2012 Global Summit of Women – Athens, Greece

2012 GLOBAL SUMMIT OF WOMEN

May 31 – June 2, 2012 ⋅ Athens, Greece

Women Gather in Athens to Show Support During a Difficult Economic Time

Women Entrepreneurs, Business, and Government Leaders Descend on Athens for 2012 Summit

Denise Evans, IBM’s Vice President for Market Development, moderates discussion with women entrepreneurs in high-growth sectors with Nelly Katsou, Managing Director, Pharmathen (Greece); Norma Rosenhain, CEO, Creata (Hong Kong SAR); and Noraini Soltan, Managing Director, Sipro Plastics (Malaysia)

Former President of Kyrgyzstan Roza Otunbayeva receives the 2012 Global Women’s Leadership Award from Summit President Irene Natividad in Athens.

“Roza Otunbayeva’s achievements are an example of the type of leadership which women bring, knowing when to relinguish power rather than holding on which men are wont to do,” says Summit President Irene Natividad.

Click to Read Roza Otunbayeva’s Full Acceptance Speech

Click to View Video of Roza Otunayeva’s Award

Click for Press Coverage

A Diverse Audience of Delegates from 70 Countries

Top Left: Summit President Irene Natividad, Vice President of Vietnam Nguyen Thi Doan, CNN International News Anchor Ralitsa Vassileva; Chair and Chief Visionary Officer of Sungjoo Group and MCM Holdings Sung Joo Kim; and General Manager of LAConsulting (Tunisia) Leila Aouichri await the start of the Opening Ceremony;
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Top Right: Some of the 70-member Malaysian delegation at the Opening Ceremony;
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Bottom Left: Former CEO of Rio Tinto Alcan Dick Evans (left) moderates Luncheon Session on “Engaging Men in Diversity Initiatives” with CEO of Booz, Inc Shumeet Banerji; CEO of Hyrax Oil (Malaysia) Hamizah Zainuddin; Boston Consulting Group Senior Partner Pia Tischhauser; and CEO of Storebrand ASA (Norway) Idar Kreutzer;
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Bottom Right: The delegation from Spain sings at the Global Women’s Leadership Awards Gala Dinner

Left: Pamela Teagarden, founder of the Soluna Institute (USA), poses a question during Plenary Session on Global Megatrends
♦
Right: Some of the delegation from Daimler AG listen to panelists at “Engaging Men in Diversity Initiatives” Plenary Session.

At the Summit’s Ministerial Roundtable on Public/Private Partnerships Advancing Women’s and Girls’ Economic Opportunities, (from left) Canadian Senator Pana Merchant; Greece’s Secretary-General for Gender Equality Maria Stratigaki; Greece’s Former Minister of Development Anna Diamantopoulou; Vice Chair of China’s All-China Women’s Federation Zhen Yan; and Minister of Economy for Aruba Michelle Hooeyboer-Winklaar.

Images from the 2012 Summit

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"Thank you so much for this incredible opportunity. It was an honor to be a part of this inspiring conference and to work with esteemed colleagues in the field of Inclusion and Diversity was the 'icing on the cake.'"

-Esther Hernandez, Chief Diversity Officer, Sandia National Laboratories

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"The atmosphere, the energy, the quality of the interactions and the program were above expectations. Many new topics and high-level speakers."

-Stephanie Cardot, Co-Founder and President, ToDoToday

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"I felt as if we were all linked with such strength. It was not power, it was much deeper, as if a new era is coming. I felt new global energy ... taking care of each other, doing your best without expecting anything, and enough faith in our future to no longer fear it. It was encouraging to all of us."

-Beatrice Ferrant, CEO, Lefranc Ferrant

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"I never know who I will connect with, but with the Summit's unique camaraderie, whoever she is, she will offer her support as I will offer her mine."

-Tess Mateo, Managing Director, CXCatalysts

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“The impact of this event will be far-reaching in Morocco and the Arab and Islamic worlds. As a Moroccan woman and as a member of the present Moroccan government, I felt delighted by the extent to which the Global Summit of Women allowed a variety of cultures to open up to each other, regardless of cultural differences and geographical borders.”

