Thank You Seamus for Your Kind Remarks

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Thank you Seamus for your kind remarks.

In spite of the weather hurtling its way toward us, today we are welcoming the largest crowd to have ever gathered for an ICCR event! Thank you all so much for coming to celebrate yet another decade of ICCR’s leadership and accomplishments. I will add a special thank you to my husband, Bernard, and the friends and former colleagues who’ve made a special effort to be here this afternoon. Thank you. A big “welcome” to everyone, especially our moderator and panelists, who so graciously accepted our invitation to share their thoughts on leadership with us today.

I see so many dear friends, treasured collaborators and irreplaceable supporters out there in the audience, and I wish I had enough time up here to thank each and every one of you by name. I fear a more global “thank you” will have to suffice. I hope that you know how much I’ve appreciated all that each and every one of you has contributed to ICCR over the years. Since its founding 44 years ago and in every decade since, the ICCR community has worked tirelessly on a vision of asustainable community built on justice. And even though myadventure as ICCR’s Executive Director is coming to an end, I know that when you gather together in 2021 for ICCR’s half-century mark, there will bea new list of accomplishments to celebrate.

You may ask why I have such confidence in this organization’s future. Or even how I know ICCR can count on your continuing commitment to this work? Three reasons came to mind as I prepared to welcome you today: First, the ICCR community understands the risks and opportunities presented by bridges and tightropes. Second, eclipses don’t scare us. And finally like Henry Wordsworth Longfellow, we know a lot about angels.

How many of you attended our events back when they were at South Street Seaport…that is before Hurricane Sandy destroyed our favorite venue? The view from “Bridgewater’s” always brought to mind two New York stories that took place very close to that lovely venue. One in the 19thcentury and the other in the 20th .

When we gathered there for the first time in 2008, we were struck by the amazing resonance of the place with our mission. Here at ICCR, we fancy ourselves to be “bridge builders” in our work in corporate engagement. Those of you who were with us then may recall the story of the Brooklyn Bridge, which opened in 1853. It was not only beautiful, but it was the engineering marvel of its day. All kinds of traffic surged onto the bridge as soon as it opened. The traffic, even by New York standards, was overwhelming. In the rush to take advantage of the bridge’s promise, using impressive new technology, too many people showed up at one time and too few police officers were available to control the crowds. Tragically, a deadly stampede occurred. 12 people were crushed to death and scores were injured. In the wake of this tragedy the papers exclaimed that this engineering marvel had turned into a deathtrap. And of course, very expensive lawsuits were filed against the bridge trustees.

In 2008, we also shared the experience of a financial stampede, and the near collapse of our global capital markets. There were too few “police officers” and many of us lost faith in the individuals charged with protecting the marketplace.

I share this story, not just to share a bit of New York history, nor to express skepticism about engineering marvels;after all, I actually was an engineer early in my career. I share this story to remind us all of its resonance with contemporary challenges in the work of corporate responsibility. Today’s engineering marvels may not be as easy to see as the Brooklyn Bridge, but they can be just as risky without the sort of vigilance engaged investors provide. Whether the engineered marvel of securitized debt that nearly collapsed our global capital markets in 2008; or more recent revelations that the world’s largest automobile company used proprietary software to hoodwink regulators and 11 million carbuyers; let’s be clear: The work ICCR does matters.

In viewing investments through the lens of faith, ICCR members have a long history of raising issues that our companies may not yet see. In the wake of the crisis in 2008, the Christian Science Monitor referred to ICCR as an “Early warning system “. Through ongoing corporate dialogues, ICCR members identify risks and buildbridges to stakeholders in innumerable ways. Our marketplace cannot work and companies will not prosper if trust and integrity are lost.Quoting Monty Python, corporate responsibility is “not dead yet!” The work ICCR does… matters.

Has anyone seen the new film, “The Walk?”It tells a story I’ve often cited when describing ICCR’s work. In what Time Magazine called the “Artistic Crime of the Century,” on August 7th 1974 at 7:15 in the morning, 25-year-old Phillipe Petit began his high wire act. He stepped off the South Tower of the World Trade Center and began to cross a twisted cable of ¾-inch wire to the North Tower. Back and forth. Back and forth.Back and forth.He made eight crossings supported only by the tension of the wire and his belief that he could bridge the divide.

