On March 10, Miami Herbert Business School hosted the sixth Annual CSO Summit & Symposium (CSOSS), a day-long virtual and in-person event featuring prominent corporate leaders who joined faculty to discuss the latest developments and future prospects in sustainable business. The premier event supports Miami Herbert’s robust offering in the field, which includes the only STEM-certified Master in Sustainable Business in the United States, as well as a minor for undergraduates and an upcoming co-major option.
"At Miami Herbert, we believe that business has a crucial role to play in creating a more sustainable and equitable economy,” said Daniel Hicks, a member of the school's economics faculty as well as founder, organizer, and chair of the annual CSOSS conference. “We also see a tremendous appetite for sustainability education at the university with the creation of the new Climate Resiliency Academy. CSOSS brings together leading thinkers and practitioners in the field of corporate citizenship to share insights and experiences."
The event was presented by Calamos Investments, a global mutual fund and wealth management company, and additionally sponsored by AutoNation, Baptist Health South Florida, Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, and The Miami Herald.
“We are pleased to be partners with Miami Herbert, a school that has worked diligently to cultivate a sustainability business program that is relevant, focused, and very valuable,” said John Koudounis, CEO of Calamos Investments, the presenting sponsor for the two consecutive years. “Since the last time we were together in 2022, the topics of sustainability have grown and morphed in more ways than we could have expected. Sustainability has taken on new forms and expanded in reaching manufacturing, technology, supply chain, agriculture, and investing. Accordingly, Miami Herbert’s CSO Symposium and Summit has expanded, and we are very proud to be part of that growth.”
CSOSS panelists were sustainability leaders from prominent business, financial, nonprofit, and academic organizations, among them: American Century Investments, American Red Cross, Jones Lang LaSalle, Moody’s, Raymond James Financial, S&P Global, State Street, and the University of Miami.
Throughout the event, panelists discussed a range of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) topics including supply chain management in health care; corporate reporting and sustainable finance; management perspectives on corporate sustainability and governance; and the role of business in sustaining the oceans amid climate change.
The more than 20 CSOSS speakers included Donna Shalala, the former U.S. health secretary of health and human services and former president of the University of Miami; Daniel Benetti, renowned researcher and director of marine affairs and policy at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School; and alumnus Dr. Chad Perlyn, president of Nicklaus Children’s Pediatric Specialists.
The CSO Summit & Symposium has become a leading event in the field of corporate sustainability, attracting top executives, industry experts, and academics from around the world. With each passing year, the event has grown in size and scope, reflecting the increasing importance of sustainability in the business world. The event is hosted in partnership with the university’s distinguished Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, one of the world’s leading academic and environmental research institutions.
