At the 2025 Corporate Responsibility Summit hosted by The Conference Board in New York City, one message rang out loud and clear: long-term value demands resilience.
Global B4SI Director, Clodagh Connolly, joined a dynamic conversation with leaders across industries to discuss the evolving expectations around corporate responsibility. As Clodagh noted, the climate crisis isn’t going away — and neither are the social and political headwinds that challenge business stability.
In today’s world, businesses must stay committed to their social purpose, especially when external pressures make it difficult. Success lies not in chasing the latest fads or reacting to shifting political or investor landscapes, but in holding steady to a long-term vision for impact. As Clodagh put it: “Stay the course. Reframe your language if you must, but keep your purpose intact.”
Key takeaways from the discussion included:
- Balance short-term responsiveness with long-term goals — stay agile without losing sight of your bigger mission.
- Embed impact across the business — from HR to procurement and R&D, responsibility and sustainability must be a shared effort.
- Reframe, don’t retreat — adapt how you communicate, but never compromise your core values.
- Use credible data and frameworks — build confidence internally and externally by measuring impact in a consistent, transparent way.
At B4SI, we are proud to support companies that are serious about delivering intentional, transparent, and impactful contributions to society. Thank you to The Conference Board for hosting such a rich and timely conversation, and to the brilliant fellow panellists who continue to drive this important work forward.
Let’s keep building the case — and the business model — for business as a force for good.
📸 Pictures:
1. Clodagh Connolly at the panel “𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒄 𝑪𝒐𝒓𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝑷𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒚: 𝑨𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑮𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑩𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑺𝒐𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝑰𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒕 𝑮𝒐𝒂𝒍𝒔.” along with Davida Rivens, Chief Impact Officer, E4E Relief, Anita Whitehead, President & Chair, KPMG US FOUNDATION INC, and Marissa Weidner, Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer, Webster Bank.
2. From left to right, Jeff Hoffman, NACD.DC, Clodagh Connolly and Andrew Jones at the 2025 Corporate Responsibility Summit.