NYWA STAR AWARDED TO WPO PRESIDENT
March 18, 2008
Marsha Firestone, Ph.D., president and founder of the Women Presidents’ Organization and Women Presidents’ Educational Organization, received a 2007 New York Women’s Agenda Star Award at the New York Women’s Agenda Annual Star Breakfast. The event held in New York City honors outstanding women who represent the spirit of New York, provide leadership in business and in the community, and are role models for other women. NYWA is a coalition of women professionalsand community activists who support the diversity and interests of New York women through collaboration, advocacy and education. For more information visit www.nywa.org.
The Home Depot adds woman to board
March 18, 2008
The world’s largest home improvement retailer, The Home Depot, has appointed three new members to its board of directors, including one female, Karen Katen. The other new members are F. Duane Ackerman and Ari Bousbib. These appointments are a part of the company’s planned succession process to replace four existing board members, John L. Clendein, Claudio X. Gonzales, Milledge A. Hart III and Kenneth G. Langone, who are scheduled to retire from the board in May 2008.
Katen currently serves as chairman of the Pfizer Foundation, and recently retired as vice chairman of Pfizer Inc. and as president of Pfizer Human Health, the company’s principal operating group. Katen joined Pfizer in 1974 and has held numerous leadership roles within the organization until her retirement earlier this year. In 1993, she was named executive vice president of Pfizer U.S. Pharmaceuticals and she was promoted to president of that same business unit in 1995. During 2001, she was named president of Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Group, the global pharmaceutical unit of Pfizer, and was elected executive vice president of Pfizer. She was elected vice chairman of Pfizer in 2005. With this recent announcement, The Home Depot’s board currently consists of 14 members, with 13 of them being outside directors.
Forums held in five cities will determine business growth for women of color
March 18, 2008
The final of a five-city national research study to identify obstacles to business growth faced by women business owners of color was held in Chicago on Jan. 23. The day-long research forum, was conducted by the Center for Women’s Business Research and Babson College.The objective was to identify the barriers and challenges that women of color face in the pursuit of business growth and to create individual, community, and ultimately, national action plans to overcome those barriers. Bank of America was the city sponsor for the Chicagoresearch forum and the Women’s Business Development Center Chicago was the city co-presenter.
The research will culminate at the CFWBR 2008 National Symposium in Washington D.C. on May 6-7 where public- and private-sector policy recommendationsgenerated by the research will be announced. Women entrepreneurs who are African American,Asian, Latina and other ethnicities, who wish to grow their businesses to a higher level and help create local and national agendas that support businesses owned by women of color,must apply in advance to participate. Selection criteria include owning a business that is at least 50 percent women owned with annual revenues between $250,000 and $5 million.Women of- color entrepreneurs who meet the research criteria and wish to participate should contact the Center for Women’s Business Research at www.womens businessresearch.org or at (202) 638-3060 ext. 725.
Editor’s Notes
March 18, 2008
As a business magazine editor I sometimes feel like I am in a period film and elong to the aristocrat or bourgeoisie society.Every year, I wait in anticipation or the “society season”to begin as if I lived as a Victorian.
Obviously I do not live in 19th century England. But I do live in 21st century America and in my business the ‘season’ means a year of conferences, networking opportunities, award luncheons and by all means the belle of the ball, the WBENC gala. The annual event held this year in Washington D.C. brings women business owners from all over the country together along with corporate members to commemorate a handful of WBEs for … well, being extraordinaire.
In this issue we’ve done the same thing; we’velooked out across the United States and picked whom we found extraordinaire as well. And we found what we were looking for.We have over 100 women business owners doing amazing things with their companies and building empires as top producers.We also found those that may have started out small in the past few years, but with a noholds- bar-attitude are zooming to the top. Plus, we have included WBENC’s anticipated America’s Top Corporations for Women’s Business Enterprises and there are some new additions to the usual list of suspects. Our Biz Tools for women feature five WBEs offering everything from sassy note pads to desk organizers. Of course,we also included profiles on corporate individuals who you may recognize. With over 1,200 attending the WBENC gala,102 of you will see yourself on the cover of our magazine and hopefully feel a little bit like royalty.
A simple handshake leads to a career in coaching leaders
March 10, 2008
Laura Morales was a skinny little girl with thick eyeglasses and lots of self-image issues.Shy, awkward and the youngest of four, she found herself blending with the walls. That is until a young friend of hers ran up to Morales’ aunt, introduced herself and shook her hand. Read more
