Steve Theriot, CFO at JBG SMITH (NYSE: JBGS), is one of six program directors for the inaugural REITworks: 2020 Virtual Conference, to be held Sept. 21-22. REITworks will provide the opportunity for attendees to learn from peers and industry experts about the latest developments in environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and good governance impacting the real estate sector. Attendees will have the opportunity to earn up to 27 CPE credits and learn best practices for successfully implementing an ESG program.
Nareit spoke to Theriot recently about what is motivating him and JBG SMITH to support ESG education for the industry in this moment. “Now that we are all so isolated as we collectively weather this global pandemic, it is more important than ever to find new ways to collaborate with others and share our experience and identify best practices,” Theriot shared.
“The beauty of REITworks is that the content has been designed to be relevant to HR, sustainability, and finance professionals. It creates an opportunity for our entire industry to expand their knowledge base by getting access to content that they wouldn’t have otherwise.” View the latest schedule.
REITworks will bring together REIT industry professionals working in finance, ESG, human resources, investor relations, and more for educational programming, as well as virtual networking opportunities. REITworks will also address how COVID-19 has impacted ESG in the real estate sector. “The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted how important resilience and flexibility is in running your business,” said Theriot. The pandemic has created new challenges and issues in the REIT industry, which will be discussed during the conference.
JBG SMITH was recently featured in Nareit’s REIT Industry ESG Report for its ambitious ESG initiatives, including setting a goal to reduce its portfolio-wide energy use intensity by 20% by 2024. When asked what advice he would give a company just starting to develop a formal ESG plan, Theriot said, “It’s not unlike any other important business initiative—you have to have clear objectives and develop a roadmap.”
Join the conversation at Nareit’s REITworks: 2020 Virtual Conference. Register by Aug. 29 to receive your early bird registration discount.