Virtual Town Hall Summit Convenes Global Business Leaders to Discuss Opportunity for Corporate Transformation Amidst Unprecedented Societal Change

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Global business leaders in industries ranging from finance to tech will gather for a virtual town hall organized by executive coaching & global advisory firm Leadership for Life to discuss the crises of 2020 and how to forge a path forward as the world grapples with reopening, social unrest and increased unemployment ahead of pivotal elections in a number of nations.

At the two-day summit on Thursday, Oct. 1, and Friday, Oct. 2, India Gary-Martin, longtime global executive turned leadership expert and C-suite coach, will convene what will be a second virtual global town hall summit with 16 leaders from three continents. 

In four one-hour sessions over the two days, participants will share strategies for leading through the new normal and re-imagining what business should be to ensure alignment with the shifts society is demanding. The sessions will include C-Suite Spotlight: Best In Class; The Myth: Hard to Find Diverse Talent; Building and Maintaining Trust During Crisis; and Re-imagining Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The summit will also feature two fireside chats – one at the start of each day – exploring the careers of Steve Pamon, Chief Operating Officer of Parkwood Entertainment and recent appointee to the Board of Directors for WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.), and Patricia Obo-Nai, the first Ghanaian female to become Chief Executive Officer of Vodafone Ghana.

"We find ourselves in really precarious times. Leaders who are agile, willing to learn and not afraid to say they don't have the answers will fare better and be far more effective than those who apply outdated models of leadership to navigate change in modern times we haven't experienced until now," Gary-Martin says.

The Town Hall Summit is free to participants on a first-come-first-served basis and will also be broadcast on YouTube Live. Register at www.thetownhallsummit.com.

Oct. 1, 2020

Fireside Chat – Thursday, Oct. 1, at 9:30 a.m. EST (30 minutes)

India Gary-Martin and Steve Pamon will discuss his meteoric career and the impact of the pandemic, racial reckoning and financial uncertainty on the entertainment industry.

C-Suite Spotlight: Best In Class - Thursday, Oct. 1, at 10 a.m. EST (1 hour)

Business leaders discuss the challenges and opportunities of running a significant business while living through the new normal – and will talk about the impact of the crises on their businesses.

Panelists:

Jeremy Awori, Managing Director, Absa Bank, Kenya PLC (Kenya)

Ruth Harrison, UK Managing Director, Thoughtworks (UK)

Keri Putnam, Chief Executive Officer, Sundance Institute (USA)

"As global citizens, now more than ever is the time for leaders to come together to share experiences and learnings on resilience and recovery as we work on finding solutions to global issues impacting us all. I'm grateful that The Town Hall Summit gives me an opportunity to discuss things I care about and I'll be contributing to the discussion on leveling up the playing field," Harrison says.

The Myth: Hard To Find Diverse Talent – Thursday, Oct. 1,  at 11:30 a.m. EST (1 hour)

Industry thought leaders discuss the myth around hard-to-find diverse talent and the volume of retained search requests to increase diverse representation as a business response to the wider societal racial reckoning.

Panelists:

Michael Barrington-Hibbert, Chief Executive Officer, Barrington-Hibbert Associates (UK)

Moula Mokhobo-Amegashie, Managing Partner, Drayton Glendower (South Africa)

Valerie Rainford, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Elloree Talent Strategies (USA)

Oct. 2, 2020

Fireside Chat – Friday, Oct. 2, at 9:30 a.m. EST (30 minutes)

Award-winning South African journalist Gugulethu Mfuphi talks to Patricia Obo-Nai, the first Ghanaian female CEO of Vodafone Ghana, about her journey and navigating the complexity of the many crises in 2020.

Building and Maintaining Trust During Crisis – Friday, Oct. 2, at 10 a.m. EST (1 hour)

This panel of experts led by Edelman Vice President and Chief Editorial Consultant Melanie Trottman, a veteran Wall Street Journal reporter, will explore how to measure, build and maintain trust leveraging key research and findings from Edelman's Trust Barometer report.

Panelists:

Lisa Osborne Ross, Chief Operating Officer, Edelman (USA)

Jim Taylor, Vice President, Leadership Initiatives, BoardSource (USA)

Jaap Venema, PhD, Executive Vice President & Chief Science Officer, US Pharmacopeia (USA)

"Trust is at the foundation of every relationship – personal and professional, micro and macro. And in a year pocked with crises, it's become even more important for corporations to maintain. I'm thrilled to share Edelman's findings on the state of trust in institutions with this talented group of global executives," Osborne Ross states.

Re-Imagining Diversity, Equity and Inclusion – Friday, Oct. 2, at 11:15 a.m. EST

Thought leaders will discuss the opportunity to re-imagine diversity, equity and inclusion while navigating the complexity of crisis-driven systems change, both societally and organizationally. 

Panelists:

Andrew Fairbairn, Chief Executive Officer, Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (UK)

Maja Hazell, Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion, White & Case (USA)

Lee Naik, Chief Executive Officer, Transunion (South Africa)

"The Youth Are Watching," a short documentary that spotlights youth activism and challenges world and business leaders to leave a healthy and sustainable legacy for youth around the world, will premiere at the summit. India Gary-Martin, the founder of The Town Hall Summit, said, "You can't have conversations about the future without including the future." Youth from the U.S., U.K., Brazil, South Africa, New Zealand, Turkey and Kenya are featured.

Summary:

• India Gary-Martin featuring 16 global leaders from three continents. 
• A conversation with global leaders about the key decisions facing corporations amidst global crisis. 
• Oct. 1 and Oct. 2, 2020, starting at 9:30 a.m. EST each day. 
• Hosted via Zoom with simultaneous broadcast on YouTube live.  
• Attendees will receive a summary of the key points after the event via email. 
• "The Youth Are Watching" will premiere at the virtual summit.

Media Contact: Alix Swann | [email protected]  | + 1 301 357 6381

Related Images

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India Gary-Martin

India Gary-Martin, founder of The Town Hall Summit, a convening of global leaders 

SOURCE Leadership for Life