KEVIN O ’ CONNELL TITLE : TRUST SOLUTIONS PRACTICE AND GLOBAL ASSET & WEALTH MANAGEMENT ESG LEADER
ESG
KEVIN O ’ CONNELL TITLE : TRUST SOLUTIONS PRACTICE AND GLOBAL ASSET & WEALTH MANAGEMENT ESG LEADER
COMPANY : PWC
INDUSTRY : MANAGEMENT CONSULTING
LOCATION : UNITED STATES
Kevin O ’ Connell is the US Trust Solutions Sustainability Leader at PwC . With over 30 years of experience in third-party assurance , information governance , and internal controls reporting , he assists major financial services clients in managing complex risks and controls . Kevin is passionate about sustainability , focusing on designing enterprise-wide sustainability strategies to improve ESG reporting , building trust with stakeholders , and adding value to society
This is something that O ’ Connell explains “ revolves around the quality of information that you ’ re getting ”, which is where standards and frameworks come into play . Of course it ’ s important to understand , firstly , the methods that are most compliant with investors ’ needs , but secondly , employ specific personnel — much like investors are doing — to manage climate and social impact reporting . O ’ Connell says that “ ESG controllers are popping up in finance organisations to essentially coordinate all of the data collection ”. Working alongside investment firms to understand what the ESG controller role entails could shed light on how they use their own data to the right effect — initially for ESG , but then for securing funds .
“ All of the sources are being provided to the ESG controller , there ’ s analytics or other ways to determine whether that information is accurate ,” says O ’ Connell . “ We ’ re slowly seeing people moving to technology solutions to try and automate data collection and just make it a more efficient process , especially if it ’ s going to have to be on AA10K financial reporting .”
While other organisations will have set the scene for what businesses can achieve , companies newly establishing the presence of sustainability within their businesses can see the requirement of investors as a benefit . The standards and frameworks — and methods of working — supported by investment firms will align with companies leveraging the same .
62 January 2024