Speaker Meeting

All professional women welcome whether members or guests

Wednesday, 21 September 2011, 7-9.30 p.m.
Executive Coach and PWA Member Caroline Flanagan presents:
“Great Expectations”

The holidays are over and summer is drawing to a close. Evenings are shorter and suntans are starting to fade. Are you feeling energized, motivated and focused on your goals? Or are you wallowing in post-holiday blues and in denial about the challenges that lie ahead? Perhaps you are experiencing a mixture of both. Whichever is the case, Caroline’s “Great Expectations” presentation will give you the kickstart and the forward momentum that you need.

Join PWA for a motivating and energising evening that gets to the heart of the matter: your attitude. Let’s be honest – most of you know what you want, but do you believe you will actually succeed in realising these aims? What’s your relationship to your goals? Are you a Dreamer, a Wisher or a Hoper?

Caroline will introduce us to these 3 passive states that many of us are stuck in without knowing it. While each of these stages has a part to play in helping us to achieve success, on their own they are not enough. We need to move through these levels and on to the active and powerful state of being an Expecter – the state of having Great Expectations of ourselves and of the changes we want to see in our lives.

Come and discover why expecting more of yourself, and less of your surroundings is fundamental to success. Learn how to apply this active and powerful state to your personal and professional lives in order to achieve the results you are looking for.

About Caroline:
Caroline has a BA (Hons) from Cambridge University, England and trained as a lawyer at the College of Law in London. She worked for several years as a finance lawyer in two of the world’s leading international law firms, Allen & Overy, LLP and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton.

After 8 years in the legal finance world Caroline retrained ad graduated as an accredited Coach with Coaching and Mentoring International UK. Caroline is a member of the International Coach Federation and has over 4 years coaching experience.

Caroline is an inspiring coach, writer and speaker who has a passion for personal growth and for discovering new ways to help others achieve better fulfillment in their lives.

NH Hotel President, Largo Augusto 10 (MM San Babila, Duomo)
Networking Cocktail: 7 – 8 pm Presentation 8 – 9:30 pm

Entrance free for members, 25 euro for guests, payable in cash at the event.

Members and guests, please register in the calendar section of EPWN – www.EuropeanPWN.net

For more information, please send an email to speakers@pwa-milan.org

Ready-for-Board Women Dossier 2011 opens to Academic and Management profiles
by Silvia Siliprandi

93 new names add up to the Ready-for-Board Women list drafted in 2009, reaching a total of 165 women selected by PWA Milan and the Advisory Board as full potential new candidates for Boards close to their renewal.

PWA Milan’s President, Monica Pesce, greeted the crowded audience that took part to presentation of the second edition of the RFBW list in Assolombarda, asking the RFBW in the room to stand up and collect the excitement and loud applauses of the guests. A touching and powerful gesture that followed the presentations of the Advisory Board Members.

Maurizia Iachino, partner of Key2people and Governance Practice Leader, introduced the audience to the criteria used for the selection: experience, professional roles with high management responsibility, skills, seniority, reputation, internationality, commitment at Associative and Federation level (see her presentation here).

Marianna Carbonari, Senior Associate Spencer Stuart Italia, explained the value of the project, based on a pragmatic approach and objective criteria, therefore granting an excellent and reliable talent pool that can finally and undeniably prove Italian women have what it takes to enter Board rooms (see her presentation here).

Simona Cuomo, Coordinator of the Diversity Management Observatory at SDA Bocconi, helped the guests picturing the typical profile of a “Board member” in order to underline the challenges that a woman faces to match with a traditional and standard model. Focusing on the added value of diversity, Cuomo suggested the best answer might be widening the skills and career profile a professional should hold to access a Board (see her presentation here).

Livia Amidani Aliberti, founder of Aliberti Governance Advisors and expert of corporate governance, highlighted the opportunities and the risks implied in the legislation likely to be approved and effective very soon. Hoping that even small boards will make the best efforts to include women regardless the unfavourable math (round down of the quota calculation), the new legislative environment is however only a starting point, it is the market instead, and its competitive rules, that should create the best conditions for women to excel (see her presentation here).

