Earlier this year, ICMIF shared a news story following the announcement that a group of leading US CFOs were launching the first US Chapter of the global A4S Chief Financial Leadership Network. This prestigious group includes Warren Zaccaro, CFO of ICMIF member Securian Financial. On Thursday 26 September, the the US East Coast Chapter of the A4S CFO Leadership Network celebrated its official launch with the ringing of the bell at the New York Stock Exchange with Warren attending the ceremony.

Established by the Prince’s Accounting for Sustainability Project (A4S), a nonprofit founded by HRH The Prince of Wales in 2004, this collaborative Network helps business leaders integrate sustainability and solutions to social and environmental challenges into core strategy and business processes.

Speaking in May this year, Warren Zaccaro said: “One of the biggest benefits of being an A4S member company for Securian Financial is learning from other companies to influence change. As an insurance company, Securian Financial does not produce tangible “stuff” — and the corresponding pollution — but that doesn’t mean we can’t learn from and apply to our business what other A4S companies are doing. Our involvement in A4S will help us put an umbrella over our current sustainability initiatives and find additional places where we can make an even greater impact.”

ICMIF Chief Executive Shaun Tarbuck said: “I am delighted to see that the US East Coast Chapter has now celebrated its official launch with the ringing of the bell at the New York Stock Exchange this week. ICMIF members have been at the forefront of corporate social responsibility reporting for many years now, due to their longer-term thinking and greater alignment with the communities they serve. There is a desire amongst mutual and cooperative insurers to protect both their immediate communities as well as our planet as a whole. It seemed natural to my team and me that we would align ourselves with A4S and its aims and encourage our members to become actively engaged in its work.”

Tarbuck continued: “ICMIF is committed to promoting the great work already being done by A4S to convince CFOs that there is a way to incorporate sustainable financial practices in accounting reporting. The role for the finance community in achieving a sustainable world is critical, and mutuals and cooperatives are ideal candidates to be actively involved in this work. The topic of sustainable finance and investing is one which will be covered during the ICMIF Biennial Conference in Auckland in November this year.”

There is also a Canadian chapter of the CFO Leadership Network which was launched in March 2017. Karen Higgins, Executive Vice President-Finance and Chief Financial Officer at ICMIF member organisation, The Co-operators Group, is a member of this chapter.”

Photo shows: Warren Zaccaro (second from left) at the launch of the US East Coast Chapter of the A4S CFO Leadership Network

About The Prince’s Accounting For Sustainability Project (A4S)

The Prince’s Accounting for Sustainability Project (A4S) was established by HRH The Prince of Wales in 2004 with the aim to make sustainable decision making “business as usual.”

A4S works with the finance and accounting community to:

• Inspire finance leaders to adopt sustainable and resilient business models
• Transform financial decision making to enable an integrated approach, reflective of the opportunities and risks posed by environmental and social issues
• Scale up action across the global finance and accounting community

A4S has four main networks: the Chief Financial Officers Leadership Network, a group of CFOs from leading organisations seeking to transform finance and accounting; the Accounting Bodies Network, whose members comprise approximately two thirds of the world’s accountants; the Asset Owners Network, which brings together Pension Fund Chairs to integrate sustainability into investments; and The Circles of Practice which are more informal regional or sector level groups which provide finance leaders with the opportunity to share and exchange information and knowledge, rather than to work on specific projects.