2014 Forté MBA Women's Leadership Conference

SESSIONS

June 20-21, 2014
Los Angeles

Thursday, June 19

4:30 - 5:30 pm
Forté Fellow Welcome and Kick-Off Meeting
Welcome: Beverley Babcock, Vice President, Corporate Financial Services, Exxon Mobil Corporation
(Open to Forté Fellowship recipients only)
Join Forté Fellows from across Forté’s 42 partnering business schools along with Forté’s Executive Director, Elissa Sangster, to learn more about the organization’s mission, strategy, and current initiatives. You’ll learn how to get involved and what you can do to make a difference for yourself and other women in business.

5:30 - 7:00 pm
Celebrating 10 Conference Years: Forté Fellows Reception with Sponsor Representatives
(Open to Forté Fellowship recipients, Fellow alumnae and sponsors, and by invitation only)
Start building your connections now! Network with current Fellows, Fellow alumnae, school representatives, and future employers.

Sponsored By:

Friday, June 20

8:00 - 8:45 am

Registration & Breakfast

8:45 - 9:15 am

Welcome & Conference Kick-Off
Featuring: Elissa Ellis Sangster, Executive Director, Forté Foundation; Judy Olian, Dean, UCLA Anderson, Kirsten Rhodes, Director, Market Development, Managing Director, West Region, Inclusion, Technology, Media and Telecommunications Industry, Deloitte Services LP

Sponsored By:

9:30 - 11:00 am

Workshops
Participants will choose from one of the below sessions:

Bring It to the MBA Classroom
Presenter: Melissa Thomas-Hunt, Associate Professor, University of Virginia, Darden School of Business
Find your voice and make it heard in this interactive case-based session. You will come to the session having read and prepared a typical case study for discussion. Then, learn key class discussion skills as a b-school faculty member provides immediate coaching and feedback during the case discussion. You will also learn how faculty measure class contribution and gain insights on strategies for talking with your professors outside of the classroom.

The Confidence Key: Upgrade Your Success Story
Presenter: Angela Guido, Co-Founder, MBA Career Coaches
Confidence. We know when we have it. And we know when we don’t. But how can we have it in any moment, especially in those challenging professional situations when the course of our professional ambitions require us to speak about ourselves: job interviews, performance reviews, speeches, pitches, and networking? When the spotlight is on us, we know others are judging our every experience, and it is easy to let self-assurance fly out the window. The key to believing in yourself is upgrading the way you talk about yourself – both to others and (perhaps even more importantly) to yourself.

The YOU in All You Do
Presenter: Libby Gill, CEO, Libby Gill & Company
Your brand IS personal. It will be the launching point for many success stories throughout your life and career. This session will explore several elements of substance and style that define brand YOU, why they matter, and what it takes to manage all the moving parts.

Own the Dance, Negotiating with Confidence
Presenter: Laura Kray, Warren E. and Carol Spieker Professor of Leadership at the Walter A. Haas School of Business, University of California at Berkeley
How many times have you danced around the topic and not directly asked for what you wanted? Explore some popular beliefs about women’s skills and propensity for negotiation. Why women should negotiate more and how they can become more effective when they do. We’ll discuss findings on the internal and external barriers many women face in negotiation as well as the important strengths that women bring to the table. Finally, we will identify critical information and skills that empower women to become more confident, persuasive, and successful in their negotiations.

Creating and Leveraging Professional Relationships with Men
Presenter: Pernille Spiers-Lopez, Senior Associate, Barbara Annis & Associates, Inc.
Can we all get along? What are the most common challenges that women face in their professional relationships with men? This session will explore how women can build mutually beneficial and effective working relationships with men that are managers, peers, and subordinates.

11:15 - 12:00 pm

Career Insights & Industry Introductions I
Don’t miss these career panel discussions with MBA alumnae and company representatives who will provide you with great insights and advice about the industries, functions, work, and specific opportunities for MBAs. What you learn can also be very valuable when selecting your electives and emphasis in your MBA program. Panelists will also cover any growth opportunities, how things are changing in the industry, and tips on how you successfully navigate each career path. Start building your network now by engaging with women currently working in these fields!