“The Walk” is clearly thestory of a man who found joy in his high wire act. A delight in doing what few were trained to do and even fewer would want to do. What gave him the audacity? What gave him the courage? What allowed him to pull it off?Was it vision? Faith?Skill?Balance?Strength? He clearly believed he could do it. And he knew the stakes were high, falling off was simply not an option. But Phillipe was ready. He understood the tension of the wire. He trusted his ability to balance. This trust and understanding allowed him to navigate the void.

Sometimes our work is like that. A high wire act held up by trust and an understanding that tension keeps us sharp. Tension, properly channeled creates energy and is a good thing. Our work is most successful when we find a way to bridge what divides us, in spite of the tension.

As I said before, the ICCR communityunderstands both the risks and opportunitiespresented by bridges and tightropes.

Did anyone see the Lunar Eclipse here on the East Coast Sunday night? With a name like “Super Blood Moon Eclipse,” it was pretty easy to image a frightening spectacle. The klieg-light in the sky slowly went dark as the earth’s shadow blocked out the sun’s reflected light. In our backyard the night-sky went dark. It was easy to imagine the light would never return. It was easy to forget that the moon has no light of its own; what we see here on Earth is merely a reflection of the Sun’s radiance. Slowly-but-surely, as the Earth and moon moved through their evening routine, the glowing moon reappeared.

Sometimes ICCR is a little like the moon. Our job is to reflect the work of others; our members and the corporate leaders who have the courage to work with us. Sometimes shadows fall but if we just keep moving, the light comes back. During these past few weeks there have been many disturbing stories that have given skeptics an opportunity pronounce the “death of corporate responsibility.” At the same time we’ve watched a millions of people shine with inspiration in the wake of Pope Francis’ visit and his very clear message. At ICCR we know the light will always come back. Eclipses don’t scare us.

And finally, what about those Angels? We appreciate Henry Wadsworth Longfellow who said, “We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done.”

In his poem, Footsteps of Angels, Longfellow reminds us that though we can sometimes be discouraged, there will always be angels who have come before us, taken our hand and helped us on our path.

The ICCR community knows a lot about angels.

Together, the ICCR community has done so much in these past four-and-a-half decades. Its reputation and credibility has been built upon what has already been done; but youall know you are capable of even more as you look toward your very bright future. As in the past there will be bridges and tightropes, darkness and light but I believe ICCR will always be guided by the footsteps of Angels.

Let’s welcome our panelists and join them in yet another provocative conversation.

Thank you.

Footsteps of Angels-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

When the hours of Day are numbered,
And the voices of the Night
Wake the better soul, that slumbered,
To a holy, calm delight;
Ere the evening lamps are lighted,
And, like phantoms grim and tall,
Shadows from the fitful firelight
Dance upon the parlor wall;
Then the forms of the departed
Enter at the open door;
The beloved, the true-hearted,
Come to visit me once more;
He, the young and strong, who cherished
Noble longings for the strife,
By the roadside fell and perished,
Weary with the march of life!
They, the holy ones and weakly,
Who the cross of suffering bore,
Folded their pale hands so meekly,
Spake with us on earth no more!
And with them the Being Beauteous,
Who unto my youth was given,
More than all things else to love me,
And is now a saint in heaven.
With a slow and noiseless footstep
Comes that messenger divine,
Takes the vacant chair beside me,
Lays her gentle hand in mine.
And she sits and gazes at me
With those deep and tender eyes,
Like the stars, so still and saint-like,
Looking downward from the skies.
Uttered not, yet comprehended,
Is the spirit's voiceless prayer,
Soft rebukes, in blessings ended,
Breathing from her lips of air.
Oh, though oft depressed and lonely,
All my fears are laid aside,
If I but remember only
Such as these have lived and died! Henry Wadsworth Longfellow