This comprehensive one–day event brings together market and reference data managers from leading financial firms across Europe to examine solutions to the most urgent challenges facing their businesses.

Contributed by Alana Elsner

140925254_869c882a51_m.jpg“Who is a better businessperson- Donald Trump or Mother Theresa?” someone once asked me. “Donald Trump, of course,” was the obvious answer. “No, Mother Theresa,” he replied. With smug smile that comes from stumping someone, he listed her achievements including bringing record donations not only to Calcutta but also to the Catholic Church. And her name and face were as recognizable as Michael Jordan’s- remember this was the 90s. She was perhaps the first of the modern day chariteurs- entrepreneurs bringing business-like basics to charity.

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“Working Smarter, Not Harder” will include a key note speech from Dr Suzanne Doyle-Morris, professional speaker, trainer and accredited coach, two short presentations from Microsoft representatives about how they work flexibly and a panel discussion on the evening’s topic. The event is kindly being hosted by Microsoft at their Cardinal Place offices which are very close to Victoria Station in central London – 100 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 5JL.

Join the Government Affairs committee for an exciting evening about entrepreneurship in the New York region. “Small to Big, Becoming an Entrepreneur in New York” will focus on women who have expressed an interest in becoming entrepreneurs as they look for new career opportunities and fellow entrepreneurs who want to grow and build sustainable enterprises with the assistance of independent and government sponsored resources.

This exclusive, black-tie event celebrates and honours the role of women and the contributions they have made to a range of domains and societies over the years. A panel of three outstanding women, hosted by a renowned news presenter, will speak about the determination and courage to achieve success and stretch boundaries; the role of women in their culture and fields; finding empowerment and the challenges of striking a life/work balance in today’s challenging world. Join us to meet these formidable women who have achieved remarkable triumphs in the 21st century. This is a dinner to celebrate the women of yesterday and today who have stood the test of time and made a difference.

Meg_Whitman.jpgAfter ten years at the helm of eBay, President and CEO Meg Whitman announced that she intends to retire effective today, March 31, 2008. A visionary in the field of online commerce and a true leader, Ms. Whitman offers a Voice of Experience for young women in business. She will be succeeded by John Donahoe, 47, who has headed eBay’s auction and e-commerce businesses.Meg Whitman became President and CEO of eBay, the online auction website, in 1998. One of only 12 female CEOs in the Fortune 500, she has lead eBay with a vision and unique sense of direction that has enabled the company to grow from a small online trading website to the largest e-commerce site in the world. When she took the helm of eBay, Ms. Whitman focused on building the eBay brand into a household name, and improving consumer trust and confidence in the online commerce experience. Read more

Contributed by Heather Cassell

20006509_a4576fcee9_m.jpgCalifornia has a reputation for its progressive politics as well as being a well of innovative inventions and opportunities, but the golden state doesn’t have a sunny disposition when it comes to women’s leadership.

Nearly half, 49.8 percent, of California’s 400 publicly held companies have no women executive officers, according to a University of California at Davis Graduate School of Management report revealed last October, and only 34.3 percent of the state’s public companies have only one woman on its board of directors. This means that in such a trend setting, policy establishing progressive state women make up only 27 percent of the active directors and executive officers of California’s 400 largest public companies. But for the largest publicly held companies headquartered in California the number of women who comprise directors’ and executives’ chairs in 2007 drops to 10.4 percent and this is a slight increase from 10.2 percent in 2006, according to the report.

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001lg.jpgThe first time you are made redundant is the worst. Sort of like losing your virginity, your expectations of the event bear very little relation to the experience. When it does happen, the reality can be both comic and tragic at the same time. But it is nearly always hard to cope with when it happens. However competent and successful you may be, you are now no longer wanted, and that hurts, especially if you’ve put your heart and soul into your work.

Unfortunately, recent financial market woes mean that more financial professionals are going to be dealing with layoffs in the near future, as discussed in this Times Online article.

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The Working Mothers Committee is proud to host the Spring Luncheon at the Science, Industry and Business Library (SIBL) branch of the New York Public Library.

Contributed by Pamela Capalad

Women are a driving force in the workplace and equal opportunity employment is no longer simply lip service, as smart CEOs realize the power of recruiting and retaining female employees656924000_ed810cc6b3_m.jpg. Companies are not only targeting women and women of color in their hiring practices; many recognize the importance of catering to women’s unique needs to ensure their productivity and well-being. Many companies are implementing formal mentoring and education programs, networking and support systems, and progressive flex-time, maternity leave and on-ramp programs to accommodate this trend.

The companies who made the Glass Hammer’s Top 10 List are industry leaders who actively implement programs that create a balance between increasing diversity in the workplace, juggling family and professional life, and consciously creating programs that contribute to a measurable advancement of women in leadership positions.

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