First Plenary Speakers Announced for BSR Conference 2013: Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson, Waste Management CEO David Steiner, and African Business Leader Tony Elumelu

Register by July 2 to save up to US$550

San Francisco, June 24, 2013 /3BL Media/—The BSR Conference 2013, taking place November 5-8 in San Francisco, will feature an inspiring lineup of speakers to celebrate and explore "The Power of Networks." The early registration period—giving attendees a chance to save up to US$550—ends July 2.

Plenary-level speakers at this year’s event include:

Mary Robinson, President, Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice: Robinson, who served as President of Ireland from 1990 to 1997 and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights from 1997 to 2002, started her foundation to support thought leadership, education, and advocacy on the struggle to secure global justice for the people who are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. She has received numerous honors, including the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom, and in March 2013, Robinson was appointed the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region of Africa. Her memoir, Everybody Matters, was published in March 2013.

David P. Steiner, President and CEO, Waste Management: Steiner leads North America’s largest environmental solutions provider, which serves more than 20 million customers. Prior to being elected to his current position in March 2004, Steiner was Waste Management's CFO. He joined the company in November 2000 as Vice President and Deputy General Counsel and was appointed Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary in July 2001. Previously, Steiner was with the New Orleans-based law firm Phelps Dunba, and he worked at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in San Jose, California.

Tony O. Elumelu, Founder, The Tony Elumelu Foundation, and Chairman, Heirs Holdings Limited: Elumelu is the leading proponent of Africapitalism, the private-sector's commitment to the economic transformation of Africa. His foundation focuses on Africa-based and African-funded social investment, with a mission to identify and groom African business leaders and entrepreneurs to enhance the competitiveness and growth of the continent’s private sector. Elumelu’s investment company deploys proprietary capital for the long term in the most promising sectors of Africa.

I3 speakers at this year’s event include:

Marina Gorbis, Executive Director, Institute for the Future: Since joining Institute for the Future (IFTF) in 1999, Gorbis has helped bring a future perspective to hundreds of organizations in business, education, government, and philanthropy to improve innovation in strategies, products, and services. Currently, she focuses her research on social production—the process of aggregating micro-contributions from large networks of people using social tools and technologies to create a new kind of wealth. Her new book, The Nature of the Future: Dispatches from the Socialstructed World, examines how this is changing the face of business, medicine, education, banking, scientific research, and government.

Sunil Paul, Cofounder and CEO, SideCar: Paul’s rideshare community program operates in nine U.S. metropolitan areas, including Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco. In 2011, Paul lobbied the California legislature to allow private car-sharing, and SideCar now holds this patent, which covers a method for accepting a transportation request for passenger pickup, determining location, and directing a vehicle to the requested location. Paul has a long track record of investing in companies that have the promise of becoming major, disruptive forces in solving the climate crisis and reducing energy dependence.

For more than 20 years, the BSR Conference has provided the preeminent global platform for sharing best practices, collaborative approaches, and opportunities to advance sustainable business.

To receive updates on speakers, sessions, and more, visit www.bsr.org/conference, or register here.

Members of the media interested in a complimentary press pass to attend the BSR Conference 2013 should contact Eva Dienel, Associate Director of Communications, at edienel@bsr.org.

BSR works with its global network of more than 250 member companies to build a just and sustainable world. From its offices in Asia, Europe, and North and South America, BSR develops sustainable business strategies and solutions through consulting, research, and cross-sector collaboration. Visit www.bsr.org for more information about BSR’s more than 20 years of leadership in sustainability.