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Join America’s greatest companies and communicators as we put higher purpose under the microscope. We will be revealing the Purpose Power Index (PPI) an in-depth study of purpose-based brands and companies. PPI 2021 is the second wave of the research and will reveal changes in how Americans see brands during and post COVID. Our speakers will go beyond simply defining brand purpose and focus on how to activate it inside and outside your company.
Be the first to witness the reveal of the Purpose Power Index 2021 - the largest study ever measuring perceptions of brand purpose, based on more than 17,500 individual ratings among over 7,500 U.S. consumers, and encompassing more than 200 different brands. The research was conducted online in the Fall of 2019.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
RepTrak and StrawberryFrog unveil the results of the Purpose Index 2021 showcasing the top 10 performing brands on the Index
In depth discussions regarding the effect on the pandemic on brands’ perception of their purpose
Leading industry experts discuss the ‘power of purpose’ and the need to ‘activate brand purpose’ to galvanize all stakeholders internally and externally
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THANK YOU TO OUR ORGANIZERS!
Michael Dowling is one of health care’s most influential voices, taking a stand on societal issues such as gun violence and immigration that many health system CEOs shy away from. As president and CEO of Northwell Health, he leads a clinical, academic and research enterprise with a workforce of more than 75,000 and annual revenue of $14 billion. Northwell is the largest health care provider and private employer in New York State, caring for more than two million people annually through a vast network of more than 830 outpatient facilities and 23 hospitals. Northwell also pursues pioneering research at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research and a visionary approach to medical education highlighted by the Zucker School of Medicine, the Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies, and one of the nation’s largest medical residency and fellowship programs.
Mr. Dowling’s leadership has been invaluable to Northwell’s consistent expansion and prominence. In 2020, he successfully navigated the health system through the first COVID-19 epicenter in the US, detailing his experiences in Leading Through a Pandemic. Northwell innovated through the crisis, expanding hospital bed capacity (adding 2,000 beds in two weeks), 3D-printing nasal swabs for COVID testing and converting BiPAP machines into mechanical ventilators. Northwell was the first person in the US to receive the historic COVID vaccine in December 2020.
Prior to becoming president and CEO in 2002, Mr. Dowling was the health system’s executive vice president and chief operating officer. Before joining Northwell Health in 1995, he was a senior vice president at Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield.Mr. Dowling served in New York State government for 12 years, including seven years as state director of Health, Education and Human Services and deputy secretary to the governor. He was also commissioner of the New York State Department of Social Services. Before his public service career, Mr. Dowling was a professor of social policy and assistant dean at the Fordham University Graduate School of Social Services, and director of the Fordham campus in Westchester County.
Mr. Dowling has been honored with many awards over the years, including his selection as the Grand Marshal of the 2017 St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City, induction into the Irish America Hall of Fame, the 2012 B’nai B’rith National Healthcare Award, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, the 2011 Gail L. Warden Leadership Excellence Award from the National Center for Healthcare Leadership and the 2011 CEO Information Technology Award from Modern Healthcare magazine and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. In 2020, Mr. Dowling received the Deming Cup from the Columbia School of Business and was ranked No. 2 on Modern Healthcare’s 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare, his highest ranking in 13 years appearing on the list. Additional awards include the National Human Relations Award from the American Jewish Committee, the Distinguished Public Service Award from the State University of New York’s Nelson A. Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, an Outstanding Public Service Award from the Mental Health Association of New York State, an Outstanding Public Service Award from the Mental Health Association of Nassau County, the Alfred E. Smith Award from the American Society for Public Administration, and the Gold Medal from the American Irish Historical Society. He was also ranked No. 44 among large company CEOs in the US and was the nation’s top-ranking health care/hospital CEO on Glassdoor’s Top CEOs in 2019 list.
Mr. Dowling is past chair of the Healthcare Institute and the current chair of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). He is a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Sciences and the North American Board of the Smurfit School of Business at University College, Dublin, Ireland. He also serves as a board member of the Long Island Association. He is past chair and a current board member of the National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL), the Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA), the Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS) and the League of Voluntary Hospitals of New York. Mr. Dowling was an instructor at the Center for Continuing Professional Education at the Harvard School of Public Health.
Mr. Dowling grew up in Limerick, Ireland. He earned his undergraduate degree from University College Cork (UCC), Ireland, and his master’s degree from Fordham University. He also has honorary doctorates from Queen’s University Belfast, University College Dublin, Hofstra University, Dowling College and Fordham University.