	Corporate Finance
	Moderator: Jacqueline A. Wilbur, Executive Director, Student Services and Corporate Relations, MIT Sloan School of Management Panelists: Meaghan Eichmann, Group Manager, Supply Chain Finance, Target; Jenn Flynn, Chief Financial Officer, GE Capital Finance; Terri Frink, Global Exploration Controller, Exxon Mobil Corporation; Amanda Lewis, Senior Treasury Analyst, Chevron Corporation; Angela Verdoorn Rodriguez, Chief Financial Officer and VP Finance, UGI
	Marketing and Brand Management
	Moderator: Roxanne Hori, Associate Dean, Corporate Partnerships, Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University Panelists: Dana Endundo Ferreira, Management Associate in Global Digital Marketing, Citi; Katie Kay, Marketing Manager, Acquisitions, Guthy-Renker; Blair Lawson, Head of Merchandising and Product Development, Beautycounter; Sarah Pasyk, Market Research Consultant, Eli Lilly and Company;
	General Management and Leadership Development Programs
	Moderator: Leigh Gauthier, Director, Careers, Full-Time MBA, Rotman School of Management Panelists: Sherri Ghamsary, Sr. Business Consultant, Corporate Development Program, Liberty Mutual Insurance; Poornima Gopalakrishnan, Senior Product Manager, Dental Technologies, Danaher Corporation; Deborah S. Kullman, Vice President/General Manager, Automotive Controls, Eaton; Kim Martinez, Vice President of Innovation and New Capabilities, DaVita Rx; Michelle Mukai, Senior Sales Program Execution Manager, AT&T Mobility
	Financial Services: Asset Management and Private Wealth
	Moderator: Megan McGowan Epstein, Vice President, Goldman Sachs Panelists: Irina Goedemans, Fixed-income Investment Analyst, Capital Group; Kahne Krause, Vice President and Regional Director, Financial Advisor Services, Dimensional; Michelle Moudry, Director, Investment Management, Hines; Sasha Talcott, CFA, Vice President and Account Manager, Newport Beach Office, PIMCO; Jaime Zadra, Principal, Prudential Mortgage Capital Company

Workshop for Class of 2015: Work the Room — Be Spontaneous and Memorable (Part 1)
Presenter: Angela Guido, Co-Founder, MBA Career Coaches
The elevator pitch can be very important, but there are many times you want to make a connection with someone who hasn’t asked you to tell your story. How can you navigate networking events with confidence? Is it possible to look forward to walking into a room where you don’t know anyone? In this highly interactive and fun two-part ‘Spontaneity Lab’, you’ll practice techniques for creating spontaneous and meaningful connections in an unstructured networking environment. In the first session (11:15 – Noon), we will explore basic networking interactions. In the second session (3:00 – 3:45), after you have had the chance to practice some of the basics at lunchtime events, we will delve deeper into the skills that will make you a truly masterful networker. The secrets to success may surprise you!
(Homework: Please come with your two-minute self-introduction, your story, your elevator speech ready!!!)

12:15 - 1:30 pm

Company Networking & Awards Lunch
Welcome: Kris Pederson, Vice President, Transformation Leader, IBM Global Business Services
Enjoy lunch with representatives from Forté sponsoring companies and continue building your “conference network." In addition to learning more about different functional areas, you will help celebrate the support of Forté sponsors and this year's recipient of the Edie Hunt Inspirational Award.

Sponsored By:

1:45 - 2:45 pm

Dialogue with Leadership
Join us in this candid conversation with senior women executives as they share insights and advice on taking advantage of the opportunities and overcoming challenges as you advance to the top. All attendees will have the opportunity to pose their own questions at the close of the session. View highlights from the 2013 Dialogue with Leadership.

Welcome: Jennifer Colosimo, Vice President of Wisdom, DaVita Healthcare Partners
Moderator: Judy Olian, Dean, UCLA Anderson
Presenters:

Sponsored By:

3:00 - 3:45 pm

Career Insights & Industry Introductions II (Class of 2016 and other new students)
Don’t miss these career panel discussions with MBA alumnae and company representatives who will provide you with great insights and advice about the industries, functions, work, and specific opportunities for MBAs. What you learn can also be very valuable when selecting your electives and emphasis in your MBA program. Panelists will also cover any growth opportunities, how things are changing in the industry, and tips on how you successfully navigate each career path. Start building your network now by engaging with women currently working in these fields!

