How Accountants Create Value with ESG (Is ESG a Fad or Here to Stay?) (E2208234)

Pamela Cone collaborates with the leaders of professional services firms and network leadership around the globe to build and evolve strategic, transformative Environmental, Social and Governance practices, policies and programs that meet stakeholder expectations.

With more than 3 decades of experience working in professional services firms in marketing, communications and business development roles, she brings all her industry knowledge and expertise to help clients evolve their ESG, social impact and sustainability programs from “transactional” to “transformational” – core to the business, consistent with purpose and collaborative in nature.

In addition to her work with clients through her consulting firm, Amity Advisory, she also serves as the VP, Social Impact & Sustainability Officer at Milliman, a global actuarial consulting firm.

Rani has more than 20 years’ experience working with public companies and their regulators, investment banks and investors.

Her focus includes board and committee governance, organization and operations; board assessment and results; corporate governance philosophy, frameworks, policies and practices; codes of business conduct and ethics and effective compliance cultures.

Rani has strong experience in corporate communications and business matters, including investor-focused and regulatory communications, corporate strategic and risk matters, and public offerings and other capital markets transactions.

Prior to joining EY, Rani was a partner with a major global law firm and Managing Director at an American hedge fund manager and global alternative asset management firm. Rani began her career with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, where she served as special counsel in the Office of International Corporate Finance and received the SEC’s Capital Markets Award.

Melisa is the founder and CEO of Galasso Learning Solutions LLC. A CPA with nearly 20 years of accounting experience, Melisa designs and facilitates CPE courses in advanced technical accounting and auditing, including not-for-profit and governmental accounting. She supports essential professional development, audit level training and train the trainer efforts. Melisa is a Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD) and has earned the Association for Talent Development Master Trainer™ designation. She serves on the Financial Accounting Standards Board's (FASB) Not-for-Profit Advisory Committee (NAC), American Institute of CPAs' (AICPA) Council, and the Virginia Society of CPAs' (VSCPA) Board of Directors. She was on the AICPA’s Technical Issues Committee (TIC) and is a past chair of the North Carolina Association of CPAs' (NCACPA) A&A committee. Melisa authors the AICPA’s State and Local Government Guide and is an SME for the Center for Plain English Accounting. She was a 2020 Enterprising Women of the Year Award recipient and a CPA Practice Advisor “40 under 40” in 2017, 2018 and 2019. She was a 2019 Rising Star by her regional National Association of Women Business Owners' (NAWBO) chapter and won the Don Farmer Award for technical content instruction.

Donny is the founder and managing director of IntrapriseTechKnowlogies LLC, an advisory-focused CPA firm concentrating on innovation acceleration and organizational development for small businesses, middle market organizations, and nonprofits. Donny is a recognized thought leader and educator in the fields of accounting technology, IT risk management, and performance management. His dedication to helping accountants and organizations strategically leverage technology while proactively managing their business and technical risk is paramount.

Donny also serves as an business transformation advisor and outsourced “IT partner” for local & regional firms, finance departments, and internal audit departments who lack in-house IT executive leadership and IT audit expertise; He helps with risk assessments, IT-related advisory services, development of innovation strategies, streamlining of internal firm/department operations, and increasing staff proficiency with IT tools supporting internal operations and accounting/audit services delivery.

Donny was recognized as one of the Top Thought Leaders in Public Accounting by CPA Practice Advisor from 2012 to 2020, and Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting (2013 & 2014 & 2017-2020) by Accounting Today. He received the 2009-2010 President’s Award from the Hawaii Society of CPAs, and was also named to CPA Technology Advisor’s 40 Under 40 list in 2007 & 2009 & 2014, and was a Hawaii Top High Tech Leader in 2004.

Donny is a member of the IFAC Technology Advisory Group, was a past chairman of the AICPA’s Information Management and Technology Assurance Executive Committee and former member of its Governing Council, Assurance Services Executive Committee, and numerous other AICPA committees and task forces. He is also the current co-chair of the National Conference of Lawyers and CPAs.