In this session you will hear experts from Cisco and Javits Center discuss the journey to transform and modernize the massive building to becoming one of New York's most important economic assets. What began as an opportunity to modernize technology systems after a severe weather event evolved into a reimagined space that incorporates smart building technology, sustainable materials, renewable energy, urban farming practices and more. The panel of experts will discuss the key steps taken along this journey, share key learnings and explain how using technology can be used to accelerate sustainability initiatives.
Bill Sisson - Executive director for the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) North America
William (Bill) Sisson is presently the executive director for the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) North America, a nonprofit based in New York City, operating as an international office of WBCSD in Geneva. He oversees WBCSD’s regional strategy, relations and growth efforts, sustainability focused member projects and strategic engagements and is a member of the Extended Leadership Group of WBCSD. Bill also supports WBCSD’s work on the Built Environment, working closely with the Geneva based project team. Prior to his role with WBCSD, Bill gained over 30 years of private sector experience with the multi-national conglomerate United Technologies Corporation (UTC), where he capped his career as Senior Executive Director for Sustainability reporting to UTC’s Chief Technology Officer. While at UTC, his responsibilities included directing Carrier’s long-range HVAC research as well as managing Carrier’s Commercial Controls division. Bill is the former Chair of the Board of the Global Building Performance Network (GBPN), was a member of the Technical Review Committee of the Global Cooling Prize, is currently a Board member with the WHC, and member of the 5X Advisory Group for the Clean Cooling Collaborative with RMI and Climateworks. He holds advanced degrees from Virginia Tech, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Business, where he is a Sloan Fellow alumnus.
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Denise Lee - Vice President, Cisco Engineering Sustainability Office
Denise Lee is Vice President for Cisco’s Engineering Sustainability Office where she leads a team that is defining Cisco’s long-term sustainability vision and roadmap, building new business blueprints and embedding prototype offers across multiple portfolios. She and her team collaborate across every function of the business to develop and create integrated capabilities that serve as the foundation to incubate and scale sustainable products that accelerate the journey to net zero for Cisco, its customers and partners. Denise holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California Berkeley Haas School of Business and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management.
Yashi Dadhich - Director of Energy and Sustainability, Javits Center
Yashi Dadhich is the Director of Energy and Sustainability at the Javits Center, the busiest convention center in the United States. As a result-oriented ambitious sustainability professional, Ms. Dadhich leads the iconic venue’s award-winning sustainability program, which includes the largest green roof in New York State, a unique wildlife habitat, a one-acre working farm and one of the region’s leading energy conservation initiatives. Ms. Dadhich’s goal is to align creative and innovative sustainable business strategies into organizations to reduce their impacts on our planet and our communities.
Since 2016, she has been working as an independent consultant with a variety of high-profile clients, including several Fortune 100 companies. Before joining the Javits Center, Ms. Dadhich was working with Hyperloop Transportation Technologies as their Sustainability Lead, where she collaborated with multiple departments to embed ESG initiatives at the corporate level and oversee calculations of impacts from the construction of this futuristic technology to help them identify the low impact materials and methodologies.
Ms. Dadhich participated in revising the guidelines for conducting Social Life Cycle Assessment for Products and Organizations at UNEP, Paris. The guidelines were published by UNEP in December 2020, and Ms. Dadhich was a contributing author for the document. Ms. Dadhich holds a graduate degree in Sustainability and a certificate in Corporate Sustainability and Innovation from Harvard University.
Timothy Gaburungyi - SVP, Chief Information Officer, Javits Center
Timothy Gaburungyi oversees technology operations at the Javits Center, including the management of all campus-wide technology systems that serve as the digital backbone for the iconic convention center. As the leader of the Technology Solutions team, Mr. Gaburungyi also is responsible for implementing cybersecurity protocols and driving IT strategy to improve the customer experience for thousands of companies each year.
Since joining the New York Convention Center Operating Corporation in 2013, Mr. Gaburungyi has been instrumental in the vast improvement of the Javits Center’s digital capability, the development and delivery of client-focused technology solutions and enhanced customer support. Under his leadership, the IT function has been transformed into a valuable business operation that has unlocked unique opportunities for event organizers and exhibitors throughout the industry. To safeguard the venue's continued ability to deliver service offerings enabled by new and emerging technology, Mr. Gaburungyi has managed two complete infrastructure refresh projects and the extension of advanced technology into the expanded building.
Prior to joining the Javits Center, Mr. Gaburungyi served as the Director of Global Property Technology for Starwood Hotels and Resorts (now part of Marriott Hotels) where he managed several multi-million-dollar technology deployment projects across Starwood’s divisions in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and North America. Mr. Gaburungyi is a PMI-certified Project Manager and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and a Master Certificate in Hospitality Management from Cornell University.
