Wendy Leibowitz, New York, NY, USA

Wendy Leibowitz and Françoise Jeanpierre have worked as a team for over ten years, successfully spearheading the Financial Women’s Association mentoring programs that focus on economic and career success for women. Wendy and Francoise have worked tirelessly to ensure the success of these programs by overseeing educational and cultural events, recruiting mentors and sharpening program development. This past year, they helped create new programs through grants from BMO Capital Markets and E*Trade. These include an online mentoring community which links the students with the mentoring program as they move on to college, and a career workshop where students gain career and workforce development training. At recent graduation ceremonies, high school seniors proudly shared their personal experiences of how their mentors had helped them develop and grow. The FWA mentoring programs ensure that the students remain in school and continue their education after they graduate. Ms. Leibowitz and Ms. Jeanpierre’s dedication and personal commitment, along with the results enjoyed by over 200 mentees and mentors over the years, have made a World of Difference in women’s economic empowerment.

Lynda Leonard, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Lynda Leonard has been a passionate advocate for the advancement of women for more than two decades, particularly for women in the telecommunications and technology field. She has been tireless in her promotion of women in the burgeoning Information Communications Technology field where women are still vastly underrepresented in many organizations and functions. Her accomplishments include helping to establish the first Ottawa chapter of the Wired Woman Society. Although her responsibilities far outstrip the advancement of women in Canada’s technology sector, she has taken on that mission, working with Canadian Women in Communications to provide career development programs and services for women in the ITAC member companies. Ms. Leonard has also been a vocal proponent for more than a decade to get more women onto the boards of technology companies. She has pushed to get more women onto the ITAC board, which draws its directors from the senior ranks of companies in the Information Communications Technology sector. Ms. Leonard has also supported the efforts of numerous organizations and initiatives with her time and strategic counsel to help effect change and greater gender diversity in the industry. While Ms. Leonard’s work has been tremendously important to career advancement of women in the sector, she has pursued her mission quietly and without fanfare or recognition, making her one of the unsung heroines of women’s economic empowerment.

Anna Lopez Brosche, Jacksonville, Florida, USA

In all she does, Anna Lopez Brosche acts upon her passion for helping women business owners achieve success, prosper and contribute to their communities. Through her efforts, the Jacksonville Women’s Business Center (JWBC) commissioned an original research study to understand the status of women-owned business in the Northeast Florida. The research provided critical information to create programs that meet the needs of women business owners, as well as providing a baseline of the economic impact of women owned  businesses. In 2008, she was also instrumental in creating the JWBC’s Business Women of Color initiative to reach out and engage business women, of color and all ethnicities, as participants, volunteers and sponsors. Before that, as Chair of JWBC’s Programs and Services Committee, she helped create a highly successful program that teaches women about communication in business: verbal, nonverbal, and differences between women and men’s communication styles. For the past five years, she has also served as a mentor for JWBC’s, Financial Matters program, creating the curriculum and teaching one of the workshops. Ms. Lopez Brosche is the immediate past chair of the JWBC Advisory Board. Bjarney Ludviksdottir, Mosfellsbaer, Iceland Category: Community Bjarney Ludviksdottir is an inspiring role model to many women in the way she continuously finds ways to shine a light on women’s self-esteem. Ms. Ludviksdottir was one of the directors for the Icelandic casting company called ESKIMOS, one of the first Icelandic model agencies to set up their own offices in countries such as India. Through her work as casting director, she focused her efforts on helping young women with low self-esteem blossom into high-profile models. When she redefined her future in 2008, she turned to training, supporting and empowering women in efforts ranging from a charity featuring top Nordic singers to help women entrepreneurs in Africa raise funds for a project helping women entrepreneurs take their ideas and translate them into business projects in a program called “BRANDit”. Her latest project is called “Kvenefli” in Icelandic, which could be translated as “Power of Women”. It connects powerful Icelandic women to support other women who are not able to afford personal coaching to reach their full potential. The program offers training, teaching, mentoring and coaching at no cost. The sponsors behind the projects are other powerful women who want to contribute their knowledge, skills to others to “pay their success forward”.

