Get to know our Keynote & Featured Speakers
Keynote Speakers
-
Ernest Moniz
Ernest J. Moniz, is a nuclear phisicist, that, among many other science and technology finance related inniatives, served as the thirteenth United States Secretary of Energy from 2013 to January 2017.
As Secretary, he advanced energy technology innovation, nuclear security and strategic stability, affirming his cutting-edge capabilities for the scientific research community, and environmental stewardship.
-
Sandrine Dixson-Declève
Currently serving as Honorary President/Global Ambassador of the Club of Rome, Sandrine Dixson-Declève is an environmental scientist, policy specialist, strategist, professor, and motivational speaker with over 35 years of experience in complex systems analysis, international and European climate policy, sustainable development, social equity, and sustainable finance.
Has advised global leaders, including His Majesty King Charles III, the United Nations, Members of the European Parliament, and government officials in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, as well as international organizations such as UNEP, USAID, UNFCCC, and IEA. Played a key role in drafting numerous European directives since the 1990s.
Industry Leaders
-
Assunção Cristas
Professor of Law at Nova University, Former Portuguese Minister of Agriculture, Sea, Environment and Spacial Planning
Former Minister of Agriculture and the Sea, and President of the CDS-PP. Currently leads VdA’s ESG Integrated Services Platform and coordinates NOVA Ocean, focusing on ocean governance and environmental law.
Day 3 - afternoon Conference Session Sustainability Policy & Finance: Transition Policy and Behavioral Changes
-
António Baldaque da Silva
Executive Director of Center for Sustainable Finance at Católica-Lisbon
António is Adjunct Professor and Executive Director of the Center for Sustainable Finance. Formerly a Managing Director at BlackRock, he founded and led the BlackRock Sustainability Lab, focusing on climate risk and sustainability analytics. He holds a PhD in Economics from Northwestern University.
Day 3 - Closing Session
-
Arne Staal
CEO FTSE Russell, Group Head of Benchmarks and Indices at the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG)
Group Head of Product & Research at LSEG and Chair of Refinitiv Benchmark Services. Former CEO of FTSE Russell, with prior leadership roles at BlackRock, Barclays, and Aberdeen. Holds a PhD in Finance from Kellogg School of Management.
Day 1 - afternoon Academic Sessions: Panel with Richard Sloan - University of South California, and Arne Staal - Group Head of Benchmarks and Indices for the LSEG and CEO of FTSE Russell
-
Augusto Caro
Global Head of SRI, Santander Asset Management
Global Head of SRI at Santander Asset Management and President of the CFA Society Spain Sustainability Committee. Formerly held senior investment roles at VidaCaixa and Bankia, with over a decade of experience in asset allocation and pension fund management. CFA Charterholder with a strong focus on sustainable finance.
Day 3- afternoon Conference Session Sustainability Policy & Finance: Financing the Transition in Practice
-
Anthony Lazanas
Head of Portfolio and Index Research at Bloomberg LP
Anthony Lazanas leads Bloomberg’s global research on portfolio construction, index strategies, and ESG integration. With over 30 years of experience spanning Lehman Brothers, Barclays, and Salomon Brothers, he is a recognized expert in quantitative finance and risk modeling. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from Stanford University and frequently speaks at industry events, including CFA Institute LIVE.
Day 2 - Learning Sessions: Workshop on the Financial Risk of Climate Change
-
Ana Fontoura Gouveia
Head of Sustainability at Banco de Portugal and Invited Professor at Nova SBE, Portugal
Filipa Carmona leads the implementation of CGD’s Sustainability Strategy, covering ESG regulatory reporting, CSRD alignment, sustainable bond issuance, and climate transition planning. With a background in Environmental Engineering from NOVA University Lisbon, she previously worked at KPMG and actively engages with organizations such as GRACE and BCSD.
