NewCo Shift Form — Speaker Spotlight
Of the banks that survived the financial crisis, few were as battered as Bank of America. The company found itself at the centre of the largest financial breakdown and economic collapse since the Great Depression — their brand’s reputation plummeted not only for its role as a subprime lender, but also amidst accusations of overcharging customers, mishandling foreclosures, and more. Combine this with the $45 billion of federal aid that the bank received, and it quickly became a target for activists, protesters, and politicians, a symbol for what many thought had gone wrong with Wall Street.
Enter Anne Finucane, who has been with Bank of America since 2005, but led the effort to help rebuild trust in their brand and improve their business practices in a post-recession world. Finucane, vice chairman and member of the executive management team, is responsible for the strategic positioning of the bank, and leads their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) efforts. She also oversees public policy, customer research and analytics, global marketing and communications.
Finucane has played a vital role in transforming the Bank of America brand, but she couldn’t do it just with the right tagline. She has spearheaded an increased commitment to the company’s ESG efforts, overseeing their $125 billion environmental business initiative, which includes their $10 billion Catalytic Finance Initiative that invests in high impact clean energy projects.
As she said, “you must define your story from the inside out and build a reputation that can withstand the slings and arrows.” Finucane — and Bank of America as a whole — are not just paying lip service to corporate responsibility. By mobilizing billions of dollars of capital towards social and environmentally responsible investing, the company has the power to move markets, and the potential to transform the role of financial institutions in today’s society.
Finucane — and Bank of America as a whole — are not just paying lip service to corporate responsibility. By mobilizing billions of dollars of capital towards social and environmentally responsible investing, the company has the power to move markets, and the potential to transform the role of financial institutions in today’s society.
That’s why we’re pleased to have Anne join us for a session at NewCo Shift Forum, NewCo’s new executive conference covering “Capitalism at a Crossroads.” She’ll be interviewed by our own John Battelle and by John Heilemann, former managing editor of Bloomberg Politics and co-host of the award winning HBO show, The Circus. Joining 400 of the best minds in business, technology, and government, Finucane will help us explore a new compact between business and society. We’re now accepting applications for delegates, and we’d love for you to learn more and apply.
Join us for the NewCo Shift Forum, where 400 of the best minds in business, technology, and government will come together for two days of focused, action-oriented dialog.