06.20.19
Jerry MacCleary, chairman and CEO of Covestro LLC, at the annual gathering of the Northeast petrochemical industry in Pittsburgh, discussed the critical need for corporate responsibility among gas and oil companies based in the Southwest Pennsylvania region.
One of several high-profile CEOs keynoting at Northeast U.S. Petrochemical Conference & Expo, MacCleary called on the companies to bolster their sustainable business practices, transparency and community engagement.
By offering insight into the character of the region and its people, he made the case for why such corporate behavior is essential for companies doing business in the region.
“Pittsburgh is the home of some of the greatest philanthropists of the 19th and 20th centuries – Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick and H.J. Heinz who lived by the motto, ‘heart power is better than horsepower,’” MacCleary said. “These traditions of social responsibility, caring, partnership and community building are intrinsic to the fabric of Pittsburgh and its people. Its citizens demand nothing less.”
In urging companies to engage, he outlined a number of business and civic initiatives designed to help build the region and make it stronger. He pointed to education and workforce development programs, as well as diversity and inclusion efforts, such as The Advanced Leadership Initiative.
He also highlighted Covestro’s social purpose work around sustainability with Sustainable Pittsburgh and CEOs for Sustainability; the Allegheny Conference on Community Development and its newly established Sustainability Principles; and the Covestro Center for Community Engagement at Robert Morris University, which empowers “citizen philanthropy” by giving employees the tools to engage in skills-based volunteerism with nonprofit organizations.
“Employees want their companies to allow them to do social purpose work in the community,” said MacCleary. “This certainly squares with who Pittsburghers are and what they expect of local companies.
“Let’s work together to create the best version of Pittsburgh that we can.”