Hans Vestberg, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Verizon Communications
Verizon is a leading provider of wireless, fiber-optic and global Internet networks and services. Prior to assuming the role of CEO in August 2018 and the role of Chairman in March 2019, Mr. Vestberg served as Verizon’s chief technology officer and president of Global Networks from 2017, with responsibility for further developing the architecture for Verizon’s fiber-centric networks. At Verizon, he has focused on transforming the businesses 2.0 customer-centric strategy, leading the company to be first in the world to deploy 5G home and mobile technology, delivering seamless experiences for customers over network assets consisting of the country’s leading 4G LTE network, the nation’s biggest residential fiber network, a global internet backbone and undersea cable network carrying much of the world’s internet traffic, and fiber assets in 45 of the top 50 markets in the U.S.
Before joining Verizon in April 2017, Vestberg served for six years as president and CEO of Ericsson, a multinational networking and telecommunications equipment and services company headquartered in Sweden that provides 35 percent of the world’s 2G, 3G and 4G mobile network infrastructures.
For more than a decade after joining Ericsson in 1991, he gained broad international experience with leadership positions on four continents. He was instrumental in developing Ericsson’s industry-leading services organization, which grew three-fold during his five years of management. In 2007 he became Ericsson’s chief financial officer, and he was named CEO in 2009. As CEO, he led more than 115,000 employees as the company transformed from a focus on hardware to software and services.
"Arianna Huffington, Founder & CEO, Thrive Global
Arianna Huffington is the founder and CEO of Thrive Global, the founder of The Huffington Post, and the author of 15 books, including Thrive and The Sleep Revolution. In 2016, she launched Thrive Global, a leading behavior change tech company with the mission of changing the way we work and live by ending the collective delusion that burnout is the price we must pay for success.
She has been named to Time Magazine's list of the world’s 100 most influential people and the Forbes Most Powerful Women list. Originally from Greece, she moved to England when she was 16 and graduated from Cambridge University with an M.A. in economics. At 21, she became president of the famed debating society, the Cambridge Union.
She serves on numerous boards, including Onex and The B Team.
Her last two books, Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder and The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night At A Time, both became instant international bestsellers. Most recently, she wrote the foreword to Thrive Global's first book Your Time to Thrive: End Burnout, Increase Well-being, and Unlock Your Full Potential with the New Science of Microsteps.
About Thrive Global
Thrive Global is a leading behavior change tech company helping individuals, corporations and communities improve their well-being and performance through our behavior change platform, storytelling and corporate services. Thrive was founded by Arianna Huffington and launched in 2016 with the mission of changing the way we work and live by ending the collective delusion that burnout is the price we must pay for success. We offer companies and individuals sustainable, science-based solutions to enhance both mental and physical well-being and performance, purpose and relationship with technology. We are committed to accelerating this culture shift around the world. Thrive Global is headquartered in New York City and has offices in San Francisco, Athens, Melbourne and Bucharest. For more information, visit www.thriveglobal.com."
William H Rogers Jr, President and Chief Operating Officer at Truist Financial Corporation
Truist Financial Corporation is a purpose-driven financial services organization that is committed to inspiring and building better lives and communities. He assumed this position in December 2019, upon the closing of the merger of equals between BB&T Corporation and SunTrust Banks Inc. Prior to the merger of equals, Rogers had served as Truist predecessor SunTrust Bank’s chairman and CEO since January 2012, after having been appointed president and CEO in June 2011. He was named chief operating officer in 2010 and president in 2008. Rogers held increasingly senior positions in corporate and commercial banking, corporate finance, retail banking, private wealth management and mortgage after joining SunTrust’s commercial banking division in 1980. Rogers is a champion for the company’s philanthropy and volunteerism. He serves on the boards of a number of local and national organizations. He is currently a board member of the Charlotte Center City Partners, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and the Emory University Board of Trustees. Rogers also serves on the advisory board of Operation HOPE Inc. A native of North Carolina, Rogers earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MBA from Georgia State University.
Ranjay Gulati, Paul R. Lawrence MBA Class of 1942 Professor and the former Unit Head of the Organizational Behavior Unit at Harvard Business School.
Until recently, he chaired the Advanced Management Program, the flagship senior leader executive program, at the school.
Professor Gulati’s recent work explores strategic, organizational, and leadership challenges for building high growth organizations in turbulent markets. His work transcends both strategy formulation and also successful implementation. He has studied the organizational architecture and culture of high-growth organizations and also looks at the leadership skills and behaviors required to lead fast-moving organizations. Going beyond the classic leadership imperatives of motivating and inspiring, he explores how leaders today must cultivate courage in others by activating a winning mindset that is centered around a clear set of priorities, principles and purpose. Some of his prior work has focused on the enablers and implications of successful acquisitions and strategic partnerships to drive profitable growth.