– Najima Thaythay Rhozali, Secretary of State for Literacy and Informal Education, Morocco

“I have attended many conferences and forums over the years and few have kept my interest sparked from start to finish as did this year’s Global Summit of Women in Marrakech. I was truly impressed by the talent, positions held, and capabilities of all the women participating both as presenters and as attendees. I met some wonderful people from across the globe — what an experience and a privilege.”
– Damayanti Vasudevan, United States

“The Global Summit of Women 2003 provided an excellent opportunity for me to learn about national women’s machineries and to exchange ideas and information with committed partners and dynamic businesswomen from around the world.”
The Honorable Jean Augustine, Secretary of State (Multiculturalism and Status of Women)

“I enjoyed this Summit very much. It was a great opportunity to meet all these prominent women. The idea I liked very much was the one-day workshop about empowerment of Arab women. We really need that forum and it was great to exchange ideas between Arab women.”
– Zeinab Safar, Egypt

“The networking was fabulous. Until the very last moment, we were still networking, and I found a prospective supplier in Bangladesh, just a few minutes before boarding the plane. I came back with many contacts and ideas. Before the closing of the summit, we were already talking about the next one.”
– Evnur Taran, Canada

What the Participants are Saying…

“The Summit was perfectly organized and professionally conducted. It is the best opportunity for networking with like-minded women in business. One cannot get a better platform for meeting women leaders and entrepreneurs from so many countries. It was the ideal forum for test marketing of my products and it was grand success.”
– Farah Khan, India

“The (Summit) once again confirmed what I strongly believe: that the only geographical barriers that exist for our projects are those that we allow to exist.”
-Donna Kelley, Spain

“What I found most valuable was meeting and networking with such high caliber, wonderful women. It was a chance to connect with women whom I would not otherwise have had the chance to meet, and to learn something about cultures and countries far removed from my own. A truly enlightening and mind-expanding experience.”
-Elizabeth Scott, Hong Kong

“I certainly left Barcelona feeling empowered, renewed and ready to face new challenges and tackle them head-on. The powerful testimonies of fellow women, their achievement and zeal is alone worthwhile being there.”
-Inge K. Zaamwani, Namibia

I was very much inspired by the synergy of talents, capabilities, experience, dynamics, and initiatives represented in Barcelona.”
-Nela Milijic, Croatia

What the 2002 Summit Achieved:

* Raised $10,000 to be used as microenterprise loans by Afghan women seeking to reenter their country’s economy

*Created a Technology Committee to develop ways of continuing the sharing of best practices among Summit participants and other women entrepreneurs globally

* Released a report through its Corporate Women Directors International project on Spanish women corporate directors in Spain’s top 300 Companies to establish a national benchmark to measure progress.

*Agreed to develop a compendium of corporate best practices in creating equal opportunities for women.
More on this report

Home of the 2016 Global Summit of Women

Warsaw Old Town Market Square
Mermaid Statue in Warsaw's Old Town Market Square
Frédéric Chopin Museum
Chopin's Famous "Pleyel et Cie" Grand Piano
The Royal Castle of Warsaw
Inside the Royal Castle
Inside the Royal Castle
Saxon Garden of Warsaw, oldest park in Warsaw opened in 1727
Chopin Monument in Łazienki Park
Maria Skłodowska-Curie Museum
Inside Politechnika Warszawska- Warsaw University of Technology
Golden Terraces Shopping Mall in Warsaw
Copper-Roof Palace of Warsaw
Carmelite Church, created 1761-83
Łazienki Palace
Wilanów Palace
Inside Wilanów Palace
University of Warsaw Library
Sapieha Palace
Warsaw at night
Global Summit of Women President Irene Natividad ringing opening bell at GPW-Warsaw Stock Exchange

Europe’s growth champion - Poland has more than doubled its GDP per capita since 1990, and was the only EU economy to sidestep the 2008-09 financial crisis and recession.
The leading economy in Central and Eastern Europe, Poland is a magnet for multinational companies both as a manufacturing and growing consumer base, as well as a gateway to emerging markets in the region.
A leading symbol of regional stability, this country has successfully transitioned to a vigorous democracy, while it continues to advance its political and economic profile on the international stage.
A country with an increasing number of women leaders from the Prime Minister to the Mayor of Warsaw to numerous government ministries and corporations, Poland’s influential women’s networks are making a mark on public policy through its innovative nation-wide Congress of Women.
Poland has a rich heritage based on a 1,000-year historical tradition while it embraces a thriving, vibrant modern culture.

Check out the New York Times' piece 36 Hours in Warsaw, Poland for the best in entertainment, dining, and culture.

"enjoyed learning and connecting with these great leaders from around the world. Yes, Switzerland it is .. Count me in!"

-Patama Chantaruck, General Manager of Worldwide Software Asset Management, Microsoft

"The entire experience of the Summit was outstanding and so inspiring. These few days had tremendous impact and will be with me personally and professionally for the rest of my life."

- Shannon Studstill, VP, Product Develop-ment, Sony Playstation

"The content is timely and value-added, the speakers are engaging, and the networking is exceptional! My colleagues used words like “life changing” and “inspiring” to describe their experiences."

