Part II – Leadership from the Top: How Senior Canadian Business Leaders Are Responding to the COVID-19 Crisis
Summary
“How Senior Canadian Business Leaders are Responding to the COVID-19 Crisis” is the second part of a multi-webinar series, focusing on the Canadian response to COVID-19 by sharing the insights, priorities and inspiration of top business leaders, government representatives and sustainability experts. In this episode, we sit down with top industry leaders from the fixed line telecommunications, financial and packaging sector to better understand how they foresee business continuity in the post-COVID era. We also discuss the specific impacts and considerations on business and the future of sustainability. This episode features TELUS’ Director of Sustainability and the Environment Geoff Pegg, Scotiabank’s Chief Sustainability Officer Brendan Seale, and Transcontinental Inc.’s Chief Strategy Officer Magali Depras.
More than ever, businesses are capitalizing on new opportunities, while seeking increasingly innovative ways to respond to consumer and employee needs in a safe and inclusive manner. Transcontinental’s Magali Depras identifies a shift in consumer trends as people revert to single use items and packaged goods, placing hygiene and safety concerns at the forefront and offering interesting implications for the packaging sector. Meanwhile, as essential service providers, TELUS and Scotiabank continue to maintain their quality service level with respect to their customers and employees’ health and wellbeing. This means virtual customer service offerings, additional budget for health and wellness related support among employees, and tailored business offerings to meet the needs of our most vulnerable community members.
As companies steer away from “business as usual”, the post COVID-era is a chance to build back better, capitalizing on new opportunities as they continue to emerge and providing a stronger sense of belonging to employees at the forefront of the movement. It is a time to bridge the gaps in equity and access and implement more resilient business practices. As mentioned by Brendan Seale from Scotiabank, expectations are shifting, and sustainability work will be more relevant than ever in the long-term as sustainability champions play a leading role in mitigating the impacts of future shocks. This episode’s experts share that the UN Sustainable Development Goals provide an excellent framework for recovery as the global issues defined by these goals are at the frontline of the pandemic.
Speakers:
- Brendan Seale, Chief Sustainability Officer, Scotiabank
- Geoff Pegg, Director – Sustainability & Environment, TELUS
- Magali Depras, Chief Strategy Officer, Transcontinental Inc