Terras New York 2025

The curated leadership evening

The Yale Club, New York

September 25, 2025

Terras New York 2025 convened sustainability and business leaders for bold conversations and strategic collaboration during Climate Week New York City.

A patio with a tree at Terras Lausanne

Terras New York 2025 at a glance

Terras New York 2025 was a one-evening leadership forum during NY Climate Week, gathering executives for candid conversation and exchange. In 2025, Dirk Voeste, CSO at Volkswagen, joined this salon-style leadership evening. The curated format enabled meaningful dialogue without press, pitches, or presentations.

TES presenting at Terras Tuscany.
80

Sustainability Leaders

1

Impactful Evening

1

Unique location

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Terras New York 2025 attendees and speakers

At Terras New York, attendees engaged closely with sustainability leaders from Morgan Stanley, Estée Lauder, Goldman Sachs, and more. It was an evening of networking with executives in a remarkable setting.

Portrait of Nancy Mahon, Chief Sustainability Officer, Estée Lauder.Portrait of Nancy Mahon, Chief Sustainability Officer, Estée Lauder.
Nancy Mahon
Chief Sustainability Officer at Estée Lauder
Dirk Voeste, Chief Sustainability Officer at Volkswagen GroupDirk Voeste, Chief Sustainability Officer at Volkswagen Group
Dirk Voeste
Chief Sustainability Officer at Volkswagen Group
Portrait Sandrine Dixson-Declève, Honorary President, The Club of RomePortrait Sandrine Dixson-Declève, Honorary President, The Club of Rome
Sandrine Dixson-Declève
President at The Club of Rome
Melissa James, Vice Chairman, Morgan StanleyMelissa James, Vice Chairman, Morgan Stanley
Melissa James
Vice Chairman at Morgan Stanley
Valerie Smith, Chief Sustainability Officer at CitiValerie Smith, Chief Sustainability Officer at Citi
Valerie Smith
Chief Sustainability Officer at Citi
Anisa Costa, Chief Sustainability Officer at RivianAnisa Costa, Chief Sustainability Officer at Rivian
Anisa Costa
Chief Sustainability Officer at Rivian
Portrait of Michael Kobori, Fmr. Chief Sustainability Officer, StarbucksPortrait of Michael Kobori, Fmr. Chief Sustainability Officer, Starbucks
Michael Kobori
Fmr. Chief Sustainability Officer, Starbucks
Portrait of Kurt Harrison, Founder and Co-Head, Global Sustainability Practice at Russell Reynolds AssociatesPortrait of Kurt Harrison, Founder and Co-Head, Global Sustainability Practice at Russell Reynolds Associates
Kurt Harrison
Founder and Co-Head, Global Sustainability Practice at Russell Reynolds Associates
Christina Shim, Chief Sustainability Officer at IBMChristina Shim, Chief Sustainability Officer at IBM
Christina Shim
Chief Sustainability Officer at IBM
Portrait of Teresa Johnson, Partner, Arnold & PorterPortrait of Teresa Johnson, Partner, Arnold & Porter
Teresa Johnson
Partner at Arnold & Porter
portrait of Gregg Meyer, Chief Sustainability Officer, Steve Madden.portrait of Gregg Meyer, Chief Sustainability Officer, Steve Madden.
Gregg Meyer
Chief Sustainability Officer at Steve Madden
Kristin Siemen, Chief Sustainability Officer, General MotorsKristin Siemen, Chief Sustainability Officer, General Motors
Kristen Siemen
Fmr. Chief Sustainability Officer at General Motors
Portrait of Subho Mukherjee Vice President, Global Head of Sustainability, NokiaPortrait of Subho Mukherjee Vice President, Global Head of Sustainability, Nokia
Subhagata Mukherjee
Vice President, Global Head of Sustainability, Nokia
Portrait Eva Riesenhuber, the Global Head of Sustainability at SiemensPortrait Eva Riesenhuber, the Global Head of Sustainability at Siemens
Eva Riesenhuber
Global Head of Sustainability at Siemens
Robert H. Edwards
Managing Director at Hamilton Clark
Iris Van der Veken, Executive Director at WJI2030Iris Van der Veken, Executive Director at WJI2030
Iris Van der Veken
Executive Director at WJI2030
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Keynote and panels

Terras New York 2025 featured panels on Mobilizing Capital for Sustainability, Leadership Effectiveness, The Rise and Fall of Corporate Sustainability and Sustainability as Competitive Advantage, along with a keynote on The Rise of the Impact-Driven CSO.

The Rise of the Impact-Driven CSO
In this keynote, Sarah Galloway explored how Chief Sustainability Officers are evolving from risk managers to strategic leaders, examining the shifting role of CSOs in driving long-term business impact.
Speaker:
Sarah Galloway
Co-Head, Global Sustainability Practice, Russell Reynolds Associates
Panelists:
Sustainability as Competitive Advantage
In this panel, moderated by Sarah Galloway, Co-Head of Global Sustainability Practice at Russell Reynolds Associates, Dirk Voeste, Chief Sustainability Officer at Volkswagen Group, and Subho Mukherjee, Vice President and Global Head of Sustainability at Nokia, explored how technology can accelerate climate solutions while balancing energy use, ethics, and real-world application.
Speaker:
Sarah Galloway
Co-Head, Global Sustainability Practice, Russell Reynolds Associates
Panelists:
Dirk Voeste
Chief Sustainability Officer, Volkswagen Group
Subhagata Mukherjee
Vice President, Global Head of Sustainability, Nokia
Leadership Effectiveness
In this panel, Nancy Mahon, Chief Sustainability Officer at Estée Lauder, Sandrine Dixson-Declève, Former President of The Club of Rome, and Christina Shim, Chief Sustainability Officer at IBM, discussed leadership effectiveness in sustainability, sharing actionable insights and strategies from private and public sector leaders.
Speaker:
Panelists:
Nancy Mahon
Chief Sustainability Officer, Estée Lauder
Sandrine Dixson-Declève
Honorary President, The Club of Rome
Christina Shim, Chief Sustainability Officer at IBM
Christina Shim
Chief Sustainability Officer, IBM
Mobilizing Capital for Sustainability
In this panel, moderated by Robert H. Edwards Jr., Managing Director at Hamilton Clark, Melissa James, Vice Chairman and Managing Director at Morgan Stanley, and John Eleotorio, Head of Sustainability Banking at Goldman Sachs, discussed mobilizing capital for sustainability, from early beginnings to today's strategies and tomorrow's opportunities.
Speaker:
Robert H. Edwards
Managing Director, Hamilton Clark
Panelists:
Melissa James
Vice Chairman, Morgan Stanley
The Rise and Fall of Corporate Sustainability?

In this panel, Valerie Smith, Chief Sustainability Officer at Citi, and Michael Kobori, Former Chief Sustainability Officer at Starbucks, discussed the rise and fall of corporate sustainability, an assessment and implications for the future.
Speaker:
Panelists:
Valerie Smith
Chief Sustainability Officer, Citi
Michael Kobori
Fmr. Chief Sustainability Officer, Starbucks

Moments at Terras New York 2025

Terras New York took place in the heart of Manhattan. The Yale Club is one of New York’s most prestigious venues, offering timeless elegance and a central location during NY Climate Week.

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