Dr. Elizabeth B. Mann, Gainesville, Florida, USA

Dr. Elizabeth Mann, Professor Emerita, Florida State University, has always been a trailblazer and a stalwart champion of women. She has been involved in Women’s Rights groups for many years. She was a founding member of the Florida Women’s Alliance and its President in 1984. She organized the Capital Women’s Network in Tallahassee and was a member of The International Alliance Board of Directors for several years and in that capacity organized the first panel about women serving on Corporate Boards. From the start, organizing that panel began efforts to address the issue on an ongoing basis, and it remains an important initiative today of TIAW. Seeking a meaningful way for women to connect and contribute once they are at or approaching their retirement years, she developed and led TIAW’s “Life’s Best Third Program” for several years. In her professional life, Dr. Mann helped countless women become knowledgeable about money and finance as a professor of economics.

Monika Milz, Putten, Netherlands

Monika Milz has done it all – banker, leader, top 50 most influential women in the Netherlands, top 5 shortlist for Female Manager of the Year, Member of the Board of the University of Master, the Amsterdam Institute of Finance and the Dutch-German Chamber of Commerce. But that’s only a part of her story. In addition to her many career accomplishments, Ms. Milz is foremost a champion of the advancement of women in corporate roles and in the not-for-profit sector. She took up the challenge of getting more women into senior executive positions in 2003 when the CEO of Unilever said he would like to include more women on the executive but couldn’t find candidates. From that grew a group of powerful advocates called the Rosenblatt, a group of 12 highly influential corporate women. This group held discussion dinners and a major symposium to raise awareness of the issue, and encourage companies to make it a priority. Their efforts have had an impact with a majority of boards in the Netherlands actively seeking to increase the number of women on their boards of directors, so much so that Rosenblatt has become a brand, and a symbol for the realization that corporate culture in the Netherlands needs to change. Being a change agent is a longstanding activity for Ms. Milz who in the 1980s at AMRO bank was active in the Women and Finance group and from there the Stichting Vrouwen Network for women executives. At Rabobank, she is a role model and mentor to many women, and when she was head of Human Resources, significantly increased the number of women as mid-career hires at the executive level.

Roz Morris, London, UK

Roz Morris has worked for numerous women’s groups and women’s voluntary organizations for the past 25 years and thus contributing greatly to the advancement of women in their careers and economic power. In the early 1990s she was Chair of NETWORK, a major network for professional women in London and other major UK cities, and represented NETWORK on the UK Government’s Women’s National Commission. She then joined the Board of the Women of the Year Lunch and for the past 15 years has been on the Nominating Committee for that event and also ran an extremely successful publicity campaign for Women of the Year Lunch from 1998 to 2000. Since joining City Women’s Network in 2004, she has run the Membership Committee. She also served as Vice President from 2008 to 2010, during which time she ran an extraordinarily successful press and media campaign for CWN’s 30th Anniversary. She has been Vice Chair of the Governors of Queen Elizabeth Girls School Barnet where, in addition to her voluntary work as a Governor, she gave talks about media careers to the students. In May 2010, she represented CWN at a major women’s business conference, the 20th Global Summit of Women in Beijing.

Sabetha Mwambenja, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Sabetha Mwambenja is a role model for women, holding the position of CEO at Exim Bank Tanzania Limited since 2000. She is also a trailblazer, becoming the first General Manager not only of Exim Bank but within the banking industry in Tanzania in 1998. Under her leadership, Exim Bank has grown in leaps and bounds to become one of the top 10 banks in Tanzania with 18 branches countrywide and has actively supported women’s economic and financial empowerment by opening the first fullyfledged department in Tanzanian banking to cater to women entrepreneurs. Through Ms. Mwambenja’s ground breaking efforts and influence, Exim bank not only lends to women entrepreneurs but also to microfinance institutions that in turn also empower women economically and create jobs for women. The net result of Ms. Mwambenja’s efforts is a 30 percent increase in the number of women employees at Exim, and widespread improvement in the support of women entrepreneurs in Tanzania.

Vered Neta, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Vered Neta brings a remarkable wealth of knowledge and wisdom to everything she does to empower women. She has succeeded as an archaeologist and business person and understands the material as well as the social world we live in. She has traveled the world and sought answers to some of life’s most fundamental issues. After accomplishing so much, Ms. Neta has chosen to share that power and experience with women as she coaches and trains on leadership. Thousands of women have had the benefit of her perspective on feminine leadership, whether they are looking at corporate careers or their own financial empowerment. In her own words, her teaching is “about creating a life that has possibilities without the stress, it is about combining two worlds and not having to choose between either/or. It is about giving hope, a sense of community and living a simpler and a more fulfilling life”. Her courses on financial freedom in particular, ensure that women achieve success in life through many avenues. Her stories, insights and practical advisory skills provide the right combination of coach, mentor, leader and corporate citizen.

