Leadership and Sustainability
Q&A on Sustainability
See our ESG Executive Leadership Council's thoughts on what sustainability means to them, why it's important, and how it is shaping our company’s long-term strategy.
Elizabeth Giddens
Chief Legal Officer
How important is it to work for a company that’s committed to sustainability?
Elizabeth: Very important. Making sustainability a priority for Stewart and continuously improving keep us at the forefront of our industry. We’re committed to our employees, to our customers and to the areas where we have a presence, but we also need to think about sustainability and improvement as they relate to a healthy future. It’s important that we see ourselves as part of the broader world.
How does Stewart’s commitment to sustainability affect the company’s governance decisions and activities?
Elizabeth: Our commitment to sustainability drives many decisions we make in governance. I see sustainability as simply doing the right thing. What makes a commitment to sustainability work for a company are the processes and structures that bring sustainability into everyday decisions. We have that here. And we work to incorporate sustainability into that structure and toward continuous improvement.
How do those decisions and activities relate to ensuring a better home for all?
Elizabeth: For Stewart, this question has multiple meanings. As a title services company, our governance helps us protect people who are buying and selling homes or commercial properties. Stewart also creates a home for our employees; our culture and governance help them feel like part of a work family and be their authentic selves. Finally, we must remember that we don’t operate in a vacuum. What we do impacts individuals, communities and the environment.
As the leader of our governance initiatives, what does Stewart do within this area that makes you proud to be part of the company?
Elizabeth: As the chief legal officer and corporate secretary, I play a key role in driving Stewart’s governance and compliance initiatives. Stewart’s culture and code of conduct attracted me to the company in the first place, and I am privileged to be able to continue Stewart’s success with governance. Stewart is a diverse brand, so I’m most proud when we involve people with diverse backgrounds in our decisions and make those decisions as a team. We make smart investments, comply with laws and do the right thing. And I love that sustainability is on the agenda for Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, board and executive leadership team meetings.
What are you excited about bringing into Stewart’s sustainability efforts in the future?
Elizabeth: Stewart is on a journey to improve our sustainability efforts, and I’m excited that my role allows me to help define the governance that helps Stewart rise to that challenge. I’m excited about Stewart’s culture and code of conduct, and how the company encourages everyone to take responsibility for where the company is going. Beyond that, I feel there is a shifting of attitudes in the world at large. For us, that means thinking differently about governance issues. I want to help champion those issues.
How does sustainability impact your day-to-day responsibilities?
Elizabeth: I lead the teams responsible for maintaining and growing the structure, programs and policies that make Stewart a leader in governance and define our company today and into the future. I make each decision relating to those responsibilities with the sustainability of our company overall in mind.
Emily Kain
Chief Human Resources Officer
How important is it to work for a company that’s committed to sustainability?
Emily: We are committed to providing the best employee experience we can from day one. This commitment to our employees, which includes a focus on inclusion and belonging, and on programs that support our employees in ways that matter to them most, has shaped and continues to shape our global talent strategy year over year.
How do those decisions and activities relate to ensuring a better home for all?
Emily: As the executive leader over HR, Communications and Community Relations, it’s important to me that we are creating a space – a home – where employees can bring their authentic selves, hearts and minds to work every day. The work our DE&I Council and our leaders are doing to create an environment and culture where every employee is seen, heard and celebrated is something truly remarkable.
As the leader of our governance initiatives, what does Stewart do within this area that makes you proud to be part of the company?
Emily: In my role at Stewart, I have the privilege of serving as President for The Stewart Title Foundation, Inc. I’m proud that, along with leadership and the Communications and Community Relations team, we’ve been focused the last couple of years on giving to the charitable organizations our employees support in the communities where we live and work. We refer to this support of communities, along with our focus on a connected company culture and commitment to customer service excellence, as our Culture of Caring.
What are you excited about bringing into Stewart’s sustainability efforts in the future?
Emily: I’m looking forward to continuing our sustainability journey along with our journey to be the premier title services company – a place where the best people want to be, and a place that has a culture they are proud of and want to tell their family and friends about.
How does sustainability impact your day-to-day responsibilities?
Emily: Every day, our HR, Communications and Community Relations teams, and I remain committed to our employees and their experiences and development. We take immense pride in keeping our employees safe and engaged, and in ensuring their business and well-being needs are met; they’re treated equally, fairly and with respect; and they’re appreciated often. We seek feedback formally, via our employee engagement survey, and informally. We listen and take action to get better every day. We extend this same commitment to our local communities.
Brian Glaze
Corporate Controller
How important is it to work for a company that’s committed to sustainability?
Brian: Initially, I wasn’t sure about everything sustainability encompassed. But as I have worked more closely with our ESG Committee over the past year, I have seen how our operations can impact the environment as well as Stewart’s overall goals as a business. As we continue to educate our employees on sustainability, it will become more important and eventually become part of Stewart’s DNA.
How does Stewart’s commitment to sustainability affect the company’s governance decisions and activities?
Brian: Our commitment to sustainability has grown over the years. As we have identified additional measures and actions we can take to be a more sustainable company, we have realized that the small decisions we make can aggregate into better outcomes for the environment.
How do those decisions and activities relate to ensuring a better home for all?
Brian: In my role, I see Stewart from many different perspectives – finance and accounting, procurement, and investor relations. There are many constituent groups that we interact with involving internal decisions we make relating to reducing paper usage, recycling electronics or driving to the office. I also see that we can make more informed, green-friendly decisions on where we lease office space and buy office supplies. We know sustainability is a vital component for some potential investors when they evaluate Stewart.
As the leader of our governance initiatives, what does Stewart do within this area that makes you proud to be part of the company?
Brian: We formed our Environmental Management Committee in 2022. Forming the committee solidifies Stewart’s commitment to sustainability. As head of the committee, I have the opportunity to work with business leaders from across the company that make up the committee. This enterprise-wide approach gives us better insight into identifying decisions that can make Stewart a more sustainable company. I am proud of our commitment to reducing our impact on the environment each year.
What are you excited about bringing into Stewart’s sustainability efforts in the future?
Brian: It is exciting to see our progress as we move through this journey. There are so many external resources available that we take advantage of to make Stewart a more sustainable organization. We will continue to identify measurable ways to impact the environment.
How does sustainability impact your day-to-day responsibilities?
Brian: Sustainability is at the forefront of our daily operations. It has made me more conscious about the decisions I make. Not only the small daily decisions, but also those significant decisions and actions that can move the needle toward a more sustainable future.