte’s Federal Sustainability practice and Diversity & Inclusion program. Mr. Brendsel’s other past roles include active-duty service as a Military Intelligence Corps Major in the U.S. Army.
Mr. Brendsel graduated with distinction and honors from the College of William and Mary with a B.A. in Business and the Jones Graduate School of Management at Rice University with an M.B.A. He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) from the Project Management Institute (PMI), U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) LEED Green Associate (GA), and Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt. Mr. Brendsel was recently recognized as an Honoree for 2020 by Environment + Energy Leader’s annual "best of" list of environment and energy professionals - the E+E 100.
Mr. Brendsel is active in his local community, where he has served on the Board of Directors of the Aspetuck Land Trust and Lachat Town Farm Commission as well as on the Town of Weston’s Sustainability Committee, Historical Society, and Conservation and Parks & Recreation Commissions.