Professor Gulati was ranked as one of the top ten most cited scholars in Economics and Business over a decade by ISI-Incite. The Economist, Financial Times, and the Economist Intelligence Unit have listed him as among the top handful of business school scholars whose work is most relevant to management practice. He has been a Harvard MacArthur Fellow and a Sloan Foundation Fellow. His research has been published in leading academic journals of business. He has also written for the Harvard Business Review, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, strategy+business, and the Financial Times.
Professor Gulati advises and speaks to corporations large and small around the globe. He also frequently leads small-group workshops focused on helping leadership teams of high-growth companies enhance the growth trajectory of their businesses. He has in the past been a frequent guest on CNBC in the past. Professor Gulati holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University, a Master’s Degree in Management from M.I.T.’s Sloan School of Management, and two Bachelor’s Degrees, in Computer Science and Economics, from Washington State University and St. Stephens College, New Delhi, respectively. He lives in Newton, Massachusetts.
Stacey Tank, Chief Transformation & Corporate Affairs Officer at Heineken (AMS: HEIA)
Tank is a member of the CEO’s executive team based in Amsterdam and shepherds the company’s global “EverGreen” transformation. She is additionally responsible for corporate functions including sustainability, ESG, public affairs, government relations and global communications. Tank formerly led the multi-billion dollar Home Depot Installation Services and Home Depot Measurement Services businesses for The Home Depot (NYSE: HD), the world’s largest home improvement retailer with $132.1 billion in annual sales and over 400,000 employees. During her tenure, Tank led the exit of four unprofitable lines of business and quickly returned the remaining businesses to double-digit growth. Tank is the founder of Our Happy Place (OurHappy.org), a 501(c)3 non-profit serving children, educators and families navigating childhood anxiety. She is also currently a board member for the Heineken Africa Foundation. Tank is a 2020 World Economic Forum Young Global Leader (YGL), a 2019 Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute and a 2014 Academy for Systems Change Fellow.
Terry Balluck, Director of Global External Communications at Kimberly-Clark
As an emerging corporate communications leader for the CPG sector, Terry Balluck sits at the intersection of purpose and reputation for Kimberly-Clark, the global company behind iconic brands including Huggies®, Kleenex®, Scott® and Kotex®. His task as the director of global external communications is to lead an ambitious agenda focused on protecting and enhancing the company’s reputation as it tackles some of the coming decade’s most pressing social and environmental challenges.
As Kimberly-Clark approaches its 150th anniversary, Balluck is shaping a purpose-led narrative that is delivered from the heart of the company – its employees – to bring consumers, customers and other stakeholders closer to the lasting impact of these essential products on the people they serve and the communities they touch. Balluck is known for uncovering innovative ways to bring Kimberly-Clark’s purpose to life while authentically engaging a diverse array of external stakeholders around the globe, and he offers a unique perspective on the intersection between purpose and social license to operate.
With a clear focus on reputation, it’s no surprise that Balluck is behind Kimberly-Clark’s rise into the Top 100 Most Reputable Companies globally. He is often sought out for his deep expertise, collaborative style, and passion for using communications to drive business strategy, results and shared value.
He has emerged as one of the leading voices on managing through crises and complex issues, and he made it his personal mission to strengthen the PR and crisis capabilities of Kimberly-Clark’s global communications teams and other leaders to ensure the company continues to have a license to operate. In addition, Balluck has redefined strategic communications at Kimberly-Clark to ensure that communicators across the company have a critical seat at the business strategy table and the ability to help influence the company’s growth.
Prior to joining Kimberly-Clark in 2011, Balluck led internal communications for PulteGroup, the nation’s largest homebuilder, as the company underwent significant change following a merger with rival Centex Homes to standardize the way it built, sold and marketed homes amidst a rapidly changing housing environment. With a strong focus on culture, he kept employees engaged during a period of dramatic change and helped the company make a return to profitability.
In total, Balluck has more than 25 years of experience in corporate communications, change management, and media relations with Fortune 200 companies that include EDS and Capital One, as well as global PR consulting experience with Edelman.
Balluck holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin. He is a member of The Minnesuing Group and is also a ‘Page Up’ member of the Arthur W. Page Society, which is the world's leading professional association for senior public relations and corporate communications executives.
Based in Dallas, TX, Balluck actively volunteers with several local nonprofits and serves on the board of trustees for the Good Shepherd Episcopal School. When he’s not shaping Kimberly-Clark’s purpose-led narrative, Balluck is focused on his personal purpose as a husband and a father of three boys.