Muhayo Nossirova, Dushanbe, Tajikistan

Muhayo Nossirova is a qualified agronomist and gender specialist/advocate in the Republic of Tajikistan, championing the economic strength of women in the dire economic conditions of a country that is the poorest of all the former Soviet republics. Many women work for very low or no wages in cotton fields, while their husbands work in Russia or Kyrgystan. Tajikistan is a muslim country and while not extreme, is very traditional. Ms. Nossirova has spent her career trying to improve the conditions, and working conditions of women in the fields, through Oxfam International, and as a consultant to the International Finance Corporation. She has developed and implemented improvements to the working conditions of thousands of women at virtually little or no additional cost to international donors. She has also developed training for traditional men to teach them to improve the lives of women, cleverly quoting the Koran where it tells men to treasure women. Through Ms. Nossirova’s techniques, hundreds of cotton farms in southern Tajikistan are more efficient and profitable, and women workers now have greater access to better wages, working conditions and are starting to obtain assets. Her work is all the more remarkable for a shy woman who, with little recognition and fanfare, is making a world of difference.

Dr. Barbara Orser, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Dr. Barbara Orser has long been a steadfast champion of women entrepreneurs, using her intellect, research skills, connections and force of will to move women’s entrepreneurship forward in Canada. Dr. Orser is the primary driving force behind the Taskforce for Women’s Business Growth, a national and non-partisan consortium of prominent women business owners, small business training agencies, academics and industry associations that is fostering the growth of existing women-led businesses. In 2004, Dr. Orser created the Economic Forum on Women Entrepreneurs: Sustaining the Momentum. This important conference brought together leading edge research about women entrepreneurs, examined government support for women business owners, and identified gaps in research and public policy. The forum was a Canadian first. Dr. Orser is an Associate Professor at the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa, and has published more than 70 journals, scholarly and industry-related reports, as well as co-authoring two books on small business.

Astrid Pregel, Ottawa, Canada

Astrid Pregel, a career diplomatic in the Canadian foreign-service, has had an enormous impact on other women, both within the foreign service as a mentor and also as a champion for women in trade and entrepreneurship. Ms. Pregel was determined to increase the number of Canadian women exporters to the U.S and thus conceived and led the organization of the first Canadian all-women’s trade mission ever. More than 100 Canadian women entrepreneurs travelled to Washington with the Minister for International Trade in 1997, followed in 1999 by the Canada - USA Businesswomen’s Trade Summit when more than 125 US women entrepreneurs travelled to Canada to attend a trade summit and participate in a trade mission. Ms. Pregel’s vision and leadership resulted in the first ever research on Canadian women doing business internationally, the creation of a women in export trade program within the government of Canada and a website devoted to women in international trade. Many of these initiatives have subsequently been copied by other countries. Ms. Pregel has always been an outspoken and committed advocate for women. She created Feminomics, a boutique consulting company focused on the intersection of gender equality, entrepreneurship, leadership and the economy. She completed a Ph.D. in international development focused on leadership, economic growth and gender. She acted as the senior Advisor on Women’s Economic Prosperity to Status of Women Canada, and most recently, senior Advisor on Gender and Sustainable Economic Growth to the Canadian International Development Agency. Ms. Pregel’s intelligence and passion have provided a beacon of awareness for women and policy makers.

Dorothy Quann, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Dorothy Quann is an outstanding example of someone who has advanced the empowerment of women through her professional associations and community work, standing as a staunch champion of women throughout her career. Ms. Quann has been an active leader of women at Xerox, including a stint as chair of the Xerox Annual International Women’s conference, an important gathering of women leaders from across the company’s operations. Ms. Quann’s support of women goes beyond her role at Xerox. She is a member of the Catalyst advisory committee in its study of associate female lawyers in Canadian law firms, an important research study tracking the progress of women in the legal field and identifying the specific challenges faced by women in the profession. Ms. Quann has been a role model, serving as the first female president of the Association of Canadian General Counsel and is a member of the Common-Law Honour Selection Committee at the University of Ottawa.