Day 3 - morning Conference Session ESG 2025: Regulação e Reporte - Ponto de situação
-
Ana Bebiano
Director- General of IPCG (Instituto Português de Corporate Governance)
With over 15 years of experience as a lawyer in the asset management industry in London, she holds a Law degree from the University of Lisbon and an LLM from the London School of Economics, specializing in Corporate Governance, and is also certified in ESG Investing by the CFA Institute.
Day 3 - morning Conference Session ESG 2025: A transformação dos modelos de negócio num contexto regulatório em evolução
-
Carlos Correia de Barros
CFO, Executive Board Member at Secil
Chief Financial Officer and Executive Board Member at Secil, a leading cement and building materials company. With over a decade at the company, he previously held roles as Planning, Control and Development Director. Prior to Secil, he worked as a consultant at McKinsey & Company and the Kaizen Institute.
Day 3 - morning Conference Session ESG 2025: Os desafios do financiamento da transição climática
-
Christian Heller
CEO Value Balancing Alliance
Christian Heller is CEO of the Value Balancing Alliance and VP at BASF, where he leads efforts to align sustainability in business and finance. He co-chairs Germany’s Sustainable Finance Committee and actively shapes global sustainability standards and policies.
Day 3 - afternoon Conference Session Sustainability Policy & Finance: FInancing the Transition in Practice
-
Cristina Melo Antunes
Head of Sustainability at Santander Portugal
With over a decade of leadership roles across credit risk, corporate banking, and insurance, she brings a multidisciplinary perspective to advancing sustainability in the financial sector. Cristina also serves as a Non-Executive Board Member at Fundação Santander Portugal and Santander Totta Seguros.
Day 3 - afternoon Conference Session Sustainability Policy & Finance: Transition Policy and Behavioral Changes
-
Cláudia Coelho
Partner responsible for the ESG services platform and area of Sustainability and Climate Change at PwC Portugal
With over 20 years of experience in environmental management, she previously worked at GM/Opel and the Instituto de Soldadura e Qualidade. Her expertise spans ESG strategy, regulatory compliance, and environmental systems.
Day 3 - morning Conference Session ESG 2025: Os desafios do financiamento da transição climática
-
Franco Caruso
Head of Sustainability and Corporate Communications at BRISA Group
Head of Sustainability at Brisa with 18 years of experience in corporate communications and ESG strategy. Leads sustainability integration across business operations.
Day 3 - morning Conference Session ESG 2025: A transformação dos modelos de negócio num contexto regulatório em evolução
-
Filipa Carmona
Associate Director Sustainability at Caixa Geral de Depósitos
Sustainability leader with 15+ years in banking, retail, and consulting. Currently Associate Director at CGD, driving ESG strategy and sustainable finance initiatives. Formerly led sustainability at Lidl Portugal and KPMG.
Day 3 - morning Conference Session ESG 2025: Os desafios do financiamento da transição climática
-
Giuseppe Davide Barillà
Deputy Head of the Climate Change Centre at the European Central Bank
Deputy Head of the ECB’s Climate Change Centre with over 10 years at the Bank. Extensive background in banking supervision, crisis management, and sustainable finance. Formerly held roles at Banca d’Italia and Italy’s Ministry of Finance.
Day 3 - afternoon Conference Session Sustainability Policy & Finance: Financing the Transition in Practice
-
Inês Rocha de Gouveia
Fundação Santander Portugal
Passionate about the power of education to transform lives and build a better society. Strong advocate of teamwork and partnerships to expand access to formal education, widen the reach of lifelong learning, provide training for SMEs, and promote entrepreneurship. Senior executive with over 20 years of experience in banking, telecoms, and consumer goods across both Portugal and Brazil.
Day 1 - Opening Session
-
João Moreira Rato
President of the Direction at IPCG
President of the Portuguese Institute of Corporate Governance and Senior Advisor at Morgan Stanley. Visiting Professor at NOVA and Research Associate at LSE. Former Chairman of Banco CTT.