Sally Susman, Executive Vice President and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Pfizer Inc.
As Executive Vice President and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Sally Susman leads engagement with all of Pfizer’s external stakeholders overseeing global policy, communications, government relations, corporate responsibility, investor relations and the Chief Patient Office. She also serves as vice chair of The Pfizer Foundation.
Before joining Pfizer in 2007, Susman held several senior communications and government relations roles at Estée Lauder Companies and the American Express Company, including a posting in London with responsibility for all of Europe. Earlier in her career, she spent eight years on Capitol Hill focused on international trade issues and was Deputy Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs in the Clinton Administration.
Currently, Susman serves as co-chair of The International Rescue Committee, one of the world's largest humanitarian aid organizations, and on the board of WPP, the U.K.-based global advertising and marketing company. She is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She is a frequent commentator in newspapers, magazines, podcasts and broadcast programs and was named a 2019 Top Voice on LinkedIn.
Susman graduated from Connecticut College with a B.A. in government and studied at the London School of Economics.
Stephen Hahn-Griffiths, Executive Vice President of Reputation Intelligence & Enterprise Growth at The RepTrak Company
Stephen is a growth catalyst and purveyor of insight related to reputation measurement and management. At The RepTrak Company he is a champion of the organization’s proprietary reputation system, and a pioneer in developing new ways of assessing brand expression, purpose, ESG, media sentiment, and CEO reputation. He has been instrumental in developing and launching the organization’s SaaS-based technology platform – aptly named RepTrak for Communications (RT4C).
Stephen’s realm of expertise includes brand strategy, brand purpose, integrated marketing, corporate communications, and social responsibility. Prior to joining The RepTrak Company, he spent his formative years in the agency world – having held Chief Strategy Officer roles at Leo Burnett, Mullen, Doner, and Saatchi & Saatchi. His work in integrated marketing and reputation management has been critically acclaimed – including EFFIEs, Clios, Cannes Lions, and the Jay Chiat Award for Strategic Excellence.
He is often cited as a reputation expert -- and has been quoted in leading media properties such as Harvard Business Review, Forbes, WSJ, CNBC, NPR, Associated Press, NY Times, Adage, PR Week, and FT. His recent speaking engagements include the Conference Board, ANA, Bloomberg, Sustainable Brands Conference, ESOMAR, and 4A’s Strategy Fest. In his spare time, Stephen is a guest lecturer at marketing, corporate communications, and entrepreneurial business schools including USC, NYU, Michigan State, Louisiana – Lafayette, Babson, and Northeastern.
Stephen has also contributed to published books including Reputation Management, Brand Physics, Authentic Marketing, Chutzpah and Chutzpah, Brand Activism, and Activate Brand Purpose. His academic credentials include an MBA in Management from Stern, New York University.
Amy Smith, Chief Strategy and Impact Officer at TOMS
Overseeing all aspects of the company’s corporate strategy and impact, including managing global giving partners, measuring the giving program impact, and leading TOMS Giving Trips. Additionally, she also manages TOMS environmental sustainability efforts, B Corp certification and employee engagement. As the head of the giving team at the original One for One company, Amy knew TOMS was in a position to improve more lives in addition to those who were receiving shoes. In 2019, under Amy’s leadership, TOMS giving model evolved beyond One for One to also include impact grants which support local partners around the world who are working to create positive change in the areas of mental health, physical safety, and equal access to opportunity.
Prior to TOMS, Amy was the Chief Strategy Officer and President of Action Networks for Points of Light, the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service. Amy has also held several management positions at Apple helping to lead their retail initiative and was part of the original team that opened the first 50 Apple retail stores supporting international real estate development, store design, construction and store operations.
Amy sits on the advisory board of STEM3 Academy and holds a BA in Materials and Logistics Management from Michigan State University.
Laura Lane, Chief Corporate Affairs, Communications and Sustainability Officer at UPS
In this role she oversees Public Policy and Government Affairs, Public Relations, Employee Communications, and the UPS Foundation and is a member of UPS’s Executive Leadership Team reporting to CEO Carol Tomé.
Laura began her UPS career as president, Global Public Affairs in 2011 and was responsible for worldwide government affairs activities for UPS in over 220 countries and territories. She managed a global team of over 80 government affairs and strategic communications professionals. In a short time, she strengthened UPS growth and competitiveness, including successfully advocating for comprehensive tax reform; enhancing network efficiencies through infrastructure investments; securing alternative fuel credits in support of sustainability; working to modernize trade agreements and customs processes; leveling the playing field with postal networks; facilitating UPS Flight Forward certification; and advocating for laws that promote equity and justice in the workplace.
