FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact
Joan Toth, Executive Director, Network of Executive Women (NEW)
Tel. (312) 693-5393 | E-mail jtoth@newonline.org | www.newonline.org

Hundreds gathered at NEW Summit in Chicago show that diversity is ‘good for business’

CHICAGO – More than 200 supporters and members of the Network of Executive Women, Consumer Products and Retail Industry, met here September 28-29 to promote industry diversity and to network with their peers.

NEW President Kimberly Betts, director of Communications for Ahold USA, emceed the event and said “the energy of the event was palpable.” She said she was pleased with “the variety of organizations represented by the conference participants and the seniority they have in their companies. This is significant as we continue to work on this issue of career advancement in the industry.”

CPG companies represented included Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, Pepsico, Deloitte, Kellogg’s, Morton Salt, Tyson Foods, Kraft, Sara Lee, Dial Corp., ConAgra Foods, Masterfoods, Anheuser-Busch, Gillette, US Smokeless Tobacco and Miller Brewing.

Retail companies present included Ahold USA, Albertson’s, Kash N’ Karry, Stop and Shop, C&S Wholesale Grocers, Quick Check, SuperValu, Giant Eagle, BI-LO LLC and Wal-Mart Stores.

The Summit kicked off with a three-hour reception at the Embassy Suites O’Hare in Rosemont. The following day 221 registered attendees participated in presentations, workshops and networking events. Among the presentations: Author Connie Podesta on personalities in the workplace; Procter & Gamble senior vice president on multicultural marketing dynamics; and Working Mother Media CEO Carol Evans on women in the workplace.

A far-ranging panel discussion on the future of consumer goods retailing was moderated by Chris Hoyt and featured Shelley Broader, president and COO of Kash n’ Karry, Pat Curran, senior vice president of Wal-Mart Stores, P&G’s Graciela Eleta de Cacho, Maria Fidelibus, vice president of Quik Chek, and Janet Langford Kelly of Northwestern University Law School.

Three afternoon breakout sessions were hosted by author Trudy Bouregois, consultant Chris Hoyt, Dr. Maureen McGuire of McGuire Consulting Services and David Zahn of Clow/Zahn Associates.

The Summit concluded with remarks by author, consultant and civic leader Stedman Graham, who told the audience about his own remarkable life story and how to build their own life .

A post-Summit survey showed strong enthusiasm for the event. Eighty-five percent of the 152 attendees surveyed said they strongly agreed that the Summit “met their expectations.” Ninety-seven percent agreed the event was useful to their networking and 78 percent plan to attend next year.
Joan Toth, NEW’s executive director, thanked NEW’s sponsors and volunteers who made this event “so successful. “Without the help of our friends and supporters we could not have had this Summit and we could not have accomplished so much to promote our mission,” Toth said.

Plans are already underway for NEW’s fourth annual Leadership Summit late next summer. For more information on upcoming Network of Executive Women Events in your area visit NEWonline.org.

The Network of Executive Women, Consumer Goods and Retail Industry, is a non-profit organization founded in 2001 to promote diversity and professional development in the consumer packaged goods and retail industries. For more information visit its website at http://www.newonline.org.

© Copyright 2007 by the Network of Executive Women. All rights reserved. About this site.