Concern Worldwide U.S. Raises More than $400,000 to Fight Extreme Poverty at Event Honoring Solera Founder and CEO Molly Ashby
NEW YORK, June 10, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- International humanitarian organization Concern Worldwide U.S. honored Molly Ashby, CEO and Founder of Solera, on Tuesday at its 13th Annual Women of Concern Luncheon in New York City. Held at the Pierre Hotel, the event celebrates the lives of women and girls around the world.
Donors contributed more than $400,000 in support of the organization's work to end extreme poverty and provide life-saving assistance to people affected by war, natural disaster, hunger, and disease. This is the highest amount the organization has raised with the event in its 13-year history.
"We are thrilled to recognize Molly as this year's Woman of Concern Honoree," says Dr. Joseph Cahalan, CEO of Concern Worldwide U.S. "She is not only an incredible role model, but also proves every day that companies can drive positive change and still be successful. Our vision of a world without poverty cannot exist without an inspired, responsible private sector or women in leadership positions. Molly has dedicated her career to fostering both and we were humbled to honor her yesterday with our 2015 Women of Concern Leadership Award."
"Concern's work inspires me and serves as a model for a new generation of leaders," said Ms. Ashby. "This organization is committed to doing good in the world and leaving it better than they found it."
Ms. Ashby is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of Solera, the private equity firm she founded in 2000. Solera has served as lead investor and Ms. Ashby Chairman of Chairman of Calypso St. Barth, Solera Sports and Beval Equestrian, and Vice Chairman of Latina Media Ventures. She also served as Chairman of Annie's (now part of General Mills) and The Little Clinic (now part of The Kroger Company), two other companies in which Solera had majority investments, and was a founding investor and Board member of Taxon Biosciences, acquired by DuPont in 2015. At J.P. Morgan Co. she was named Chief Investment Strategist and member of the board of directors at JP Morgan Capital, the fund's private equity position.
She is also a member of numerous organizations dedicated to the advancement of women and gifts around the world, an Emeritus Trustee of the College of William & Mary's Endowment, and Chair of its Investment and Executive Committees. Ms. Ashby has a Master of Science in Foreign Service with a focus on West African development from Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from the College of William and Mary.
Ms. Ashby joins prior Women of Concern Honorees, including Siobhan Walsh, Former Executive Director of Concern Worldwide U.S.; Carla Harris, Managing Director and Senior Client Advisor at Morgan Stanley Investment Management; Dr. Anita Sands, Board Director at Symantec & ServiceNow; and Hoda Kotb, Today Show co-host and Dateline NBC correspondent.
Erica Hill, co-anchor of NBC's "Weekend Today," served as the Master of Ceremonies.
About Concern Worldwide
Concern Worldwide U.S. (www.concernusa.org) is an international non-governmental organization dedicated to reducing extreme poverty, working in 28 of the world's poorest countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the Caribbean. Concern Worldwide directly reached more than 7.4 million people through its emergency response and development programs in 2014.
For more information, please contact: Ed Kenney
Office +1 212 557-8000 | Mobile +1 914 414-7686
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SOURCE Concern Worldwide US
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