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"I'm traveling to Berlin to be part of an international gathering of more than 1,000 women business leaders at the Global Summit of Women. Over the next few days, I will be sharing my insight from the conference." |
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PINK Blog Experience the ninth-annual Global Summit of Women, the premier gathering of women leaders focused on advancing women's economic opportunities, with event speaker Gay Gaddis. She will blog daily throughout the conference, June 14-16. For more on the Summit, visit globewomen.com. June 16, 2007
I mentioned yesterday that we were introduced to a large group of women ministers at last night's gala celebration. This morning during breakfast I spoke with several groups of people about the significance of women in government positions and what they represent for women around the world. In 2006, women occupied about 17 percent of seats in parliament, whereas 20 years ago, they made up only 9 percent. This was good news to summit participants who emphasized the importance of women's representation in positions of leadership to inspire younger generations and encourage equality throughout their countries.
While women's roles in government seem to be on the incline, there are still many business issues for women that need addressing. Depending on the country and region, women can earn an average of 30-60 percent of men's wages for the same job. In developing countries women own only 10 percent of arable land even though they produce up to 80 percent of basic foodstuffs.
These issues were also part of the discussion at this morning's session, "Corporate Social Responsibility Across Borders: Best Practices." Representatives from companies including Office Depot – Europe and France's GE discussed what they are doing to support the employment inequality as well as other social issues.
I especially enjoyed the luncheon program "Defining Diversity in a Competitive Global Economy." Leslie Mays, vice president of diversity at Pfizer, gave the introduction and set the stage for the terrific group of panelists: Ralitsa Vassileva, CNN anchor; Pedro Lichtinger, president of Pfizer's European pharmaceutical operations; Maud Pagel, senior EVP and chief diversity officer of Deutsche Telekom (Germany); Ali Furamawy, VP of Microsoft (Turkey); and Pauline Van Der Meer Mohr, senior EVP, Senior ABN Amro (Netherlands). They discussed the benefits of the acceptance of diversity in the global marketplace.
As I attended the final sessions and networking programs, I thought about how much we can accomplish in business and in life when the social and political barriers are removed. This week in Berlin we came together from 96 different countries and united behind commonalities as women, businesspeople and world leaders.
I also thought about how much more work we have ahead of us and 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.
If we want to progress towards peace around the world, the equal participation of women in business, society and politics is vital. I am committed to working towards that goal and I encourage others to continue with their efforts.
Gay P.S. On Saturday there were rumors that Tom Cruise would be at the Berlin Zoo to give his daughter Suri a private viewing of Knut, the infamous baby polar bear (referred to as the ice bear by the Germans). Knut was rejected by his mother at birth and is being raised by the zoo's staff. With only a couple hours left before our departure, Rebecca and I "hoofed it" to the zoo and saw the little fellow for ourselves. We didn't catch Tom but Knut was worth the trip, adorable! Here are some pics.
June 15, 2007
After last night's celebration, this morning came pretty quickly. I immediately ordered two liters of "Coca-Cola Lite" from room service and was good to go!
Upon arriving downstairs for this morning's sessions, I took a long look around at the packed room and began to feel a few butterflies about my upcoming panel presentation. Even as a veteran speaker, I am not sure that feeling ever completely goes away; especially on a global stage in front of so many accomplished leaders. I also felt a sincere obligation to deliver a message that would resonate with and inspire this group of women.
IBM was today's lunch sponsor and Marilyn Johnson, vice president of market development for IBM, gave wonderful opening remarks as she introduced the panel, a "Dialogue with Women Enterprise Leaders." Moderated by Valerie Morris, former CNN financial correspondent, the other panelists included Katrin Petursdottir, CEO, Lysi Ltd., the largest cod liver oil manufacturer in the world (Iceland); Sungjoo Kim, CEO, Sungjoo Group (one of South Korea's most popular retail chains) and chairperson, MCM, Inc. (Korea) and Chongshu Zhu, president, Chengdu Dachang Motor Services (China).