	Financial Services: Investment Banking, Sales and Trading
	Moderator: Laura Nieder, Senior Associate Director, Career Management Center at Johnson School of Management, Cornell University Panelist: Namrata Gandhi, Vice President, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Technology Investment Banking; Michelle Go, Vice President, Investment Banking Division's Financial Institution Group, Barclays; Andrea John, Associate, Goldman Sachs; Preeti Raghupathi, Vice President, Technology Investment Banking Group, Wells Fargo Securities
	Technology and Manufacturing
	Moderator: Colleen McMullen, Executive Director - Diversity Initiatives, Carnegie Mellon University (Tepper School of Business) Panelists: Kristine McCarty, Director of Sales, Atlanta District, Eaton; Carin Rinkenberger, Cummins; Rebecca Rosengard, Marketing & Communications Manager, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.; Bonny Smith, Manager, Cognizant Technology Solutions
	Consulting
	Moderator: Jane Wanklyn, Vice President, A.T. Kearney Panelists: Tina Cheng, Manager Advisory Services, Ernst & Young LLP; Patricia Henderson, Manager, Monitor Deloitte Strategy; Meg Lin, Director, Strategic Services, Cognizant Business Consulting; Kris Pederson, Vice President, Transformation Leader, IBM Global Business Services; Maeghan Rouch, Consultant, Bain & Company
	Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, and Biotech
	Moderator: Derek Walker, Director of Careers, University of Oxford (Saïd Business School) Panelists: Rebecca Griggs, Vice President of Operations Innovation, DaVita; Uma Ellur Staehler, Director of Global Oncology Market Research, Eli Lilly; Tanya Sukhu, Senior Manager, Health Care and Life Sciences, Strategy & Operations, Deloitte Consulting LLP; Patricia Turney, Executive Director Raw Material & Device Supply Chain, Interim Head of Supplier Quality Management Amgen Inc

Workshop for Class of 2015: Work the Room — Be Spontaneous and Memorable (Part 2)
Presenter: Angela Guido, Co-Founder, MBA Career Coaches
The elevator pitch can be very important, but there are many times you want to make a connection with someone who hasn’t asked you to tell your story. How can you navigate networking events with confidence? Is it possible to look forward to walking into a room where you don’t know anyone? In this highly interactive and fun two-part ‘Spontaneity Lab’, you’ll practice techniques for creating spontaneous and meaningful connections in an unstructured networking environment. In the first session (11:15 – Noon), we explored basic networking interactions. In the second session (3:00 – 3:45), after you have had the chance to practice some of the basics at lunchtime events, we will delve deeper into the skills that will make you a truly masterful networker. The secrets to success may surprise you!

3:30 - 5:30 pm

Company Expo
Forté Foundation’s Company Expo brings together Fortune 100 recruiters and exceptional talent (that’s you!) in a welcoming environment and on a personal scale. At the Company Expo you will meet employers one-on-one, explore company culture, and learn about long-range opportunities. Gain an advantage over your MBA peers by developing personal contacts with companies early in the job search process. It’s the only event of its kind where the most prestigious corporations in finance, consulting, energy, technology, and healthcare come face-to-face with a select group of the most talented and ambitious women in the country.

Note: The Company Expo is open to students attending the Forté MBA Women's Leadership Conference in the classes of 2015 and 2016. The Company Expo is not a job fair and is intended as an opportunity for current students to network with Forté corporate representatives and learn about long-range opportunities.

5:30 - 7:00 pm

Networking Reception
Welcome: Irene Sandler, AVP/CMO Emerging Business Accelerator, Cognizant Technology Solutions
Wrap-up your day by networking with other MBA women attendees and Forté sponsor schools and companies.

Sponsored By:

