In a career spanning high risk finance, strategy consulting and entrepreneurship, Mary Adams has been a leader in the global conversations about the opportunities at the intersection of ESG, sustainability and intangible capital.

She is one of three co-founders of Insights7, a software company that recently re-launched its performance management platform to integrate sustainability information alongside financial and operational data to support both external reporting and internal decision making. She is also a co-founder of two communities: The Exit Planning Exchange, a forum for promoting long-term thinking in private companies, and the Integrated Reporting U.S. Community, a forum for promoting long-term thinking in public companies.

Mary is the co-author of Intangible Capital: Putting Knowledge to Work in the 21st Century Organization. Prior to starting her Smarter-Companies consulting firm in 1999, she spent 14 years as a high-risk lender at Citicorp and Sanwa in the U.S. and Latin America.

I believe that the solutions to the many challenges facing us--as people, workers and citizens--are hidden in plain sight inside our businesses. My passion is helping people unlock this hidden potential to drive both profits and prosperity. It’s the only way forward.

Fun fact: I was the first person to get a speaking gig through the Innovation Women platform!