Ximena Ramirez Gonzalez, Managua, Nicaragua

Ximena Ramirez Gonzalez has worked tirelessly for the past ten years to create and promote El Congreso Permanente de Mujeres Empresarias de Nicaragua (CPMEN). CPMEN defends the interests and needs of Women Business Owners and has become an important forum for women to establish business relationships. As President of CPMEN since 2000, Ms. Gonzalez has led the organization to become a powerful voice for women entrepreneurs, and through its annual conference, has encouraged women in Latin America and the world to meet, attend and learn from one another. A successful entrepreneur, Ms. Gonzalez has been General Manager of Euroamericana Tourism since 1998. As a role model, the enormous energy she brings to improve the personal and professional lives of women entrepreneurs in Nicaragua and throughout Latin America is inspiring.

Uma Reddy, Shardambanagar, Bangalore, India

As a self-made successful businesswoman, Uma Reddy has also dedicated her own time and resources to ensuring that other women in her community and beyond are trained and have opportunities for self empowerment. A highly accomplished entrepreneur heading her own electronics firm, Hitech Magnetics, she is also the leader of several engineering and electronic industry associations, including Past President of AWAKE – the Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Karnataka, and a Past Core Committee Member – Women Business Leaders Forum. Ms. Reddy is a highly knowledgeable and entertaining speaker on the challenges that women entrepreneurs face. She has served as AWAKE’s Chairperson Training, as Chairperson of the Research & Resource Centre, and as a member of the Executive Committee for over 17 years. In addition, she has been a resource person in programs on Women Entrepreneurship development organized by the Asian Productivity Organization - APO, Tokyo in collaboration with NPC, Malaysia and Philippines. She has supported women on Income Generating Activities in India funded by NOVIB, and, as a Micro-enterprise Expert, has conceptualized and brought out the first CD ROM version of the Business Directory of Women Entrepreneurs. Ms. Reddy has presented papers in international women entrepreneurs fora organized by OECD, Paris; CIPE, USA; APO, Tokyo’ CDG Johannesburg; Vietnam, Philippines and Malaysia and was the South Asia focal point for the Commonwealth Women Leaders Network established by the Commonwealth Secretariat in England.

Claudia Schmitz, Koeln, Germany

Claudia Schmitz has been a champion of women in corporate management and is a member of the business network European Women in Management Development for nearly 20 years. She was elected International President for two terms and is now still active in the Advisory Board. Ms. Schmitz is a speaker at international conferences on a wide variety of management topics and, as an excellent international networker, she has a passion for linking women managers and leaders from different professions. As President of EWMD, she introduced a new concept of ‘learning journeys’ as a way to identify new opportunities for women working together on a transnational basis. Her ability to connect women around the globe is directly fostering their economic empowerment, by sharing experiences and learning practices. By taking her strategic communications background and applying it to the career development of women, she has been a true supporter of their economic advancement.

Denise Seegobin, New York, NY, USA

Denise Seegobin epitomizes the TIAW’s World of Difference mission by showing how a young woman who received benefits from the Financial Women’s Association’s mentoring and scholarship programs now, in turn, gives back with an exponential impact. As a FWA high school mentee during her junior and senior years at Murry Bergtraum High School, Ms. Seegobin received one of the first FWA undergraduate scholarships. When Ms. Seegobin became eligible for FWA membership, she immediately joined the Scholarship Committee and shortly thereafter took on committee leadership. She expanded the committee’s outreach to over 80 scholarship recipients, organizing reunion events and persistently reminding them of the importance of renewing their scholarships to further their educations. She established a website to enable this group to stay connected with each other and the FWA’s educational and growth opportunities. Additionally, Ms. Seegobin co-chairs the FWA’s Wall Street Exchange (WSE) program, providing opportunities for approximately 35 college summer interns per year to attend workshops that address business and economic skills, career development, and networking with financial leaders. Ms. Seegobin spearheaded the creation of an innovative FWA computer/financial literacy curriculum to enhance high school students’ knowledge of core computer programs, including financial literacy skills, a key step to the ultimate goal of fostering economic self-sufficiency.

