Once the opening ceremony was completed it was time for a quick coffee break before returning to hear about how women are “shaping the future.” What changes are taking place in leadership, entrepreneurship, society, global economic, politics and technology and how will these changes influence our lives and work? How can we learn to better engage in our environment, sense the opportunities and threats and set our own trends? Speakers at this session included:
- Jordi Kool, Manager Sales, sales support and customer service, HP
- Joanne Thomas Yaccato, President, The Thomas Yaccato Group
- Amanda Ellis, Gender Entrepreneurship Markets, International Finance Corporation
- Rosana D’Antona, Founder D’Andona & Partners
Each speaker made their contribution to the topic of the day and Jordi Kool led off the session by quoting Darvin: “It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who survive, but the most responsive to change.” His focus was on how technology helps women and men balance their work and private life and how making use cutting edge technology saves time and makes life easier.
Joanne Thomas Yaccato, focused on the power of female consumers and how companies slowly are recognising and starting to value their power. She talked about “gender intelligence” and how it is a way of viewing the world, through a special lens. Women want life impact and connection, health, family, physical, financial, spiritual, emotional, while men are more interested in status and features. She also presented a suggestion for a “New World Order” and key points to consider in this context are:
1) To intelligently recognise gender, 2) Provide relevant info, 3) A multidimensional mindset = holistic, 4) To live corporate soul – matching inside and outside, gender intelligent advice.
Amanda Ellis, who heads the Gender-Entrepreneurship-Markets global program at the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank Group, talked about the work she does to assist women business owners in developing countries. How the micro credit initiative is allowing women to become employed and is in turn becoming the root of social change.
Rosanna D’Antona, continued the afternoon session by discussing the important role of the media. How it is an amplifier of everyday activities and how the media contributes to form opinions and stereotypes of female perceptions. Does the media a mirror of who we are as women? How can we influence the influencers? Lessons from Rosanna’s speech included:
1) There is a gap between reality and fantasy (the way media represents us)
2) Few women are at the top of the media industry.
3) Alliances with the media and monitoring of their evolution are beneficial.
4) The courage to “outing” and feeding media with positive and inspiring stories like today’s WIN gathering is beneficial.
5) Let’s assure the media works for us.
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