GOVERNOR LINGLE HOSTS 6TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
Hawai‘i women will be challenged to do “a little bit more”
HONOLULU – Top women leaders from eight nations who are unparalleled in their achievements will gather in Honolulu on Tuesday, Sept. 22 to share their personal and professional stories of success at the 6th annual International Women’s Leadership Conference (IWLC): A Little Bit More, at the Sheraton Waikīkī Hotel and Resort.
Now in its sixth year, the 2009 event will build on the success of previous conferences to inspire Hawai‘i’s women – and men – by sharing the incredible stories of challenges and triumph from female leaders around the world. The conference is also designed to inspire Hawai‘i’s young women and men through interaction with women leaders and conference delegates to help give them the tools they need to be successful in their education and career and to become leaders themselves. In addition to the speakers, the conference will include time set aside specifically for networking opportunities for delegates.
The public is encouraged to register. Online registration for conference attendees and sponsors is available through the conference website, www.hawaiiwomensconference.com. Registration will remain open until Monday, Sept. 21, at noon.
The one-day conference will feature keynote remarks by a former East-West Center graduate, who is now the lead specialist for gender and development for the World Bank; the managing director and chairman of the China equities business of one of the world’s largest asset management companies; the former foreign minister and former acting prime minister of Israel; the first woman to head the Liberian National Police; a former victim of abuse and prostitution, who now runs a multi-million dollar Canadian business venture; the first woman to serve as majority leader in the Philippine Congress; a British career coach and author of “The Book Midwife”; and a former U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander and mother of twins who spent nine years as a U.S. Navy psychologist, and was deployed to a remote air base in western Iraq when her twin son and daughter were just one year old. In addition, a video message will be presented by a woman, whose parents emigrated from South Korea, who runs the public school system in our nation’s capitol.
The nations that will be represented are: Australia, Canada, China, Israel, Liberia, Philippines, United Kingdom and United States.
“As we work together to find solutions to the current economic challenges while continuing to take steps to improve Hawai‘i’s long-term future, we can gain new ideas and perspectives from these outstanding women leaders,” said Governor Linda Lingle. “The annual International Women’s Leadership Conference provides us with a unique opportunity to learn how others are coping and thriving in this challenging economy – and how we can apply their experiences and ideas to improve our personal lives and our careers and to be leaders in our community.”
The conference is funded by private sponsors and registration fees, and does not use any state funds.
Featured speakers include, in order of the conference schedule:
Jing Ulrich – CHINA
Jing Ulrich is managing director and chairman of JPMorgan’s China equities business. She is in charge of expanding JPMorgan’s equity business in China and worldwide by strengthening the company’s relationships with institutional investors, corporate clients, and Chinese regulatory authorities. Especially now, during this global economic downturn, Ulrich finds her role even more challenging – and full of opportunities.
Cathrine Ann – CANADA
Cathrine Ann was homeless, unemployed, and penniless…but determined to turn her life around. At age 40, after a disadvantaged childhood riddled with abuse and neglect, and becoming a single mother at age 14, Ann found herself at a crossroads. She combined her street smarts and raw ambition to launch her business, Consumer Connection, a multi-award-winning and multi-million dollar business venture providing employment to thousands in Canada.
Senator Loren Legarda – PHILIPPINES
Senator Legarda is a Filipino broadcast journalist and senator in the Congress of the Republic of the Philippines. She is the first woman to occupy the post of majority leader. As a journalist, she received the national honor of the Ten Outstanding Young Men and Women award and, more recently, she has received awards in the Davos World Economic Forum as a Global Leader of Tomorrow and from the United Nations Environment Program for her advocacy for the environment.
Mindy Gibbins-Klein – UNITED KINGDOM
Best known as “The Book Midwife,” Gibbins-Klein has been a success coach, marketing consultant and trainer for 20 years. In that time, she has helped more than 3,000 people define and achieve their goals. She has worked with top executives and many speakers worldwide to develop plans to raise their profile by writing books, e-books and articles. She believes that by having the right strategy and spending the time and effort to hone your message, that message can create success in the marketplace and inspiration for others.
Dr. Heidi Kraft – USA
Former Lieutenant Commander Heidi Kraft spent nine years as a U.S. Navy Psychologist. She was deployed to Iraq when her twin daughter and son were just over a year old, where she spent more than seven months caring for wounded service members at a remote air base in western Iraq. The title for her new book, “Rule Number Two: Lessons I Learned in a Combat Hospital,” comes from an episode from the first season of the M*A*S*H television series, “Sometimes You Hear the Bullet.” In this 1973 episode, Hawkeye, a surgeon, realizes he cannot save an underage Marine. Henry says to Hawkeye: “In war Rule #1 is that young men die. And Rule #2 is that doctors cannot change Rule #1.”
Chancellor Michelle Rhee – USA (via video message)
Michelle Rhee is the chancellor of the District of Columbia Public Schools System, the seventh person to hold the post in the past 10 years. Intent on reforming the D.C. school system, Rhee has fired non-productive teachers, principals and central office administrators, and proposes to make D.C. teachers the best paid in the country by partnering with private philanthropists to create financial incentives for improved teacher performance. The daughter of immigrants from South Korea, in 1997, Rhee founded the New Teacher Project, which in 10 years has recruited 10,000 teachers for hard-to-staff inner-city schools in 20 states.
Inspector General Beatrice Sieh-Brown – LIBERIA
In March 2006, Her Excellency Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia, appointed Beatrice Munah Sieh as the Inspector General of the Liberian National Police (LNP). As Chief of Police, she holds the rank of a Colonel. Inspector General Sieh is the first female head of the LNP, and the first woman to head a national police, intelligence, security or military agency on the African continent. At the time of her appointment, Sieh-Brown was living in Trenton, New Jersey teaching math, science and reading to middle school students with learning disabilities.
Amanda Ellis – AUSTRALIA
Amanda Ellis is lead specialist, gender and development, for the World Bank Group. In this role Amanda spearheads an exciting new global research program to document the ease of Doing Business for Women across 180 countries. A former East-West Center graduate student, Ellis also manages the World Bank’s Global Private Sector Leaders CEO Forum to promote women’s economic empowerment. Ellis founded the gender program at the International Finance Corporation, assisting clients in developing countries, providing lines of credit through commercial banks and practical initiatives to assist women entrepreneurs with business training.
Former Acting Prime Minister Tzipi Livni – ISRAEL
Tzipi Livni is an Israeli politician and the current leader of Kadima, the largest party in the national parliament, the Knesset. She currently serves as the country’s Opposition Leader. In fall 2008, following Prime Minister Olmert’s resignation, President Shimon Peres asked Livni to form a new government. In February 2009 Israel held elections for the Knesset. Livni, who at the time was foreign minister and head of the Kadima party, campaigned against Benjamin Netanyahu, who now serves as Prime Minister.
####