Yafit Cohn has been named chief sustainability officer at The Travelers Companies, Inc.
In a statement, Travelers said that Ms. Cohn, in this newly created position, will lead Travelers' environmental, social, and governance ("ESG") efforts across the organization and will serve as a member of the company's ESG and disclosure committees.
"Deeply rooted in our culture is the recognition that industry-leading results are inextricably linked with gratified customers and business partners, engaged employees, and healthy communities," said Alan Schnitzer, chair and chief executive officer of Travelers. "A chief sustainability officer will enable us to deepen the sophistication of our sustainability efforts, tell our story more effectively and engage more broadly as a thought leader in the related and evolving public policy dialogue."
Travelers recently launched a new sustainability website that addresses 16 topics that the company has identified as its key drivers of sustained value: business strategy and competitive advantages; capital and risk management; climate strategy; community; customer experience; data privacy and cybersecurity; disaster preparedness and response; diversity and inclusion; eco-efficient operations; ethics and values; governance; human capital management; innovation; investment management; public policy; and safety and health.
Travelers said that it developed its sustainability website with the input of key stakeholders and taking into account several leading sustainability disclosure frameworks. It said that it also included standalone reports responsive to the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board ("SASB") standards for the insurance industry and the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures ("TCFD").
Ms. Cohn said, "I'm honored to step into this new role at a company with a history of demonstrating that long-term success depends on a commitment to all stakeholders. The relationship of that commitment and our business strategy is evident throughout our new website, which conveys how we integrate our sustainability efforts with long-term value creation. I look forward to continuing to help articulate Travelers' view of sustainability and further contributing to the important public conversation surrounding sustainable business practices."
Ms. Cohn joined Travelers in September 2017 as associate group general counsel and currently serves as chair of the Society for Corporate Governance's newly formed sustainability practices committee. She previously served as counsel and a member of the Public Company Advisory Practice at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, where she advised public companies, corporate management, and boards of directors on an array of issues pertaining to corporate governance and securities law. She holds a J.D. from Columbia Law School, where she was a Harlan Fiske Stone scholar, and a bachelor's degree in political science, summa cum laude, from Columbia College.
Ms. Cohn will report to Christine Kalla, executive vice president, general counsel, and chief ethics and compliance officer.
Learn more: sustainability.travelers.com.
Victoria Spears
Victoria Prussen Spears is senior vice president of Meyerowitz Communications Inc., a law firm marketing communications consulting company. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and Brooklyn Law School, Ms. Spears was an attorney at a leading New York City law firm before joining Meyerowitz Communications. She may be contacted at [email protected].