Women’s presence shouldn’t only be measured in terms of numbers, but also in terms of key positions within professional networks. Romina Guglielmetti, lawyer and expert of corporate governance insisted on the importance of looking for the best talents, regardless the gender, as a way for companies to ensure growth and sustainability. The RFBW list demonstrate that there’s an entire talent pool of professional ready and willing to serve economy (read her speech here).

The second part of our summary dedicated to the RFBW event will focus on what has been discussed by our panel.

PWA invites you to a Networking Aperitivo

All professional women welcome, whether members or guests.

Wednesday 6 October 7-9 p.m.
Location: NH President Hotel, Largo Augusto 10 (MM San Babila)

Network in a comfortable atmosphere, make new personal and business contacts and get to know other PWA members.

Cost: Free entrance for members, 10 Euro for guests, payable in cash at the door. Drinks are 9 Euro each and include light buffet.

Members please register in the calendar section of EPWN (www.europeanpwn.net)

Guests please register at this link

For additional information please email networking@pwa-milan.org

Sustainability is no longer just a trendy concept that will fade away. According to a recent study by Accenture, CEOs believe that we are moving towards an era in which businesses will no longer focus purely on profit and loss as the primary means of valuation, but rather take into account the positive and negative impacts on society and the environment as well.

Today, more and more companies and organisations have declared their CEO’s responsible for CSR or sustainability. They act upon it as a strategic topic which has to be regularly planned, managed and reported. And except from this ‘technical’ approach on how to manage sustainability, the biggest challenge is the ‘human’ factor: how to inject sustainability into a company’s culture and DNA.

So how does it work?
• What does CSR and sustainability mean in general and on a daily basis?
• What can be the benefits for companies when investing in sustainability?
• And how can specifically you and I, as female business managers, mothers and daily consumers, contribute little by little to a more sustainable world?

Tessa will lead us in what promises to be a lively discussion.

About Tessa van Soest
After starting her career in management consulting, Tessa served as Senior officer Corporate Social Responsibility at Schiphol Group (Amsterdam Airport Schiphol).
There she managed the organizational change of integrating CSR into the company’s strategy and DNA. She created a professional CSR department and implemented initiatives to execute the strategic sustainability agenda within the airport of Schiphol. In 2009 Tessa moved with her husband and son to Milan and is currently director and market maker of Twinstone Italy. In this role she focuses on activating both social and business communities in Milan to become aware about their own potential contributions to sustainability.

Cocktails 7-8 p.m. / Presentation 8-9.30 p.m.
NH Hotel Jolly President Largo Augusto 10

Free for members, €20 for guests, payable by cash at the event

Members please register in the calendar section of EPWN (www.europeanpwn.net)

Guests please register at this link

For additional information please email speakers@pwa-milan.org

Although mentoring is an increasingly-used tool for career development within companies, only a small portion of the working population has access to it. PWA has moved to fill this gap by pioneering “network mentoring” in Italy, a concept which has been implemented effectively by several of its European affiliates.

The application period for the first edition of the PWA Mentoring Program has recently closed, the results are in, and matches have been made. Close to 50 women have come forward as potential mentors or mentees, greatly exceeding expectations based on results attained in other countries across Europe.

What sets Italy apart? Not surprisingly, the demand for mentors isn’t just originating from women in corporations. As more and more women leave the corporate world to embark into entrepreneurship, aspiring business owners are looking for mentorship too.