- Kimberly Admire, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, SAIC

"Just a word: amazing! Great presentations, great professionals, great workshops. To see all these women gathered around a common theme, a common goal was really a strong motivation to continue.”"

-Isabelle Kuster, Senior Vice President for Operations and IT, McDonald's France and Southern Europe

“I never know who I will connect with, but with the Summit’s unique camaraderie, whoever she is, she will offer her support as I will offer her mine”

-Tess Mateo, Managing Director, CxCatalysts

“What an impressive event! The whole event was so well- thought through, and every day was so colorful and meaningful -- From presenters, to the topic of discussion which was so relevant, and all the events.”

-Parnsiree Amatayakul, CEO, IBM Thailand

Congratulations on a successful Summit. I was impressed with the energy and excitement of the 1000 participants who came from different countries and walks of life! I know that it take a high level of dedication and perseverance to organize 17 successful Summits, which is an amazing achievement. – Shinae Chun, Director, Women’s Bureau, US Department of Labor

The organisation was perfect, the quality and diversity of all the attendees made it very rich and positive. Thank you for also letting everyone talk and express her own situation which vary a lot according to the origin, obvious, it is not the same to be a sales manager in IBM in Madrid and be stressed sometimes by the glass ceiling and to “struggle for life” in Congo, and we certainly need to hear about that as well. – Catherine Delaunay, IBM, Spain

This week in Berlin we came together from 95 different countries and united behind commonalities as women, businesspeople and world leaders…. I was reminded of how important it is to continue to reach out to one another. To continue to listen, learn, and exchange experiences across borders. – Gay Gaddis, President and CEO, T-3

The Global Summit of Women was truly amazing. Women leaders from business, politics and society exchanging views, connecting and working towards a better world: congratulations to you and your team for making this happen!
– Mirella Visser, Supervisory Board, Royal Swets & Zeitlinger and CEO Centre for Inclusive Leadership

2012 Global Summit of Women – Athens, Greece

2012 GLOBAL SUMMIT OF WOMEN

May 31 – June 2, 2012 ⋅ Athens, Greece

Women Gather in Athens to Show Support During a Difficult Economic Time

Women Entrepreneurs, Business, and Government Leaders Descend on Athens for 2012 Summit

Denise Evans, IBM’s Vice President for Market Development, moderates discussion with women entrepreneurs in high-growth sectors with Nelly Katsou, Managing Director, Pharmathen (Greece); Norma Rosenhain, CEO, Creata (Hong Kong SAR); and Noraini Soltan, Managing Director, Sipro Plastics (Malaysia)

Former President of Kyrgyzstan Roza Otunbayeva receives the 2012 Global Women’s Leadership Award from Summit President Irene Natividad in Athens.

“Roza Otunbayeva’s achievements are an example of the type of leadership which women bring, knowing when to relinguish power rather than holding on which men are wont to do,” says Summit President Irene Natividad.

A Diverse Audience of Delegates from 70 Countries

Left: Pamela Teagarden, founder of the Soluna Institute (USA), poses a question during Plenary Session on Global Megatrends ♦ Right: Some of the delegation from Daimler AG listen to panelists at “Engaging Men in Diversity Initiatives” Plenary Session.

Images from the 2012 Summit

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“The greatest opportunity for our association was to participate in the creation of a confederation of Mediterranean women entrepreneurs’ associations.”

-Daneille Rousseau, President, Dirigeantes, France

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Welcome to Warsaw, Poland!

Home of the 2016 Global Summit of Women

Europe’s growth champion - Poland has more than doubled its GDP per capita since 1990, and was the only EU economy to sidestep the 2008-09 financial crisis and recession.

The leading economy in Central and Eastern Europe, Poland is a magnet for multinational companies both as a manufacturing and growing consumer base, as well as a gateway to emerging markets in the region.

A leading symbol of regional stability, this country has successfully transitioned to a vigorous democracy, while it continues to advance its political and economic profile on the international stage.

A country with an increasing number of women leaders from the Prime Minister to the Mayor of Warsaw to numerous government ministries and corporations, Poland’s influential women’s networks are making a mark on public policy through its innovative nation-wide Congress of Women.

Poland has a rich heritage based on a 1,000-year historical tradition while it embraces a thriving, vibrant modern culture.

2014 Summit Sponsors

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Media Partners

In-Kind Sponsors

What Participants are Saying…

"enjoyed learning and connecting with these great leaders from around the world. Yes, Switzerland it is .. Count me in!"

Left: Pamela Teagarden, founder of the Soluna Institute (USA), poses a question during Plenary Session on Global Megatrends
♦
Right: Some of the delegation from Daimler AG listen to panelists at “Engaging Men in Diversity Initiatives” Plenary Session.