Prior to joining UPS, Laura served in both the public and private sectors. She was managing director and head of International Government Affairs at Citigroup and vice president for Global Public Policy with Time Warner.
In her government career, Laura served as a trade negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in the negotiation of China’s entry to the World Trade Organization (WTO), the WTO Financial Services Agreement and the WTO Basic Telecommunications Agreement. She also served as a diplomat in the U.S. Foreign Service from 1990-1997, including serving as consular/economic officer in Bogota, Colombia and then at the American Embassy in Kigali, Rwanda. In Rwanda, she led evacuation efforts during the outbreak of civil war and returned as political advisor to U.S. forces providing humanitarian relief in the post-conflict environment. In a recent TED Talk, Laura describes that first-hand account and the importance of advocating for positive change.
Laura currently serves as co-chair of the President’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa (PAC-DBIA). She is also a member of the Board of UNHCR USA and previously served as a U.S. government appointed delegate for the APEC Business Advisory Council. Laura is a member of the board of several U.S. business associations and non-profits, including serving on the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital.
Laura graduated summa cum laude from Loyola University with a Bachelor’s degree in political science and history. As a Truman Scholar, she also graduated summa cum laude from Georgetown University with a Master of Science degree in foreign service in international economics and business diplomacy.
Roxana Shirkhoda, Head of Social Impact at Zoom
She mobilizes the company’s product, dollars, employees, and voice in the fight for a more just tomorrow.
Most recently Roxana was Director of Special Initiatives at Tides Foundation where she built an in-house consulting firm engaging companies in community-centered philanthropy. Prior she was the first employee and Director of Advisory Services at NPX, a fintech startup. At Google she funded and advised over 250 nonprofits advancing computer science education in 19 countries. Roxana also served as Interim CEO at Full Circle Fund.
Roxana led user centered design sprints for Stanford’s Center for Philanthropy and Civic Society, and conducted research on Oakland, California’s Office of African American Male Achievement. She served on the boards of Full Circle Fund and The Ever Forward Club–an organization focused on the liberation of young black and latino men. She loves to call San Francisco home, where she lives with her partner and cat Jimmy.
Brian Deffaa – Chief Marketing Officer at LifeBridge Health
Baltimore, MD - Brian Deffaa joined LifeBridge Health as the system’s first chief marketing officer (CMO) and will lead the development and execution of internal and external communications relating to marketing, branding and public relations.
“Brian Deffaa is a strategically oriented, customer-focused marketing executive with an impressive background in all forms of strategic marketing, including expertise in digital communication and customer relationship management. Along with his outstanding leadership skills, innovative thinking and vision, he brings an energy and enthusiasm and we are thrilled to have him as part of the LifeBridge Health team,” says Neil Meltzer, CEO of LifeBridge Health.
Brian and his team hired their first-ever agency-of-record and developed a purpose-based identity for fast-growing LifeBridge Health known as “Care Bravely.” This rallye-cry invigorated the internal culture while elevating LifeBridge Health’s 100+ year history of community service. “Care Bravely” also performs a dual role as LifeBridge Health’s consumer-facing go-to-market communications platform having a significant and emotive impact on the Maryland healthcare market.
Prior to his role at LifeBridge Health, Brian has 20 years of experience in marketing, leading recognizable campaigns at Capital One, Best Buy, Target, Jaguar and Ford Motor.
Deffaa earned his MBA in marketing from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and his bachelor of arts in political science from the University of Missouri in St. Louis.
Kylie Wright-Ford is the Chief Executive Officer at The RepTrak Company (formerly Reputation Institute), the global leader in corporate reputation data and insights. Based in the US Headquarters in Boston, Kylie leads The RepTrak Company’s global team towards their ambition of setting the global standard for metrics on reputation, Brand and ESG. The company’s purpose is to prove that doing and saying the right thing is good business.
As CEO, Kylie works with the company’s stakeholders, including clients across 60 countries and 200 employees, to ensure strategy alignment, financial success, innovation, citizenship and a great culture at The RepTrak Company. Kylie was previously the Chief Operating and Strategy Officer for World 50 and part of the leadership team at New York-based Gerson Lehrman Group (GLG). In the early part of her career, Kylie worked in finance for ten years. She completed her MBA at Oxford University in 2005 and is the co-author of a book about leadership in the fourth industrial revolution - The Leadership Mind Switch.
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