Join Valerie Ryder and Monique Svazlian, the driving forces behind mentoring at PWA, for an evening of “Women Leading Women.” After a brief presentation of the program and an initial analysis of the mentoring needs expressed, a selection of PWA Mentors will share their inspirational stories and past experiences with mentoring. We will hear from the following top corporate executives and successful business owners:

• Isabella Chiodi, Vice President and member of the Italian Women Leadership Council, IBM
• Barbara Cominelli, Planning Director, Tenaris Dalmine
  
• Giovanna D’Alessio, Managing Director, LifeCoachLab and President of the International Coach Federation
• Francesca Patellani, Client Partner (Banking Clients) and Inclusion & Diversity Lead, Accenture
• Lee Smith, Director, InStoreFactor
• Nicoletta Zappatini, Managing Director, Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank

About Valerie Ryder and Monique Svazlian: Executive Coaches, Valerie and Monique are passionate about developing leaders both in the corporate world and in entrepreneurship. They share the common conviction that the most effective way for women to advance professionally is to take advantage of mentoring, coaching, networking and other leadership development resources. Read more about them at www.ryderassociates.com and www.highestpath.com

Read more about the PWA Mentoring Program here

Grand Hotel et de Milan
Via Manzoni, 29 (MM Montenapoleone)
Networking Cocktail: 7 – 8 pm
Presentation 8 – 9:30 pm

Entrance free for members, 20 euro for guests, payable in cash at the event.
Members, please register in the calendar section of EPWN.
Guests, please send an email to speakers@pwa-milan.org

All professional women welcome whether members or guests

Join us as we launch the first annual PWA Mentoring Program for a stimulating and informational evening. We’ll hear inspiring testimonials from our PWA Mentors and Honorary Mentors alike, and discuss the objectives, structure and future of the program.

Participants of the Mentoring Program will have the opportunity to meet their match. This event is open to all professional women and we invite you to attend and learn more about our premier initiative for 2010.

Cocktails 7-8 p.m. / Presentation 8-9.30 p.m.
Grand Hotel et de Milan, Via Manzoni 29 (MM Montenapoleone)

Free for members, €20 for guests, payable by cash at the event.
Members, please register on EPWN

For guest reservations please email speakers@pwa-milan.org

All professional women welcome whether members or guests.

For more information on the Mentoring Program contact Valerie Ryder, PWA Professional Development Director, at professional@pwa-milan.org.

by Kristina Tool, Speaker Director

Conflict resolution and negotiating were the first topics of the year for PWA Milan’s monthly speaker events. Cynthia Milani presented Intercultural Negotiation & Conflict Resolution: Tips from a Corporate Anthropologist to PWA members and guests on the evening of January 27, 2010 at the Grand Hotel et di Milan.

Cynthia Milani, Director of the Institute for Global Development (IgD), applies her background in anthropology to the corporate environment. As a corporate anthropologist, she explained how understanding the people and the cultures which they come from can help us to resolve conflict.

Cynthia began an interactive presentation by asking the audience to define the difference between conflict and negotiation. It was clarified that conflict usually stems from a lack of understanding each other and makes it more difficult to achieve mutually successful outcomes, while negotiations are something we experience in both work and our personal lives to get what we need from each other. Negotiations usually require some  give and take or compromise.

How can we shift away from conflict in order to negotiate more effectively? Cynthia discussed how our behavior in negotiations is influenced by the overlapping of various cultural components. National culture, business culture and individual culture all come together and result in our approach and reaction to a particular situation.

For business negotiations, certain corporate cultures can have an overriding influence on how the individuals who work within these companies handle negotiations. Differences can be seen too between males and females. Many factors come together in the end to affect how each individual handles a given situation. This evening’s topic focused primarily on the national cultural influences.

Our national culture shapes how we interact with others, and problems can develop when our perspectives on developing relationships contrast. In understanding the various cultural approaches in getting to know each other, we are better able to deal with those from different backgrounds. Three kinds of cultures and which nationalities exhibit them were outlined:

• Peach: Soft on the outside, with a hard pit center. – Americans
• Coconut: Hard to crack but once you break through, warm and soft. – Europeans
• Onion:  Peeling back layer after layer, never really knowing where you are or if you have arrived. – Asians

Expanding on the fruit and vegetable metaphor, Cynthia continued to highlight differences we see among nations. Some cultures such as Arab nations come from an   environment with more constraints, while Asian cultures tend to place a much higher value on harmony.