Day 3- morning Conference Session ESG 2025: Opening and Os desafios do financiamento da transição climática
-
José Costa Pinto
Director at IPCG
Founding Partner at Costa Pinto, advising on M&A, corporate law, governance, and compliance. Board member at the Portuguese Compliance Observatory and IPCG. Former ANJAP President; currently on the board of ASAP.
Day 3 - morning Conference Session ESG 2025: Regulação e Reporte - Ponto de situação
-
Katharina Schwaiger
Deputy Head of BlackRock Sustainability Intelligence, BlackRock
Managing Director at BlackRock Systematic, with over 12 years at the firm. Council Member at INQUIRE UK and Editorial Board Member of the Journal of Systematic Investing. Guest lecturer and active contributor to industry groups like Quantess London.
Day 3 - afternoon Conference Session Sustainability Policy & Finance: Financing the Transition in Practice
-
Linda-Eling Lee
Founding Director and Head of the MSCI Sustainability Institute, Member of MSCI ExCo, Director of US Sustainable Investment Forum, Fellow of the Aspen Global Leadership Network, member of CSF’s Advisory Board
Founding Director and Head of the MSCI Sustainability Institute, where she leads efforts to leverage capital markets in advancing sustainable value creation. A member of MSCI’s Executive Committee, she previously led the firm’s global ESG and climate research team. Recognized by Barron’s as one of the Top 100 Women in Finance, Linda is also a board member of US SIF and a fellow of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.
Day 3 - afternoon Conference Session Sustainability Policy & Finance: Transition Policy and Behavioral Changes
-
Manuel Mota
Partner, Climate Change & Sustainability Services Leader, Ernst & Young Audit & Associates – SROC
Partner at EY, leading Climate Change and Sustainability Services for Portugal, Angola, and Mozambique.
He advises on ESG strategy, decarbonization, and sustainability reporting across sectors.
Manuel also has extensive audit experience, particularly in energy and industry.Day 3 - morning Conference Session ESG 2025: A transformação dos modelos de negócio num contexto regulatório em evolução
-
Miguel Belo de Carvalho
Executive Board Member, Banco Santander Totta
Executive Board Member at Santander Portugal since 2019, leading the Commercial Division.
Over 30 years at Santander, with experience in markets, corporate banking, and asset management.
Held roles in Portugal, Brazil, and Spain. Background in Management and Finance.Day 3 - afternon Conference Session: Closing
-
Nuno Bettencourt
Partner | Audit & Assurance at Deloitte Portugal
Partner at Deloitte Portugal with over 20 years of experience in Audit & Assurance. Leads CSRD readiness, ESG reporting, GenAI assurance, and complex accounting advisory. Expert in SOX 404, SEC filings, and SAP S/4HANA assurance. Guest lecturer and frequent keynote speaker in technical seminars.
Day 3 - morning Conference Session ESG 2025: A transformação dos modelos de negócio num contexto regulatório em evolução
-
Patrícia Torres Leandro
Global Head of Sustainable Finance Solutions, Bloomberg LP
Global Head of Sustainable Finance Solutions at Bloomberg, leading ESG data, scoring, and regulatory tools. Drives development of EU Taxonomy, SFDR, TCFD, and Bloomberg Gender Equality Index solutions. Board member of the London Women’s Forum; experienced leader in financial markets and ESG strategy.
Day 3 - afternoon Conference Session Sustainability Policy & Finance: Financing the Transition in Practice
-
Pedro Cruz
Audit & Assurance Partner and Coordinator Partner de ESG at KPMG Portugal
Partner at KPMG Portugal with over 20 years of experience in audit and advisory. Specialised in financial reporting, internal controls, and corporate governance across multiple industries. Previously held senior roles at PwC Portugal, including Senior Manager and Manager.
Day 3- morning Conference Session ESG 2025: Os desafios do financiamento da transição climática
-
Pedro Rebelo de Sousa
President of IPCG’s General Council
Senior Partner at SRS Advogados with over 30 years of experience in law and finance. Former Partner and Board Member at Simmons & Simmons, with a focus on international legal strategy. Held leadership roles in banking, including Citi New York and Banco Fonsecas & Burnay.