Monica Smiley, Cary, North Carolina, USA

As Publisher & CEO of Enterprising Women Magazine, Monica Smiley has made a career aiding the economic empowerment of women. Launched in 2000, Enterprising Women provides a voice for women entrepreneurs, bringing the views of the leaders of the women’s business community together to form the editorial content of the magazine. But Enterprising Women is more than a magazine. The text and words morph into a microphone for women entrepreneurs worldwide. The photos paint the picture of life as a businesswoman. The pages transform into a forum that provides inspiration for new ideas and motivation for women to continue on their business journeys. Women entrepreneurs are grateful for the platform Ms. Smiley provides, and for the opportunity to share successes and challenges. This community started with Ms. Smiley’s vision for a place where women entrepreneurs from across the US could unite. But it has now reached the four corners of the world through Ms. Smiley’s active involvement in both the Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women, as well as the Global Summit of Women. As Ms. Smiley’s publication celebrates triumphs and provides solutions to problems experienced by women worldwide, it greatly contributes to the ability of women to earn a living.

Nancy Spence, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Nancy Spence’s background, career and commitment to women and gender internationally are remarkable by any yardstick. Her accomplishments are too numerous for a short overview, but include pivotal leadership roles in CIDA as well as the Gender, Education and Health Sections of The Commonwealth Secretariat in London, UK, which, under her leadership, successfully delivered six ministerial meetings in four locations (Delhi, Geneva, Fiji and Edinburgh) to formulate and set Commonwealth policy in Gender, Health and Education for 53 countries of the Commonwealth and ultimately led to a Commonwealth Plan of Action. Her work with the Commonwealth focused on five critical program areas: (i) women in peace and conflict resolution; (ii) macro-economic policy impacts on women including trade and gender budgets; (iii) legal and constitutional reform through promotion of Women in Politics and Human Rights through CEDAW promotion; (iv) reducing gender based violence and mitigating HIVAIDS through women in decision- making areas; and (v) private sector enhancement for women.

Connie Sugiyama, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

In every aspect of her illustrious career, Connie Sugiyama has been a remarkable leader, demonstrating an abiding passion for the career advancement of women. She is Senior Partner of Gowlings, Lafleur Henderson and considered one of Canada’s top corporate lawyers. She is also the first woman to Chair the Board of Trustees at the world-renowned Toronto Hospital for Sick Children. In 1995,she was a Founding Director of Women in Capital Markets, an organization that supports women’s advancement in Canada’s largely male-dominated investment banking sector, and served as the Founding Chair of the Heather L. Mains Memorial Scholarship Fund. Informally she is co-leader of a network of accomplished women in senior roles known as “Women At The Top” (WATT), where she facilitates thought leadership, networking and mobilizing women to make constructive change. She is a formidable yet warm and inspiring leader who uses her impact to institute positive change in her many spheres of influence.

Vilija Turiene, Vilnius Lithuania

Vilija Turiene founded the European Women in Management Development (EWMD) Chapter in Lithuania in 2002. Since then, Ms. Turiene has been tireless in enhancing the economic empowerment of women in Lithuania. She started a project in 2009 sponsored by Norwegian EEA grants, Lithuanian state funds, and EWMD with the title Gender Equality in Governance – Guarantee of Democracy. The project was designed to enhance knowledge and develop gender-sensitive understanding in strategic planning and business, to achieve balanced representation in governance, both in politics and economy. To achieve this, she has studied the best practices that have been developed in Norway, seeking ways to adopt the Norwegian experience to a Lithuanian context and disseminate the knowledge she gained. The final results of the project were presented at the international conference Women in Leadership - Facilitator of Democracy, on 28 May 2010, organized by EWMD Lithuania in the capital city Vilnius, and handed over to the state authorities and governmental institutions as recommendations, thus making an important contribution to the advancement of women in business and their critical role in democracy.

Elizabeth Vazquez, Washington, DC, USA

Elizabeth A. Vazquez is the CEO and Co-Founder of WEConnect International, a new global non-profit that helps women’s business enterprises develop their capacity to grow. The WEConnect International network represents over $700 billion in annual purchasing power. As the CEO of WEConnect International, Ms. Vazquez is responsible for working with partners in the United States, Canada, Europe, India and China. She also recently organized and chaired the first two Global Strategic Forums on Supplier Diversity and Women’s Economic Empowerment co-hosted by The World Bank Group. She has been a speaker and conducted numerous trainings on globalization, value chains, diversity and inclusivity, trade, technology, advocacy, and women’s entrepreneurship. As the Executive Director of Quantum Leaps, a global nonprofit dedicated to the growth of women owned businesses, Ms. Vazquez received the 2009 Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) Applause Award for exceptional accomplishments that expand opportunities for women’s business enterprises while furthering WBENC’s mission of breaking down the barriers that impede the progress and growth of businesses owned and operated by women. As Co-Founder and President of TradeBuilders, Ms. Vazquez has worked with corporate and government leaders on Internet-based “Virtual Trade Missions” and other trade events that she organized in countries such as Brazil, Canada, Chile, Cyprus, India, Israel, Germany, Malaysia, Singapore, the UK and the U.S. Ms. Vazquez is a Member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Women’s Business Centers in the U.S., and serves as an Advisor to the America-China International Foundation and their annual America-China Women Business Leaders Conference. Ms. Vazquez has a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University, where she studied development economics and international negotiation as a Woodrow Wilson Fellow.

