Comerica Bank hosts Women's Business Symposium

Learn, connect and grow with Detroit's most influential business women

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Apr 17, 2017, 08:35 ET

DETROIT, April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Comerica Bank is hosting a Women's Business Symposium featuring keynote speaker and Emmy Award winner Leeza Gibbons from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 28 at the Detroit Marriott Troy, 200 West Big Beaver Road, Troy, Michigan 48084.

Gibbons' keynote address is titled after her new book, "Fierce Optimism: Seven Secrets for Playing Nice and Winning Big." The New York Times bestselling author became known for her on‐camera hosting dominance in the entertainment‐news and talk‐show arenas with "Entertainment Tonight," and her award‐winning daytime talk show, "Leeza." In 2013, Leeza published her first New York Times bestseller, "Take 2," a personal growth guide designed to help people recreate themselves and she also won the 2013 Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show Host for the PBS show "My Generation."

Gibbons, an instrumental advocate for healthcare, wellness and care giving, will present her insights and observations following a Power Panel discussion moderated by Monica L. Martinez, Comerica Bank senior vice president of external affairs. The Power Panel will discuss issues for women in business and leadership positions today on such topics as work/life balance, mentoring, breaking the glass ceiling, philanthropy, gender equality and pay equity.

"The Women's Business Symposium is a forum for female business owners and entrepreneurs to share their unique perspectives and secrets for success in business and within the community," said Martinez. "We are providing our customers with thought leadership opportunities in a way that underscores our strong focus on diversity and showcases how we are raising expectations of what a bank can be."

The Power Panelists will include: Florine Mark, president & CEO of The WW Group; Jeanette Pierce, founder & executive director of Detroit Experience Factory; Lydia Gutierrez, president & CEO of Hacienda Mexican Foods; and Tanya R. Allen, president & CEO of ForeverFresh, in an up-close setting with enhanced networking opportunities.

Mark created The WW Group and is the leading franchise holder of Weight Watchers International. She hosts a weekly radio show, "Remarkable Women" and can be seen on "Ask Florine," a weekly segment on Michigan's Local 4 News, WDIV. Mark also published her first book, "Talk to the Mirror," providing inspiration to achieve one's dreams.

Pierce, a longtime Detroit advocate, founded the Detroit Experience Factory, a nonprofit that operates the Detroit Welcome Center and has taken 85,000 people on experiential tours of Detroit. Her honors include "Crain's Twenty in their 20s," the Detroit Free Press' "Shining Light Award" and MichBusiness' "Shooting Star Award."

Gutierrez started Hacienda Mexican Foods, a manufacturer of authentic tortillas and tortilla chips located in Mexican Town in Detroit. She is also an avid supporter of her community and helped to establish Garage Cultural, a community arts education collaborative for neighborhood youth and families.

Allen developed and patented ForeverFresh disposable undergarments. She is also a partner & vice president of Hojeij Branded Foods and AP United LLC – concessions operators at Detroit Metro Airport. She is the immediate past president of the National Association of Women Business Owners' Greater Detroit Chapter, and begins her term on the organization's national board this year.

Tickets are $60 each or $500 for a table of 10. For more information visit: http://events.comerica.com/wbsmi

About Comerica Bank
Comerica Bank is a subsidiary of Comerica Incorporated. Founded in Detroit in 1849, Comerica continues to invest in Michigan, including the multi-million dollar restoration of Comerica Bank Center, its Michigan Market headquarters in downtown Detroit. For generations, Comerica Bank has been making a positive difference in the lives of Michigan residents, helping its customers be successful and providing financial assistance to help charitable organizations meet their diverse goals. Ranked No. 2 in deposit market share in Michigan, Comerica's naming rights agreement for Comerica Park helped support this jewel in Detroit's downtown revitalization plan. Comerica Incorporated (NYSE: CMA) is a financial services company strategically aligned by three business segments: The Business Bank, The Retail Bank, and Wealth Management. Comerica focuses on relationships, and helping people and businesses be successful. To find us on Facebook, please visit www.facebook.com/Comerica. Follow us on Twitter at @ComericaCares.

SOURCE Comerica Bank