Diligent Announces Shiza Shahid, Moisés Naím, Michael Montelongo, Veena Ramani and More to Deliver Impactful Sessions at the Fourth Annual Modern Governance Summit

Leading experts to share insights and best practices for organizations to build resiliency, mitigate risk and govern with confidence at the Diligent Modern Governance Summit 2022

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Diligent, the global leader in modern governance providing SaaS solutions across governance, risk, compliance, audit and ESG, today announced keynote speakers and agenda highlights for its annual Modern Governance Summit (MGS), taking place in Austin, Texas and online between September 12-14, 2022.

World-renowned leaders will take the stage to explore key issues like risk and strategy; ethics and compliance; environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG); digital transformation and more. Attendees will have the opportunity to network with peers and hear from industry experts in impactful sessions like “The World Hangs in the Balance: Getting ESG Right”; “Living Your Purpose: Putting Your Values and Ethics First in Business”; “The Evolving Risk Landscape – Implications of Geopolitical and Financial Risk”; “What Has Changed (and what hasn't) Since SOX”; and “The Courage to Lead: What it Takes to Build a Purpose-Driven Enterprise.” A full agenda can be found here.

Just a few of the inspirational speakers at this year’s MGS include:

• Shiza Shahid, an entrepreneur, investor, technologist, and impact leader, co-founded the Malala Fund with Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai and led the organization as founding CEO. She is now the co-founder of Our Place, a mission-driven e-commerce startup that is creating products and telling stories that celebrate cultural traditions and reinvest in communities, through the lens of food and home-cooking. Shiza will deliver a session on putting values and ethics first in business.
• Moisés Naím, internationally syndicated columnist and best-selling author. In the early 1990s, Dr. Naím served as Venezuela’s Minister of Trade and Industry, as director of Venezuela’s Central Bank, and as executive director of the World Bank. Dr. Naím will be a keynote speaker discussing geopolitical risk and strategy.
• Sherron Watkins, former Vice President of Corporate Development at the Enron Corporation, whose exposure of corporate misconduct paved the way for the enactment of SOX corporate reform law. Sherron will be part of a panel discussion on what has changed – and what hasn’t – since Sarbanes-Oxley Act was enacted 20 years ago.
• Cynthia Cooper, accountant who formerly served as the Vice President of Internal Audit at WorldCom where her team exposed the largest accounting fraud in U.S. history. Cynthia will also be part of the panel on what has changed since SOX.
• The Honorable Michael Montelongo, President and CEO of GRC Advisory Services, LLC, and former Bush White House appointee who served as the 19th assistant secretary for financial management and CFO of the US Air Force and the first Latino in that role. Michael will join Cynthia Cooper and Sherron Watkins in the SOX panel discussion.
• Veena Ramani, Research Director at FCLTGlobal and expert in corporate governance, climate change and ESG issues. Veena will be part of panel discussions on preparing for shareholder and stakeholder ESG activism and getting ESG right.
• Enrique Acevedo, CBS Correspondent who has interviewed some of the world’s biggest leaders, including President Barack Obama, Melinda Gates, Kofi Annan and more. Enrique will moderate “The World Hangs in the Balance: Getting ESG Right.”

“Organizations today are navigating complex and ever-evolving business landscapes, where uncertainty is omnipresent,” said Brian Stafford, CEO of Diligent. “In this era, the role of governance, risk, compliance, audit and ESG professionals has become even more critical. We’re honored to be engaging with this community of leaders in person once again as we explore the intersection of performance, risk and purpose, and to welcome this year’s roster of world-renowned speakers.”

Now in its fourth year, the Modern Governance Summit is the largest governance, risk and compliance (GRC) event of the year bringing together thousands of leaders from board members to corporate secretaries, general counsels, chief compliance officers and other governance professionals. Designed to elevate GRC practices and explore key issues facing organizations today, attendees benefit from 2.5 days of thought leadership, networking and product training opportunities.

The event is open to the press and most sessions will be on the record. For more information and to register contact: [e-mail]

About Diligent

Diligent is the global leader in modern governance, providing SaaS solutions across governance, risk, compliance, audit and ESG. Serving more than 1 million users from over 25,000 customers around the world, we empower transformational leaders with software, insights and confidence to drive greater impact and lead with purpose. Learn more at diligent.com.