Dr. Felipe O. Calderon, CPA, CMA, Executive Director of the Gov. Jose B. Fernandez, Jr. Center for Sustainable Finance, and School Head of the Washington SyCip Graduate School of Business
As the Asian Institute of Management reached its 50th year, it continues to prove that the institution could not only live up to the rapidly changing landscape but surpasses it. The key to success of the AIM hinges on how we position ourselves as a highly dynamic and competitive educational institution in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) environment. As an active research and educational institution, the AIM has taken the obligation to diversify the Institution’s portfolio and engage more with society; to open new programs and bridge engagement with industries, and the vast network of stakeholders in the country and Asian region.
It is in these contexts that the Asian Institute of Management (AIM), through the initiatives of Dr. Felipe O. Calderon, CPA, CMA, Executive Director of the Gov. Jose B. Fernandez, Jr. Center for Sustainable Finance, and School Head of the Washington SyCip Graduate School of Business, has been trailblazing Sustainability Management and Leadership in the Institute. As a pioneer in the theory and practice of sustainable finance, Dr. Calderon is a sought-after speaker on sustainability in business and has addressed various forums in both local and international organizations such as the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the Civil Service Commission of the Philippines, the Bankers Association of the Philippines, the Maybank Foundation, the ASEAN Bankers Association, the International Finance Corporation, the Dutch Association for Sustainable Development and the UK-based Earth Security Group. Dr. Calderon is also AIM’s lead representative to the United Nations initiative on Principles for Responsible Management Education.
Dr. Calderon has been a sought-after speaker and moderator for topics on sustainable finance; social, environmental & financial risk management, business actions and impacts of climate change, the Sustainable Development Goals, and human resource sustainability management, among others. He is co-author of “Dilemma of Sustainable Lending”, published by the Journal of Sustainable Finance and Investment. He is a Canadian CPA, CMA and holds a BSc in Agribusiness Management from the University of the Philippines at Los Baños, and an MSc in International Banking and Financial Studies from Heriot-Watt University Scotland. He obtained his PhD in Management from the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland.
For him, sustainability pertains to the Triple Bottom Line where the social and environmental factors are considered alongside financial gains. In Calderon’s words, it is not the profitability that they teach. What they teach is for their students to become responsible leaders not only focusing on profitability but also on being environmentally conscious and socially responsible leaders. The concept of sustainability is already practiced among companies in the Philippines and AIM took the initiative to develop a course on Sustainable Finance. As a man with a mission, Calderon encourages, if not force, corporate borrowers to adopt the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals in business operations.
This article was published in Business Mirror on 08 January 2020. Link to website: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2020/01/08/a-catalyst-for-sustainability/