Our panel was deliberately unscripted and we were all very comfortable answering Valerie's questions on the fly. We talked mostly about our companies and the path that led us to where we are today. We also received great questions from the audience (a positive indicator of the audience's level of engagement). Specifically, I was asked about Life/Work balance which gave me a great opportunity to describe my company's "T3 and Under" program, a family-friendly incentive that helps new moms and dads continue their careers while easing the transition to parenthood by allowing them to bring their babies to work. The audience applauded. It was so exciting to feel the energy from them throughout the panel session; everyone was eager to learn and exchange.
The afternoon was filled with breakout sessions. Many women were in their country's traditional dress and the rooms were filled with a mix of colorful and unique attire. My 23-year old daughter Rebecca attended many of the sessions with me. She particularly enjoyed the panel focused on youth and the next generation of women. During this session, one Korean panelist remarked, "I can't stand laziness. In order to succeed, young people need to remember to follow up and make sure they reciprocate appropriately when something is done for them." One audience member asked the panelists what future jobs await young women. Science and engineering seemed to top the list. So young ladies, get out those calculus books!
This evening's awards program and gala dinner was a true delight. We were entertained by Germany's top harpist, Lena-Maria Buchberger, who has been a harp player since age 11. Rebecca and I were seated with Berlin's Secretary of State and her entourage. She insisted on giving me a beautiful, autographed hard-bound book about Berlin, which I look forward to adding to my library.
After dinner the award recipients took their seats on stage. I was absolutely thrilled to see Her Excellency, Vaira Vike-Freiberga, president of Latvia. I met her several years ago on a U.S. State Department sponsored trip to the Baltic region. She had entertained our group at a royal palace outside of Riga, Latvia and it was an amazing experience. Tonight she accepted an award and addressed the crowd in Berlin. She asked all of us to share our creativity with one another. And she told us that this cultural exchange of ideas could begin to change the world. Her words of solidarity rang true.
Rita Suessmuth, who has had an illustrious career in German politics, was the second award recipient. Her words – "There is no democracy without civil society" – were applauded by the audience.
The final recipient, Ulrike Detmers, a German business owner, immediately thanked her husband for his support over the years. She said, "We women and men who are emancipated must help others find this." She was alluding to the unfortunate lack of support that many businesswomen receive in some parts of the world.
The evening concluded with a parade of ministers. The government officials from all over the world introduced themselves to the audience. Honorable Betty N. Tett, assistant minister of housing in Kenya, described her job as daunting. She's charged with helping to improve the lives of 800,000 people who live in severe poverty. Although the situation at times seems dire, she is hopeful. She left us with this poignant quote, "I will aim for the moon, and even if I miss, I will end up among the stars." Messages of hope are many when you are among such an honorable group of leaders representing all parts of the world.
Gay
June 14, 2007
The opening ceremony kicked off at the Intercontinental Hotel with an all-girl German choir. The choir turned out to have tremendous significance, as we discovered that this group just became a reality several years ago. Traditionally, only men were allowed to sing in churches in Germany. As a result, all-boy choirs became very important to the liturgy, the form of service used to celebrate communion in a Christian denomination, and thus most customary throughout the country. The choir gave a terrific performance!
A host of worldwide dignitaries followed with welcome speeches. Truong My Hoa, the vice president of S.R. Vietnam, was one of the speakers. Although most of the speeches were given in English, she spoke in Vietnamese, and unfortunately I wasn't able to get my hands on any headphones quickly enough to hear the translation. It's quite a sight to see all of the interpreters working in so many different languages. After the speech, I did find out that Vietnam actually sent the largest delegation from any country present at the summit.
I participated in the opening ceremony's "Parade of Leaders," a group of worldwide business leaders selected to give summit delegates a sense of the talent assembled at the summit. The group was comprised of women from independently owned companies, as well as corporate leaders. After the welcome speeches, we each made our way to the podium and gave a brief description of our company. As I approached the stage to give my short introduction, I thought about the wonderful employees at my company in Austin, New York and San Francisco that make me so proud to represent T3 on this global stage.