SATURDAY, JUNE 21

8:15 - 8:45 am	Registration & Breakfast
8:45 - 9:45 am	Morning Keynote Creating Courage: Channeling Your Inner Superhero Cindy Solomon, President & CEO, Cindy Solomon & Associates
10:00 - 11:15 am	Concurrent Sessions I Participants will choose from one of the below sessions:
	Bring Your A-Game: Sure-Fire Ways to Make an Impact Moderator: Roxanne Hori, Associate Dean, Corporate Partnerships, Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University Panelists: Beverley Babcock, Vice President, Corporate Financial Services, Exxon Mobil Corporation; Michelle Go, Vice President, Investment Banking Division's Financial Institution Group, Barclays; Brenda Laboy, Director, Construction & Engineering, AT&T California; Jeanette Ourada, General Manager, Finance Shared Services, Chevron In this session, we’ll explore the various skills and tactics that help women succeed as professionals. Women from diverse industries and job functions will share their go-to techniques for getting things done. Topics covered include making a successful transition to a new project, role or company; fostering key relationships, building your street cred, maintaining your edge, dealing with difficult people, travel secrets, and much more.
	Jump-Start Your Internship Search (First-Year MBAs) Moderator: Deborah Bertan, Director, Campus Strategy, Citi Panelists: Ann Hargraves, Director, Graduate Campus Recruiting, Liberty Mutual; Sandra Hurse, Global Head of Talent Acquisition and Junior Talent Management at Bank of Merrill Lynch; Aadila Desai Memon, National Inclusion Recruiter, Deloitte Consulting LLP; Stephanie Neonakis, Global Corporate Human Resources Manager, Danaher Corporation Landing the right internship can set the stage for reaching your break-through potential. Get first-hand advice from MBA recruiters, corporate hiring managers, and MBA career management directors at this panel on how to navigate and prepare for the summer internship recruitment process. Hear strategies for dealing with the barrage of company visits, going after positions at companies not actively recruiting on campus, and how to best use the summer before you start. You‘ll learn how to make a great first impression, win the job over more experienced candidates, and get an edge over your competition.
	Blaze a Trail and Find the Hidden Gem Moderator: Penny Momon, Director of Diversity Recruitment and Inclusion, University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management Panelists: Heather Giese, Director, Commercial Leadership Programs, GE Corporate; Lauren Ochoa, Associate, Finance MBA Rotation Program, Prudential; Erika Spott, Director of Human Resources & Executive Compensation, UGI; Kim Striegl, Relationship Manager, Wells Fargo Commercial Banking We quickly fall into the routine of considering the most recognized and lauded companies as top career choices. Stop competing with the masses and discover opportunities at strong companies with significant career growth. Step off the beaten path and explore these hidden gems. Increase your odds on the job market and forge your own path. Our panel of representatives from select companies will discuss these hidden opportunities that are just waiting to be discovered.
	Think Competitively — Work Globally Moderator: Dawna Levenson, Director of Admissions, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan) Panelists: Deborah S. Kullman, Vice President/General Manager, Automotive Controls, Eaton; Leslie Parker, Principal, A.T. Kearney; Namisa Taylor, Manager, Dallas Treasury Center, Exxon Mobil Corporation To be competitive, companies not only have to think and act globally - so do you. How can you position yourself to either work abroad or be open to traveling internationally? What are the benefits versus the challenges? And can you pursue a global career from your home base? Our panel of women leaders will share their global career experiences with you as well as: why working internationally now versus later makes sense, how to stay visible from a distance, and tips on maximizing your career locally or abroad.
	Top Dog: The Science of Winning and Losing Presenter: Ashley Merryman, Author For the last decade, it's been a constant drumbeat, from our nation to corporations to employees to our youngest students: We must all be more competitive. But no one's really given us an understanding of how to compete. That's finally about to change. Ashley Merryman will join us to discuss the cutting-edge science of competition. She will reveal hidden factors at work during any high-pressure performance, including at business school, in your job search or throughout your career. Research has found that—from champion tennis players to Jeopardy contestants to CEOs, even children on the playground—women and men compete differently. They choose competitions differently. They differ in whether they play to win, versus play not to lose. And that's just the beginning. Merryman will identify social, cultural, psychological and physiological factors behind these differences, and she'll explain how they can impact your performance, from contributing in your MBA classroom to securing your dream job. The goal of the session isn't to put anyone in a gender box. Instead, it's to help you identify gender traps—when these differences may help or hurt, and how our gender-based expectations don't just affect what we do, but how we perceive others.
