Ambassador Thomas Shannon, Senior International Policy Advisor & Co-Chair of Global Law & Public Policy Practice, Arnold & Porter

Regardless of where we’re located or the type of organization we work in, geopolitical and economic uncertainty is influencing both our communications strategies and day-to-day jobs like never before. From supply chain snarls to the war in Ukraine, and from inflation to deglobalization, we all are called on to communicate with stakeholders in a much more complicated landscape than when we last met at a Page Up conference.

To kick off our program this year, Ambassador Thomas Shannon will join us to provide us his expert view on the state of geopolitics, including bright spots and emerging threats that businesses all over the world will be impacted by and/or reacting to in the year ahead. Ambassador Shannon has more than three decades of experience in government and diplomatic service, serving six presidents and 11 secretaries of state in the U.S. and at embassies in Guatemala, Brazil, South Africa and Venezuela. He was appointed U.S. Ambassador to Brazil and most recently served as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs under Presidents Obama and Trump, where he oversaw U.S. relations with the Russian Federation, Iranian compliance with the nuclear deal, and UN directed peace process in Yemen and South Sudan. Holding the personal rank of Career Ambassador, he was the highest ranking member of the United States Foreign Service, the country’s professional diplomatic corps. He currently is Senior International Policy Advisor and co-chair of the Global Law & Public Policy practice at Arnold & Porter. He is also a Visiting Professor at Princeton University and co-director of Princeton’s History and the Practice of Diplomacy Program.

Maya Dillon, Head of Corporate Communications, M&T Bank; and Francesco Lagutaine, Chief Marketing Officer, M&T Bank 

There are a lot of tragic and unsettling things happening in the world today. It’s the job of the modern communications team to  address issues confronting their communities, colleagues, customers and other stakeholders—with words and actions.

These days, sitting on the sidelines isn’t an option. Some stakeholders expect—insist—that companies express a point of view on news-making events that impact all of us. Some are not convinced that companies should take a position, especially with the polarizing and divisive nature of many events affecting society today. Add to the mix, decisions to speak out could negatively impact the reputation of the company resulting in losses for shareholders, backlash from customers, and more.

Today’s news environment has made the job of communications leaders that much harder. These are difficult conversations and the divisive nature of the news might have business impacts. We have all been there. Should we say something? What should we say?

A communications team should consider developing a decision-making framework as a  tool to help answer that vexing question—should we say something or anything? If so, how and to whom?

In this session, Page Up member Maya Dillon, the head of corporate communications, and Page member Francesco Lagutaine, the chief marketing officer, for M&T Bank will discuss what they did to provide a tool that helps facilitate conversations and make these decisions just a little easier.

Bryan Miller, Senior Director of Product & Content, Collage Group, & Victor Parades, Executive Director of Cultural Strategy, Collage Group

Getting language and labels right is a key component of authentically engaging across diverse America. Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to know which terminology to use given shifting consumer priorities and broad cultural shifts. 

This presentation helps brands and organizations navigate this tricky linguistic situation by looking at Hispanic, Black, and Asian Americans’ preferences for specific terms like Hispanic, Latino, Latina, Latinx, Black, African American, Asian, Asian American, and BIPOC. It offers key findings and actions steps organizations and brands can use to signal empathy, understanding, and respect to multicultural audiences.

Moderated by Maria Tamburri, VP, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Dominion Energy (Moderator); and featuring Victoria Russell, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Beam Suntory; Chandran Nair, CEO, Global Institute of Tomorrow; and Ivonne Azucena (Baez) Furneaux, Vice President, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Anywhere

Businesses are moving quickly to implement diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives, but in some cases struggle to get it right, ensuring everyone is brought along. In this session, moderated by Maria Pia Tamburri, VP, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Dominion Energy a panel of corporate leaders will discuss key learnings from putting DE&I programs in place. They will offer best practices, cautionary tales – and address the following questions:

• What is the right way to communicate DE&I internally and externally?
• What does success look like and how should it be measured?
• What are the DE&I considerations for a global company?