Day 3 - morning Conference Session ESG 2025: Encerramento
-
Rita Oliveira Pinto
Administration Council and member of the Direction of the Sustainability Committee at CMVM
Board Advisor at CMVM, with prior leadership as Director of International and Regulatory Policy. Over 20 years' experience in capital markets and financial regulation, including at Linklaters and CS'Associados. Former lecturer at Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá.
Day 3 - morning Conference Session ESG 2025: Regulação e Reporte - Ponto de situação
-
Shiva Dustar
Head of the European Investment Bank (EIB) Institute
Shiva Dustdar is Head of the EIB Institute and a leading expert in sustainable and innovation finance with 30+ years of global experience. She founded the EIB’s Innovation Finance Advisory and led breakthrough financing initiatives. A Columbia and LBS alumna, she is a recognized thought leader in green, digital, and gender-smart investing. A thought leader in areas such as gender-smart investing, green and digital financing, and mission-oriented finance.
Day 3 - afternoon Conference Session Sustainability Policy & Finance: Transition Policy and Behavioral Changes
-
Susana Carvalho
Head of Sustainability & Climate Transition at Bondalti
Sustainability and ESG expert with over 15 years of experience across industry, energy, IT, and consulting. Skilled in sustainability reporting, ISO standards, and integrated energy and mobility solutions. Passionate about sustainable finance, circular economy, and fostering purpose-driven innovation and team culture.
Day 3 - morning Conference Session ESG 2025: A transformação dos modelos de negócio num contexto regulatório em evolução
-
Theresa Bodner
Head of Nature Based Solutions, MSCI Carbon Markets
Dr. Bodner leads Nature-Based Solutions at MSCI Carbon Markets, developing data products on forest, blue, and soil carbon. With a PhD in sustainable forest management, she brings expertise in climate strategy, green tech, and nature-based investing.
Day 2 - afternoon Learning Sessions Financial Economics and Sustainability: Workshop on Markets for Carbon and other Externalities
World renowned Academic Speakers:
-
Ana Albuquerque
Boston University, USA
Her research interests lie on the impact of regulation and financial reporting on executive compensation and incentives, and has been published in renowned journals.
Day 1 - afternoon Academic Sessions Accounting Conference II: Panel with Richard Sloan - University of South California, and Arne Staal - Group Head of Benchmarks and Indices for the LSEG and CEO of FTSE Russell
-
Aliya Korganbekova
Harvard Business School, USA
Investigating the intersection of finance and climate risk mitigation. Her research focuses on accounting disclosure and regulation with an emphasis on sustainability and artificial intelligence. Some of her work explores the real and spillover effects arising from state-level climate change regulations.
Day 1 - afternoon Academic Sessions Accounting Conference II: "Real, Disclosure and Spillover Effects of U.S. State-Level Climate Change Regulations"
-
Chendi Zhang
University of Exter Business School, UK
His research focuses on sustainable investing, corporate finance, and behavioural finance. He is the founding Director of Exeter Sustainable Finance Centre and Director and Treasurer of Global Research Alliance for Sustainable Finance and Investment.
Day 2 - morning Academic Sessions Finance Conference I: Time to Hedge, not Pledge on Climate Change
-
Dj Nanda
Miami Herbert Business School, USA
Research interests include International institutions and governance, Voluntary disclosure policies, Managerial ability and style. His teaching specialties include Financial reporting, Managerial incentives, Corporate governance, International accounting.
Day 1 - afternoon Academic Sessions Accounting Conference II: "Talking the Climate Change Talk: Evidence from the Paris Agreement"
-
Eddie Riedl
Boston University, USA
Leads research focusing on three mega-trends within financial reporting over the past two decades: fair value accounting, international reporting, and issues relating to ESG reporting.
Day 1 - morning Academic Sessions Accounting Conference I: Climate Solutions, Transition Risk, and Stock Returns
-
Fernando Anjos
NOVA School of Business and Economics, Portugal
Professor of Finance, his research interests include corporate finance, corporate diversification, mergers and acquisitions, social and economic networks.