	Mars or Venus? Navigating Professional Relationships with Men Moderator: Jennifer Kaplan, Americas Head of Campus Diversity Recruiting, Credit Suisse; Panelists: Bridget Fruit, Director of Store and Supply Chain Finance, Target; Zoe Hillenmeyer, Senior Consultant, Strategy and Transformation, IBM; Audrey Kania, Co-Founder, World Poker Tour; Irene Sandler, AVP/CMO Emerging Business Accelerator, Cognizant Technology Solutions A diverse panel of women will discuss their experiences in building professional delete relationships with male colleagues. What does it take to be confident and succeed in roles and industries where women are few and far between. How do you build street cred when you’re the new kid on the block? What are the keys to effectively leading teams that are mixed gender or mostly men? Do you need to play golf or talk sports to connect with your male peers? What does it take to foster strong mentoring relationships across gender lines? Are there pitfalls to avoid and how can you steer clear?
11:30 - 12:45 pm	Peer Networking Luncheon
1:00 - 2:15 pm	Concurrent Sessions II Participants will choose from one of the below sessions:
	Lemons into Lemonade: Own Your Failures Presenter: Angela Guido, Co-Founder, MBA Career Coaches Many candidates dread the ‘failure’ question when it comes up in an interview. Yet your failure story can make a stronger connection with an interviewer than your success story. How do you choose which story to tell and what does it take to make the story work? Nobody likes to talk about a misstep, but embracing your failures can build a foundation for growth and accelerate your career.
	Rock Your First Year with Tips from the Experts (First-Year MBAs) Moderator: Chantel Adams, MBA 2014, University of North Carolina (Kenan-Flagler Business School) Panelists: Kim Fulton, MBA Candidate 2015, Queen's School of Business; Rachel Klieman, MBA Candidate 2015, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (College of Business); Victoria Young, MBA Candidate 2015, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan) You’ve all heard the stories about the first year of an MBA program: juggling classes, clubs, group work, recruiting, and your personal life. This panel of second-year MBA women will share savvy advice for navigating the demands of the first year including how to balance your time, set priorities, have a personal life, and emerge at the end of the year prepared for the challenges ahead.
	Make a Change and Breakaway into Non-Profit and Government Moderator: Regina Regazzi, Assistant Dean and Director, Parker Career Management Center, UCLA Anderson School of Management Panelists: Erica Graham, Head of US Partnerships, Movember; Nithya Rajan, Director of Strategic Planning, Green Dot Public Schools; Michelle Stuffmann, Director of Outreach & Communications, MAZON; Danielle Wood, Foreign Service Officer, Management Officer, US Embassy in Vancouver, British Columbia With a strong desire in much of today’s society to maintain a healthy balance between one’s personal and professional life, a growing number of MBA students are seeking positions in non-profit and government agencies. The versatility of an MBA degree means that graduates can easily adapt their skills and knowledge to the advantage of these sectors. Hear from women who have experienced the unparalleled opportunity to contribute and excel while finding personal satisfaction in their careers with non-profits or government agencies.
	Lights, Camera, Action — An Entertaining Career Moderator: Gary Fraser, Assistant Dean, University of Southern California (Marshall School of Business) Panelists: Marina Barreto, Director, Business Planning and Strategy, Disney Channels Worldwide; Marta Braun, Head of Digital Distribution, LATAM, 20TH Century Fox; Robyn Lurie, Director, Worldwide New Media and Digital Entertainment, NBCUniversal; Alia Tabet, Manager, Digital Media & User Acquisition, National Football League Whether it’s the big screen, small screen, or sports venue, the entertainment industry is big business. While the history of the entertainment industry is a male-dominated one, women are making their way up the ladder! Hear from a group of women who’ll share with you a deeper understanding of the industry’s business practices, culture, and opportunities.
	Go For It: Set Your Career Course to Be Board-Ready Panelists: Dr. Donna M. Hamlin, CEO and Board Director of Intrabond Capital U.S., Inc. and Chairperson of Hamlin Harkins, Ltd.; Marilyn Nagel, CEO of Watermark You know that women are underrepresented as business leaders at all levels. Can you see yourself providing leadership to a non-profit or corporation as a board member one day? The sky’s the limit as you set your career goals! This session will explore what it takes to be board-ready and provide perspective as you navigate your career.
2:30 - 3:30 pm	Street Wisdom: Lessons from Women Entrepreneurs Moderator: Elaine Hagan, Executive Director of the Harold Price Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, UCLA Anderson Panelists: Katrina Lake, Founder and CEO, Stitch Fix, Ali Wing, Founder and CEO, giggle
3:30 - 3:45 pm	Closing Session

MBA Women's Leadership Conference
Know Before You Go!

Conference stipend available for Forté Fellowship recipients in the class of 2015 and 2016. Additional details on the stipend will be communicated directly to Forté Fellows. Click here to review the stipend policy.