Another potential area for conflict comes from how various cultures view time, ranging from preplanned and more structured schedules to those who are more spontaneous and reactive to a given situation.

We don’t see things as they are; we see things as we are.
-Anais Nin

The Anais Nin quote served to remind us that we that our background and context influence our perspective. With this understanding we can be better prepared to have successful interactions.

Cynthia Milani sold out the copies of her book Brand Italy: A Guide to the Italians at the event. It can be purchased  at the American Bookstore in Milan, or at Amazon online.

PWA invites you to a Networking Aperitivo with Mini-Workshop
All professional women welcome, whether members or guests.

Wednesday 3 February 7-9 p.m.

Location: Grand Hotel et de Milan
Via Manzoni, 29
MM Montenapoleone

How confident are you in the selling process? Does having to “sell yourself” spark anxiety? Does selling make you feel forced or false?

During this interactive mini-workshop, Leadership and Business Coach Monique Svazlian will teach you how to be authentic and genuine during the sales process, and attract clients more easily and effortlessly.

After her brief presentation, the rest of the evening will be dedicated to putting to practice the techniques you have learned.

You can read more about Monique at www.highestpath.com

Drinks 10 euro each, light buffet included

Guests, please send an email to networking@pwa-milan.org

All professional women welcome whether members or guests

PWA, in collaboration with Korn Ferry International, presents a panel discussion: “Women in Technology – Making a Difference: How to Increase the Number of Women in Leading Positions”

A look at who occupies management positions in technology companies around the world shows a heavy bias towards men, and an even more dramatic disparity in numbers between male and female executives can be found in Italy. Why is this the case? What can be done to increase women in leadership positions?  For those who have managed to reach the upper levels, how did they get there?  What should companies and individuals be doing to bring more women into corporate leadership roles?

PWA President Monica Pesce, will moderate a discussion designed to help us understand how women have achieved success so far, what we can be doing to increase opportunities and what benefits female leadership will bring to the technology sector and world economy as a whole.

The panel will share their experiences and perspectives gained from working at different companies internationally to help us to find ways to increase opportunities for women seeking leadership roles.

Panel Members
Pietro Scott Jovane – CEO, Microsoft Italia
Barbara Poggiali – CEO and Managing Director Dada (Division of RCS Group)
Tatiana Rizzante – CEO, Reply

Cocktails 7-8 p.m. / Presentation 8-9.30 p.m.
Grand Hotel et de Milan. Via Manzoni 29, (MM Montenapoleone)
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Free for members, €20 for guests, payable by cash at the event.

Advance registration is required for all guests in the calendar section of www.EuropeanPWN.net

 Members, please register your attendance in the calendar section of  EPWN

For additional information, please contact speakers@pwa-milan.org

When you leave a networking event, what’s your inner dominant thought? Are you enthusiastic about the interesting people you connected with? Or are you wondering why you bothered to show up – again?

We’re all drawn to certain types of people – and we all attract particular types. Recognizing hidden opportunities at social and business events can help us to make conscious decisions to achieve the results we seek. Armed with preparation and this self-awareness, we can make every networking event fun and rewarding.

During this special networking aperitivo, Leadership Development expert and PWA Member Angie Katselianos will introduce the universal principles and forces that govern attraction and explain why we’re drawn towards some individuals and what attracts others to us.  After her brief presentation, the rest of the evening will be dedicated to putting those laws to the test and participating in the underlying ‘magic’ to make multiple new connections!

Wednesday, 7 October, 2009, 7-9 p.m. (Presentation at 7:15)
Grand Hotel et de Milan -Via Manzoni, 29 (MM Montenapoleone)
Drinks 10 euro each, light buffet included

All professional women welcome whether members or guests.

Members, please register in the calendar section of EPWN

Guests, please send an email to networking@pwa-milan.org  

Discover Angie’s 4 Ps in  The Platinum Approach to Networking at  Platinum Performance