CO-HOSTED BY THE MARKKULA CENTER FOR APPLIED ETHICS, SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY
Your company is compliance oriented, law abiding, produces great products and services, and turns a profit on behalf of shareholders. What more could a board want? Silicon Valley Directors’ Exchange and the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University will host a spirited discussion about whether (and how) boards of directors should address the current crisis of trust in institutions including corporations. The Edelman Trust Barometer indicates societal leaders are not trusted to address challenges or for much of anything, for that matter. Should this crisis of trust concern boards of directors and, if so, what role should a director play in enhancing social trust in their company and, perhaps, corporations as a whole. The discussion will address how private companies can be instruments for advancing the common good and how this can serve both corporate and social interests. Related questions include: Is the overlap of the private and social good exaggerated? How can a board engage with a younger generation of arguably more skeptical employees and consumers? Should boards just keep their head down and help management make money for shareholders who can, in turn, decide to “give to the social good” with their profits in hand?
SPEAKERS
Dr. Mary Ann Dewan
Dr. Dewan is the Santa Clara County Superintendent of Schools. She has served in education over 30 years in a variety of leadership roles. Dr. Dewan believes that all students deserve high quality, equitable, and inclusive education. She serves on a number of committees and boards and promotes equity focused system’s change at local, county, and state levels.
Dr. Dewan is recognized for her work in education reform and change leadership, and for her commitment to serve the community and underserved, vulnerable youth. She is passionate about diversity, inclusion, equity, and social justice.
Jack Lazar
Jack Lazar is a public and private company CFO, GM and corporate development executive with experience managing Operations, Finance, Accounting, Investor Relations, Corporate Development, Business Development, HR, Legal, Sales Operations, Program Management and IT functions. Mr. Lazar is currently an independent board member at Silicon Labs, Resideo, Casper, Box, thredUP, and Tile. He is also an Advisory Board member for Santa Clara University’s Account and Finance Advisory Boards.
Deepa Seetharaman
Deepa Seetharaman is a reporter with the Wall Street Journal. Ms. Seetharaman covers Facebook, LinkedIn and other technology companies for WSJD, The Wall Street Journal's global technology bureau. She previously worked for Reuters, most recently covering e-commerce, including companies such as Amazon and eBay, in San Francisco as well as the U.S. auto industry in Detroit.
Ann Skeet
Ann Skeet is the Senior Director, Leadership Ethics, Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University. Ann researches, writes and speaks about the ethical dilemmas of leaders, corporate culture and the ethical challenges of governance. She works with board directors, CEOs, and C-suite executives to shape and reinforce organizational cultures that encourage ethical outcomes. Anne was previously CEO of American Leadership Forum Silicon Valley and VP of Marketing with Knight Ridder.
F. Daniel Siciliano, moderator
F. Daniel Siciliano is a successful technology CEO-founder and entrepreneur, as well as Chairman of the board of the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, and a recognized expert in corporate strategy and governance, capital financial markets, executive compensation, and technological disruption (including fintech, AI and cybersecurity). He is currently Chairman of SVDX and a fellow at Stanford University.