Sue-Sharyn Ward, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Whenever a businesswoman needs networking advice in Dubai, she turns to the foremost expert (and the one with the most giving heart) Sue-Sharyn Ward. Ms. Ward is not afraid to be a trailblazer, moving to the UAE in the late 1970s and working in a male dominated industry. When she arrived, Dubai was nothing but a desert but apparently she liked the heat because she stayed. As an independent consultant, she specializes in training and productivity solutions for start-up and development operations. In 1983, she envisioned and helped establish the International Business Women’s Group (IBWG) in Dubai and has been instrumental in leading and guiding the association for 27 years. IBWG has become the premier businesswomen’s networking group in the region, open to all women, no matter their nationality, culture or belief. Ms. Ward believes that all women deserve to be supported in their efforts to be recognized as a professional career woman, as well as companion, wife or mother. The organization offers several events each month, including educational workshops and informal and formal networking. IBWG also has a member director and web-based notification board for sharing.

Anne Watts, CBE, London, UK

For more than 30 years Anne Watt’s commitment to equal opportunities for all has never wavered. In 1980 she became one of the founders of Women in Banking and Finance (WIBF), a period where 50 percent of the workforce in the banking industry consisted of women but less than 1 percent of leadership roles were filled by women. Through WIBF, Ms. Watts worked to raise awareness of the gender balance issue and encouraged women in the industry to apply for senior management positions. One of WIBF’s first tasks was to create a leaflet spelling out the business benefits of women’s full participation in the banking sector. In 1988, she became the first “Equal Opportunities Director” at Midland Bank. In her 15 years in that role, she created over 850 nurseries around England to allow parents to combine work and family. Currently, Ms. Watts is Chair of the Appointments Commission where she is driving forward initiatives to appoint more women, and other diversity candidates onto the boards of the National Health Service and other government departments.

Rosalind Wee, Quezon City, Philippines

Rosalind Wee’s list of entrepreneurial and humanitarian achievements is a huge one, reflecting her drive and enthusiasm. The mother of six and grandmother to six more, this native of Jolo started as a schoolteacher before turning into a global entrepreneur. Eighteen years ago, that almost came to an end as surgeons at New York’s Columbia Presbyterian Hospital operated to remove a brain tumor the size of a golf ball. Although it left her legally blind, she turned to playing golf living life with gusto, and in the process winning countless awards for her contributions to her communities and the advancement of women. In addition to extensive work with improving the quality of life for women and children, Ms. Wee has also served as President of the Philippine Federation of Local Councils of Women, where women are taught at the grassroots level, to pursue micro business to help support their families. She was the Executive Vice President of the Filipino Chinese Federation of Business and Professional Women of the Philippines and was a member of the Philippine delegation to the 49th UN Commission on the Status of Women in New York City. She is a winner of the 2009 Pearl S. Buck International Woman of the Year.

Julie Weeks, Empire, Michigan, USA

To say that Julie Weeks is the ‘go to’ person and authority on research and support for women entrepreneurs worldwide is a vast understatement! Ms. Weeks is one of the world’s leading experts in the field of women’s entrepreneurship, with nearly 30 years’ experience in both the private and public sectors in the areas of research, public policy and program management. She is the CEO at Womenable, a consultancy enabling women’s entrepreneurship worldwide, and producer of the e-publication Womenable which links women to the most important issues, policies and events in the world of women entrepreneurs. It can be said that Ms. Weeks has been personally responsible for much of the extant information on the state of women business owners and their enterprises in the United States. She served three years as Executive Director of the US National Women’s Business Council, and as an advisor to the President, U.S. Congress and the U.S. Small Business Administration on women’s entrepreneurship issues. Ms. Weeks spent nine years as the Director of Research and Managing Director of the Center for Women’s Business Research. Currently, she serves as the Vice President for the Women’s Entrepreneurship Committee of the International Council for Small Business, is a regional commissioner for Les Femmes Chefs d’Entreprises Mondiales, serves on the national board of the National Association of Women Business Owners, co-chairs the Public Policy Council of the Association of Women’s Business Centers, and is on the advisory board of Enterprising Women magazine.