Day 2 - afternoon Academic Sessions Finance Conference II: Climate Policy and Firm Efficiency: lessons from the trucking industry
-
Filipe Santos
Dean at Católica-Lisbon School of Business and Economics
Filipe Santos is Full Professor and Dean of CATÓLICA-LISBON, specializing in social entrepreneurship and innovation. He founded key initiatives like IES-Social Business School and Portugal Social Innovation, and currently serves as President of the EVPA. A Stanford PhD, he is a global thought leader in social impact and entrepreneurship.
Day 1 - Opening Session
-
Gaizka Ormazabal
IESE, Spain
Ormazabal’s research focuses on executive compensation and corporate governance. His work examines the choice and valuation implications of corporate governance mechanisms. His current research projects analyze recent trends in managerial compensation, corporate governance intermediaries, financial regulation, bank accounting, and the role of corporate governance in sustainable development.
Day 1 - morning Academic Sessions Accounting Conference I: Climate Solutions, Transition Risk, and Stock Returns
-
Joe Weber
MIT Sloan School of Management, USA
Weber specializes in empirical work on the importance of accounting information in financial contracts. His recent work documents how an innovation in the commercial debt market—performance pricing—allows for more efficient contracting by reducing the expected renegotiation costs of the contract.
Day 1 - morning Academic Sessions Accounting Conference I: "Imposing Disclosure on Investors that Choose to Promote Sustainability: Does it Lead to Portfolio Decarbonization?”
-
Kai Li
University of British Columbia, Canada
Award-winning researcher on corporate finance and the impact of environmental policies on business strategies. Her research interests include corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, corporate culture, corporate innovation, gender and finance, and machine learning.
Day 2 - afternoon Academic Sessions Finance Conference II: Green Products
-
Livia Yi
Boston College, USA
Research interests include areas of corporate finance, public finance, entrepreneurship, and urban economics. Yi’s research has appeared in leading academic journals and has also been covered in popular media outlets.
Day 2 - afternoon Academic Sessions Finance Conference II: Green Products
-
Luke Taylor
University of Pennsylvania (Wharton), USA
Research Interests include corporate finance, corporate governance, entrepreneurship, financial fragility and crises, learning, portfolio management.
Day 2 - morning Academic Sessions Finance Conference I: Carbon Burden
-
Mariassunta Giannetti
Stockholm School of Economics, Sweden
Renowned for her research on financial markets and ESG-driven investment strategies. She studies both empirically and theoretically how formal institutions and informal institutions affect corporate finance, investor behavior, asset valuations, and economic and financial integration.
Day 2 - afternoon Academic Sessions Finance Conference II: Carbon Pricing and Allocative Efficiency: Plant-Level Evidence
-
Nuno Gaspar de Oliveira
University of Lisbon, Portugal
Nuno is a biologist specializing in ecology and geography with over 20 years of experience in biodiversity and ecosystems. He is the CEO of NBI – Natural Business Intelligence and a leading consultant in biodiversity, ecosystems, and natural capital. He also lectures on Natural Economy at ISEG-IDEFE, INDEG-ISCTE, and Católica Porto Business School.
Day 1 - afternoon Learning Sessions Natural Sciences and Sustainability Conference I: Workshop on Natural Capital and Biodiversity
-
Neng Wang
Columbia University, USA
Widely published researcher with interests that include corporate finance, contract theory, financial institutions, asset pricing, asset allocation, sovereign debt and international finance, risk management, entrepreneurial finance, household finance, the Chinese economy, wealth distribution, among others.
Day 2 - morning Academic Sessions Finance Conference I: Sustainable Development with Climate Risks
-
Patricia Dechow
University of Southern California, USA
Expert in corporate governance and financial reporting, known for her work on sustainability accounting. Her research focuses on accounting accruals, the quality and reliability of earnings, the use of earnings information in predicting stock returns, and the effect of analysts' forecasts on investors’ perceptions of firm value.