Come and see what insights you can bring back to your own company.

12:00 – 1:00 p.m. CT

Networking Lunch

Wait, I thought we were having a conference…now we’re having an unconference? Yep, you read that right. The unconference addresses our perennial desire for more time mixing it up with — and learning from — one another. The idea is simple — the attendees (that’s us) — are the content for the Page Up Annual (un)Conference just as much as the speakers on the stage. We’ll reserve some blocks of time and space to convene around topics you’re most interested in. No presentations, just people with experience, curiosity, and ideas.

You don’t have to be an expert to suggest a topic — just come with an idea you’d like to discuss with your peers. There are a limited number of time slots available and a dedicated space in which each group will meet up (physically and virtually). As a participant, you can suggest a topic, graze, attend multiple topics, stay put, or even invent other ways to connect (maybe we finally get to use the metaverse?) Like much of Page Up, you will only get out what you put in. But given this powerful network of motivated world-changers, it promises to be a dynamic and powerful way to gain insights and forge real connections with communicators you admire and respect.

And keep your eyes peeled for the blinking lights at the welcome reception!

Jon Iwata, Former Chief Brand Officer, IBM; Executive Fellow, Yale School of Management; and Founding Executive Director, Data & Trust Alliance

Managing the dynamics at the intersection of multiple stakeholders is high on the CEO agenda. The CCO can play a pivotal role in helping develop and execute a stakeholder strategy, one that is grounded in authenticity and competitive differentiation. Learn how to determine the materiality of issues and design solutions using an emergent form of design: stakeholder-centric design.

4:50-5:00 p.m. CT

Closing/Adjourn for the Day

Laurie Bischel, 2022 Page Up Annual Conference Co-Chair, Managing Director, Corporate Communications, CME Group

Laurie Bischel, 2022 Page Up Annual Conference Co-Chair, Managing Director, Corporate Communications, CME Group

Patrick Humphris, 2022 Page Up Annual Conference Co-Chair, Managing Director, Head of Corporate Affairs, CVC Capital Partners (Virtual)

David Albritton, Former President, General Motors Defense, & Founder and Chief Executive, Nineteen88 Strategies

The COVID-19 pandemic has altered life as we know it. It’s impacted us physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. It’s strained our employees and it’s changed us as leaders. We experienced many of the same, human emotions and challenges during the worst of times, and we did so while simultaneously caring for our teams. Needless to say, we’re exhausted and in desperate need of a re-set. As the world continues the difficult process of learning how to stay open safely, businesses and communities are looking to us, as leaders, to be even more adept at change, communicate even more effectively and to put an even greater value on emotional intelligence to manage successfully the complex world we’re living in. This interactive, one-hour discussion will include practical tips for how to reclaim ourselves as leaders through self-reflection so that we emerge as confident, compassionate and equipped to seize the opportunity that lies ahead.

Ethan McCarty, CEO, Integral

Rob Jekielek, Managing Director, The Harris Poll

We’re all experiencing a seismic transformation in the workplace. Huge shifts in technology, demographics, the labor market, and the very nature of work itself have reshaped the employer–employee relationship and our own relationship with work itself.

In this interactive session, we’ll explore five key trends impacting the way we engage employees. The eroded distinction between internal and external contributes to new expectations beyond stable, long-term employment. The multigenerational workforce’s desires have shifted to focus on belonging to an organization with personalized career paths, highly customized employee experiences, and a clear purpose that aligns with the employee’s own values. The divide between managers and non-managers is a steady undercurrent demanding new tactics and modalities of communication. How will employers engage their most important public — their own people — in the new normal?

Laurie Bischel, 2022 Page Up Annual Conference Co-Chair, Managing Director, Corporate Communications, CME Group

Patrick Humphris, 2022 Page Up Annual Conference Co-Chair, Managing Director, Head of Corporate Affairs, CVC Capital Partners (Virtual)