Margaret Weir, Washington, DC, USA

Margaret Weir has truly made a difference in the lives of the many women she has mentored, trained and championed through Executive Women in Government (EWG), as a President, current Board and lifetime member. Ms. Weir is Executive Director, Global Business Development with US Postal Service, a TIAW advocate, a professor and leader in several organizations. She is noted worldwide for investing in women professionals and students. As a mentor, she shares her talents and networks to benefit others. For over 30 years, she has helped numerous women succeed and achieve their dreams. As EWG President, she established a Corporate Advisory Board of private-sector companies that supports and preserves EWG’s mission to advance women, and thus improve their economic status. Another significant ground-breaking effort, is the Mentorship Program she launched by customizing various disparate efforts. It allows members to assist each other with career-change decisions, professional development, and life transitions. The mission is to encourage growth through a series of quality guided discussions and networking opportunities. She is also an adjunct professor for Syracuse University where she shapes the minds of students globally.

Karolee Wolcott, Cavendish, Australia

Karolee Wolcott has worked as a sheep and wool farm manager/owner for over 16 years and is highly knowledgeable about farm management and rural issues. She is a strong advocate on behalf of rural women, and is an active member and supporter of multiple rural women’s organizations. She has frequently served as a delegate representing rural women and rural issues to both government and multilateral organizations. Ms. Wolcott has been an active participant, speaker and advocate at the Women Leaders Network of APEC since 1999, travelling at her own expense to ensure that the voices and issues of rural women are represented in international fora. Ms. Wolcott has vast experience in the harsh environment of the outback of Australia where often the isolation and erratic and extreme weather conditions take a particularly severe toll on women. She has been a quiet, strong and serene supporter for women, their work and the emotional challenges that they often face. Besides participating in WLN events, Ms. Wolcott has been a delegate and speaker to international events for rural women, participated in trade missions promoting the wool industry of Australia and women in agriculture. For seven years, Ms. Wolcott was the Treasurer of the Isolated Children Parent’s Association as well as the Bingara Pony Club which organized day camps for over 100 children and horses. Often the world of rural women, and women in agriculture, and the important role they play is overlooked, as well as the unique challenges that they face, especially in a country such as Australia where distances are so vast and the isolation can be severe. Ms. Wolcott has been a pillar of support to other women, to her own community and family and a voice of sincere reason to ensure that they are not overlooked. Since retiring from their own farm, Ms. Wolcott and her husband now volunteer their summer time to restore remote and historic Australian homesteads.

Betty Wood, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Betty Woods is WEConnect Canada’s primary contact for women business owners, she brings a wealth of knowledge to the team as an experienced commercial banker, trainer and award-winning global expert in the women’s market. Ms. Woods is the founder of W Consulting Group, and has consulted extensively for the International Finance Corporation (IFC) Gender Entrepreneurship Market (GEM) and the World Bank Group based in Washington, D.C. Much of her work has entailed advisory services and training for commercial banks in developing countries. Well known in the women’s market both nationally and globally, Ms. Woods is a founder and Head of Finance, Governance and Operations, for the Global Banking Alliance for Women (www.gbaforwomen.org). As former National Director of Women Entrepreneurs Market for RBC Royal Bank, her strategic skills led market share growth and customer satisfaction improvement to new heights. Ms. Woods shares her expertise widely by speaking at domestic and international forums.

Ruth Woods, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Throughout her career, Ruth Woods has combined achievement with advocacy for greater diversity and the advancement of women. She serves as a role model for many in the professional services field as Chief Operating Officer of one of Canada’s leading law firms, Osler Hoskin and Harcourt. Ms. Woods spent almost 20 years prior to that at Scotia Capital where she was Senior Vice President and Global Head of Human Resources. During her tenure at the bank, she was a strong supporter for diversity within the bank and advocated for attracting, retaining and advancing talented women within Scotia and the Capital Markets community. Ms. Woods was a Founding Director of Women in Capital Markets and has retained her commitment to the organization ever since, supporting the organization as a sponsor, speaker, mentor, advisor and member of the Jury for the WCM Award for Leadership.