Day 1 - morning Academic Sessions Accounting Conference I: Business Sustainability Reporting & Analysis
-
Pedro Matos Soares
University of Lisbon, Portugal | Member of the Scientific Committee at the Center For Sustainable Finance Católica-Lisbon
Researcher from University of Lisbon´s School of Sciences, his work delves upon the following topics: Climate Change, Climate Modelling, Climate Action, Climate Extremes, Urban Climate, Water, Turbulence and Clouds, Artificial Intelligence.
Day 1 - afternoon Learning Sessions Natural Sciences and Sustainability Conference I: Workshop on Climate Models
-
Paul Ehling
BI Norwegian Business School, Norway
Paul Ehling is a professor of finance at BI Norwegian Business School in Oslo, Norway. Ehling has consulted on corporate risk management, interest rate risk management, risk capital, valuation of derivatives for several corporations and worked for a consultancy firm.
Day 2 - morning Academic Sessions Finance Conference I: Sustainable Development with Climate Risks
-
Per Strömberg
Stockholm School of Economics, Sweden
Awarded researcher that mainily focuses on the two areas of bankruptcy and private equity finance.
Day 2 - afternoon Academic Sessions Finance Conference II: Climate Policy and Firm Efficiency: lessons from the trucking industry
-
Peter Easton
Notre Dame University, USA
Easton is the Director of the Center for Accounting Research and Education, ND Alumni Professor of Accountancy, and Editor in Chief of Accountability in a Sustainable World Quarterly.
Day 1 - afternoon Academic Sessions Accounting Conference II: "Real, Disclosure and Spillover Effects of U.S. State-Level Climate Change Regulations"
-
Rebecca Hann
University of Maryland, USA
Being the Dean’s Professor of Accounting, currently serves as the Associate Dean of Research and Doctoral Programs. Her research examines how information transparency affects decision-making and resource allocation in capital and labor markets.
Day 1 - afternoon Academic Sessions Accounting Conference II: "Talking the Climate Change Talk: Evidence from the Paris Agreement"
-
Robert Raney
IESE, Spain
Professor with valuable industry experience, whose research focuses on high-uncertainty environments, exploring topics such as pollution pricing, sustainability disclosure, and the fair value of financial assets.
Day 1 - morning Academic Sessions Accounting Conference I: "Imposing Disclosure on Investors that Choose to Promote Sustainability: Does it Lead to Portfolio Decarbonization?”
-
Richard Sloan
University of Southern California, USA
Professor of accounting, finance and business, his research focuses on the role of accounting information in investment decisions.
Day 1 - afternoon Academic Sessions: Panel with Richard Sloan - University of South California, and Arne Staal - Group Head of Benchmarks and Indices for the LSEG and CEO of FTSE Russell
-
Sumudu Watugala
Indiana University Kelley School of Business, USA
Research spans topics in investments, financial intermediation, international finance, asset management, and climate finance. Her papers have been published by the top journals in finance.
Day 2 - afternoon Academic Sessions Finance Conference II: Carbon Pricing and Allocative Efficiency: Plant-Level Evidence
-
Susana Martins
Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Portugal; Oxford University, UK | Affiliated Researcher at the Center For Sustainable Finance Católica-Lisbon
Leading research on the role of sustainability in corporate decision-making. She os working collaboratively on a global common volatility (COVOL) model for measuring and hedging global risks, and on the impact of climate change news on the global COVOL of the oil and gas industry.
Day 2 - morning Academic Sessions Finance Conference I: Time to Hedge, not Pledge on Climate Change
-
Yrjo Koskinen
University of Calgary, Canada
Yrjö’s main research areas are corporate finance and governance, and sustainable finance. His current research focuses on ESG issues and how they affect trading and prices in financial markets. His research has been published in the leading finance and management journals.
Day 2 - morning Academic Sessions Finance Conference I: Carbon Burden
