AFP DEI Initiative at AFP 2022

The treasury and finance profession is powerful -- and it can grow even stronger by adopting diverse and inclusive business practices.

AFP 2022 programming shares how to align your work with the principles of DEI, and celebrates the ways that diverse voices and perspectives strengthen everyone.

Take part in these featured events and sessions:

AFP DEI Roundtable

Sunday 2:00–3:30 PM

AFP DEI Reception

Sunday 3:30–4:30 PM

Sessions Supporting DEI Efforts

Executive Institute Session:

Putting the "S" in ESG
Limited to executive corporate practitioners.
In May 2021, Amazon issued $18.5B in bonds that included two firsts: its first sustainability bond, and the first time any corporate issuer built an enhanced diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) coordinator role into a single-day bond issuance. Join this session to hear tips and ideas, learn best practices for building an impactful DEI initiative by actively supporting and partnering with minority- and mission-led firms, integrating them into your commercial paper, investments and debt capital markets activities.

Capital Markets & Investments Sessions:

Navigating Transformation in the Liquidity Investment Ecosystem
With major transformations in markets, regulations, product features, and technology, cash investment is becoming increasingly complex. This moderated panel discussion featuring senior treasury management practitioners discusses best practices for investing in a rising rate environment; how to invest with an ESG and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion lens to achieve consistency with greater corporate goals; the potential impacts of the next round of money market fund regulatory reform; and how technology is driving opportunities to improve efficiencies in the liquidity investment space.

Developing and Integrating ESG into Corporate Financing
In recent years, a significant percentage of investors are paying more attention to companies' ESG performance when making investment decisions and may even divest from firms with poor environmental track records. Teranet, an international leader and pioneer in electronic land registration systems and commerce, shares its journey to develop a ESG program from scratch including conceptualization, executive sponsorship, development and implementation of relevant and achievable benchmarks, organizational rollout and maintenance of a scorecard. Learn how targeted questions from investors informed the decision to integrate ESG into Teranet’s financing activities including market positioning, investor presentation and discussions, and approaches for ESG metrics within its offerings.

Diversity and Inclusion: Dare to be Different
With the increased focus on incorporating Environmental, Social, and Governance principles into the core operating function of a corporation, Treasurers are continuously thinking of ways to incorporate diversity and inclusion into their investments. One way is to partner with companies that are at the frontlines of diversity and inclusion in the financial services industry. Some of these partnerships can help provide underrepresented groups with increased opportunities needed to succeed. Join this discussion about the ins and outs of partnerships that have supported corporations in their D&I efforts.

Heave-Ho: Lifting Barriers and Creating Positive Social Outcomes through Cash Investing
ESG considerations have become table stakes in asset management – an integral force driving billions of dollars in investments today. As regulatory bodies and shareholders increasingly demand that firms demonstrate how they are integrating ESG factors into their investment decisions, focus on these considerations will continue to grow. This session examines the increasingly important ‘S’ factor in ‘ESG’, introduces cash investment options, such as trading with diverse broker-dealers, designed for investors looking to create positive social outcomes through cash management and discusses innovative ways to meet the traditional objectives of cash investing while seeking to foster a positive social benefit.

Career Development Session:

Future Finance Workforce Patterns and Actions for Success
Managing through talent issues in 2022 has been a difficult one for treasury and finance leaders. There are many challenges related to maintaining a highly functioning team, from supporting the need to upskill and pivot resources to embracing new ways of working and shifting demands. Many companies continue to struggle with this, but some organizations have embraced effective techniques that are allowing them to build for the future. Using the results of Oliver Wyman’s 2022 CFO survey, hear from a practitioner panel as they discuss current trends and the corresponding strategies their organizations are deploying to ensure their teams are meeting the demands of the changing work landscape.