Women Board Members from Around the World Meet to Address "The Director's Role in an Age of Complexity, Uncertainty, and Accelerating Change"

NEW YORK, May 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- As global research correlates more women on corporate boards with better corporate governance and better financial performance, a group of 200 women corporate directors will meet to discuss the role of women on boards and the issues and risks facing companies in 2011 and beyond.

On May 17 and 18, WomenCorporateDirectors (WCD), a global organization of over 1,000 women directors representing 1,200 companies from 32 chapters around the world, will hold its first-ever, invitation-only WCD Global Institute in New York City. These directors, many of whom are also CEOs, represent some of the most powerful women in the corporate world today.

"Now, more than ever, directorship requires personal courage and integrity to cope with disruptive and unexpected change," says Susan Stautberg, co-founder and co-chair of WCD and president of PartnerCom Corporation. "As women are populating the boardrooms around the world in greater numbers, we are looking for smart analysis of complex problems in order to inspire our companies' best performance. WCD provides valuable information, at the right time, from trusted sources. Our Global Institute will present a unique opportunity for us to take a deep dive into critical issues directors must tackle around the world."

The Institute, a two-day, high-powered idea forum whose theme is "The Director's Role in an Age of Complexity, Uncertainty, and Accelerating Change," will tackle issues that affect corporate performance and survival - from diversity and urbanization to complexity and risk. The agenda features more than 25 CEOs and board directors.

The program includes keynotes, panels, and discussion groups that facilitate informal peer exchanges, as well as the WCD Visionary Awards Dinner. Panels include:

• "Boards with Three or More Women: What Differences this Makes"
• "Addressing Global Scarcities in Six Critical Areas Governing Economic Activity: Food, Commodities, Energy, Water, a Clean Environment, and Talent"
• "Complexity/Risk"
• "Urbanization - the Future of the City is the Future for the World"
• "Changing Customers Around the World: From Niches to Global Mass Markets"
• "Corporate Social Investing: Beyond Philanthropy"

WCD will also launch, on the first evening of  the Global Institute, the first-ever "WCD Visionary Awards," honoring Procter & Gamble, The Coca-Cola Company, and Irene Rosenfeld, chairman and chief executive of Kraft. The CEO of P&G, Bob McDonald, will deliver the keynote address, and Irene Rosenfeld will accept her award personally. "These awards are the first to honor companies and CEOs who are role models in utilizing strong women directors and leaders to transform the boardroom, corporate governance and strategy, excellence of performance and 'shared value' in their communities," says Henrietta Holsman Fore, co-chair of WCD, chair of the WCD Visionary Awards committee, and director of Theravance, Inc. 

KPMG is the lead sponsor of the Institute. Other participating companies include MetLife, UPS, Microsoft, Renault-Nissan, Paul Hastings, Baccarat, JPMorgan, Pfizer, and Shell. KPMG and Heidrick & Struggles are the founding partners of WCD.

"As one of the biggest challenges facing companies today, complexity is driving risk to the top of the boardroom agenda," says Nancy Calderon, KPMG Americas Chief Administrative Officer and U.S. National Managing Partner, Operations. "But this also creates an environment to generate a competitive advantage - for those companies that are able to successfully cut through the complexity and harness the opportunity it brings. As a lead sponsor of the WCD Global Institute, KPMG is proud to play a role in helping influential women board directors from around the world shape innovative approaches to managing risk, reducing complexity, and creating a more sustainable future."

For more information about the WCD Global Institute, to see the full two-day agenda, or to speak with the founders or sponsors, please contact Suzanne Oaks or Trang Mar of Temin and Company at 212-588-8788 or [email protected].

About WomenCorporateDirectors (WCD)

WomenCorporateDirectors (WCD) is the only global membership organization and community of women corporate directors, comprised of more than 1,000 members serving on over 1,200 boards in 32 chapters around the world. In this new era of responsibility, WCD is committed not just to good governance, but to governance with global vision. Smart boards are going global in members and mindset. Our members share information and insights in order to ensure best practices in corporate governance around the world.

WCD's global chapters are located in Arizona, Atlanta, Beijing, Bogota, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Delhi, Denmark, Hong Kong, Israel, Lima, London, Mexico City, Minnesota, Mumbai, New York, Northern California, Northern/Central Europe (Berlin), Paris, Philadelphia, Sao Paulo, Seattle, Shanghai, Singapore, Southern California, South Florida, Switzerland, Tennessee, Toronto, and Washington, D.C. Chapters in Abu Dhabi, Australia, Cairo, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Houston, Iceland, Malaysia, and South Africa are in formation.

Our mission is to continue to expand the WCD community through leadership, diversity, education, best practices in corporate governance, and a focus on development and new board placement opportunities. WCD offers local, regional, national, and international forums, providing a platform for turning ideas into action. For more information, visit womencorporatedirectors.com.

About the WCD Global Institute

The WomenCorporateDirectors (WCD) 2011 Global Institute is an unprecedented opportunity for global board directors to share corporate governance and business strategies and to build partnerships with a purpose, in a private invitation-only setting.

The Institute is a two-day, high-powered idea forum exploring compelling issues on the minds of today's board directors and their companies. The program includes keynotes, panels, and discussion groups - as well as the WCD Visionary Awards Dinner - that facilitate informal peer exchanges. Panels include "Complexity/Risk," "Addressing Global Scarcities in Six Critical Areas Governing Economic Activity: Food, Commodities, Energy, Water, a Clean Environment, and Talent," "Boards with Three or More Women: What Differences this Makes," "Urbanization - the Future of the City is the Future for the World," "Changing Customers Around the World: From Niches to Global Mass Markets," and "Corporate Social Investing: Beyond Philanthropy."

The agenda features more than 25 CEOs and board directors including Maggie Wilderotter, chairman and CEO, Frontier Communications, and director of Procter & Gamble and Xerox Corporation; Maria Livanos Cattaui, director of Petroplus Holdings, AG; Mouna Sepehri, managing director, Alliance CEO Office for Renault-Nissan; Naina Kidwai, CEO of HSBC India, director of Asia Pacific HSBC, and director of Nestle; Doug Conant, president and CEO of Campbell Soup Company; Denise Morrison, EVP and COO of Campbell Soup Company, and director of Goodyear Tire & Rubber; Elaine La Roche, director of China Construction Bank; Lulu Wang, chairman and CEO of Tupelo Capital Management, and director of MetLife; and Deborah Wince-Smith, president, Council on Competitiveness, and director of NASDAQ-OMX, Inc.

The WCD 2011 Global Institute is sponsored by KPMG, UPS, MetLife, Microsoft, Renault-Nissan, Paul Hastings, Baccarat, JPMorgan Chase, Pfizer, and Shell. Additional sponsors of the WCD Visionary Awards Dinner include American Express, The Coca-Cola Company, Gristedes/United Refining, Heidrick & Struggles, Kraft Foods, Procter & Gamble, and Toyota.

SOURCE WomenCorporateDirectors