All 1000 women then proceeded to board a long line of buses that took us to a very interesting venue for dinner – an old turn-of-the-century warehouse. We were greeted by a multitude of waiters serving champagne and a 10-woman jazz band dressed in long red sequined dresses. I sat with a group from South Africa. We discussed the state of their country in depth, and they explained legislation that they are working on that would require 50 percent of the local government to be comprised of women. It was a true pleasure to be in the presence of these passionate and driven women.
After dinner, we all headed back to the hotel and danced all night long to a terrific live band. Women love to dance! It got me thinking to past international gatherings of women I have attended – most recently one in Amman, Jordan, that was filled with long hours of dancing. Women at these conferences dance for freedom, for joy, or maybe just for the hell of it.
I'm exhausted from tonight's festivities and look forward to tomorrow's first full day of summit sessions. Goodnight!
Gay
June 13, 2007
We arrived safely this morning in Berlin. I am traveling with my daughter Rebecca and am so glad she'll be able to experience this meeting of so many women from all parts of the world. On our way to the hotel, we noticed that all of the cabs are Mercedes and that BMWs are just about as common as Chevys are in the U.S. – how fun!
When we checked into the hotel (and conference site) to get our badges and materials, I ran into Marilyn Johnson, vice president of market development for IBM. She also lives in Austin, and we laughed because the only time we see each other is when we are NOT in Austin! Last time we saw one another, we were on a panel together at the America-China Women's Business Conference in the fall. IBM is a sponsor of the summit, and Marilyn is a major player in this event.
This evening at the opening dinner it was announced that 96 countries are represented among the 1,000 summit participants. Sponsored by GE, the dinner was attended by speakers, corporate executives, government ministers, and German Host Committee and International Planning Committee members.
During dinner, I spoke with several people from a woman-owned Berlin research company. I learned that over the past decade, the population in Germany has "grayed" due to a disinterest among women in having babies. However, there's a neighborhood in Berlin in which couples are recommitting to parenthood. If this trend takes hold throughout the country, there's a good chance for a younger German population to be set forth. This conversation led me to wonder about the connection between women's advancement in business and the decision to have children – and the striking similarity in the struggle with this very issue that we experience as businesswomen in the U.S.
Throughout the evening I also chatted with a woman from Thailand, who asked very pointed questions about U.S. border issues and discussed the upcoming presidential election with several U.S. counterparts. It was interesting to learn that, at least from their perspective, having a woman on the ticket is not enough. They are looking for the "right" woman.
Overall it was a great first day! Already I've connected with summit representatives and top executives from all over the world. I am looking forward to the opening ceremony tomorrow night and what the next three days of inspiring programs will bring.
Gay
June 12, 2007 Tonight I'm traveling to Berlin to be part of an international gathering of more than 1,000 women business leaders at the Global Summit of Women. Over the next few days, I will be sharing my insight from the conference as both a speaker and attending business owner. This is the ninth-annual Global Summit. Women representing government and corporate/private sectors, as well as entrepreneurs, will convene from all parts of the world to focus on advancing women's economic opportunities globally. Personally, I can't wait to hear from the other speakers, including Vaira Vike-Freiberga, president of Latvia; Olga Dergunova, chairwoman of Microsoft Russia and CIS; Farkhanda Hassan, secretary general of the National Council of Women and member of parliament in Egypt; and so many other accomplished and inspiring women that span the globe. It's so important to bring women together from around the world to take strides to advance in business and to foster an understanding of our different companies and cultures. When I founded my company in 1989 with a cashed-in IRA and two employees, there were no real networks to support women entrepreneurs. I felt alone. At times it even seemed like as I was climbing the ladder toward success, there were stilettos digging into my hands on the way up. And while I didn't set it as an expressed goal, I knew that if my business made it, I would be there for other women following the same path. PINK is actually a perfect example of one of the outstanding networks in this country that support today's women in business. And when I am speaking here in the U.S., or on a panel on the other side of the world connecting with women in business on many levels, I am living up to my own promise to help other women follow their own paths. Stay tuned! I look forward to talking to you all again soon from Germany! Gay About Gay Gaddis and T3 |
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