Women’s International Networking WIN® is an independent global leadership organization inspiring women worldwide. W.I.N. develops, empowers and connects leaders with a feminine, authentic and global vision. It is a reference for women working internationally and companies active in women’s leadership and diversity & inclusion. It runs women’s preferred global leadership forum, the WINConference, the WINCorporate Network Group, the WIN Development Fund and the WINCommunity. The 15th edition of the global WINConference took place in Europe from 3 to 6 October 2012.
REPORT FROM THE 2011 WINCONFERENCE in Rome
Source W.I.N. Newsletter
950 participants (95% women and 5% men) from 72 countries gathered in Rome last month to connect to the future, new ideas, a bright vision and to teach other as they got ready to create history at the 14th Global WINConference in Rome in October.
Referred to as the women’s preferred leadership forum the WINConference offered interactive workshops, discussion forums and inspiring WINTalks during the plenary sessions over three days. The networking dinner, cocktails and the stunning Gala Dinner at Villa Miani made it all the more memorable and placed us in a context of beauty.
The conference is a process and it isn’t always the one speaker, the one workshop but typically it is the entire experience that makes it so unique. As one participant who attended the conference previously stated there is a sense of coming home. Many participants arrive with a specific goal in mind for the conference, as they learnt to let life unfold, change within them happened naturally, typically through the many connections to new ideas, people and new ways of thinking about work and the world – a truly priceless experience. The ripple effect goes far beyond those at the conference, tapping into the global support of women leaders and the men who support them can have an impact for years to come. The WINCommunity now knows what this feels like.
Mikael Ohlsson, IKEA CEO said “"I really enjoyed participating at the WINConference, I think diversity and inclusiveness in society,
in companies and organization are so important, even essential, to develop a better everyday life for people throughout the world. The conference underlined this and it was a joy to share our experiences but also listen and learn from the other participants".
IKEA was joined by companies such as IBM who have worked with W.I.N. for 12 out of the 14 years and brought more than 100 participants. With their CIO coming in as a speaker showing the way to the C-SUITE from being a mathematician was key in showing how to have a sustainability strategy whilst growing your corporation, something many companies are striving for in this day and age. HP showed their CSR programs and passion for social engagement and how women are leading the way.
Participants were exposed to outstanding women who have built seemingly impossible projects, in unfavorable conditions and made an impact on many people around them. We learnt about the road to the presidency of PepsiCo Asia and what is happening in the streets of Cairo as well as everything else along the way; building a career, finding work-life balance, becoming more inclusive through awareness of our unconscious biases and how you do all that you do, finding your feminine capacity, your authentic self, your mission, your board job, your entrepreneurial venture and how to manage it all in a global world.
This year we received excellent feedback from our evaluation forms and survey (completed by 70% of participants - thank you to all who took part).
We know that the seniority level is increasing for each year and at W.I.N. 2011, 27% of the participants said they were senior leaders. Close to 30% were entrepreneurs, consultants, NGO leaders or artists while 70% worked for larger organizations such as a corporation or UN organizations. 39 % of the participants attending were between 41 and 50 years of age and as many as 78% of the attendance were between 31 and 50 years of age. Only 9% of the women were in their twenties and 13% in 50 years or over.
The 2011 WINConference was a success and we are sure that the ripple effect will be felt far and wide! We look forward to another successful year and conference in 2012, don’t forget to be a part of it!
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