THURSDAY, JUNE 27 SESSIONS (Pre-conference activities for Forté Fellowship Recipients only)
4:30 - 5:30 pm Forté Fellow Welcome and Kick-Off Meeting(Open to Forté Fellowship recipients only) Join Forté Fellows from across Forté’s 38 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 Forté Fellow Networking Reception with Sponsor Representatives (Open to Forté Fellowship recipients, Fellow Alumnae and Sponsors only) Start building your connections now! Mingle and network with current Fellows, Fellow alumnae, school representatives, and future employers.
FRIDAY, JUNE 28 SESSIONS
8:00 - 8:45 am Registration & Breakfast 8:45 - 9:15 am Welcome & Conference Kick-Off
Sponsored by Featuring: Elissa Ellis Sangster, Executive Director, Forté Foundation & Edie Hunt, Forté's Board Chair Emeritus & Managing Director, Goldman, Sachs 9:30 - 11:00 am Workshops Participants will choose from one of the below sessions:
Find Your Voice & Make it Heard: Classroom Communication Strategies 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 Dr. Erika Hayes James provides immediate coaching and feedback during the case discussion. Dr. James will also explain how faculty measure class contribution and impart strategies for talking with your professors outside of the classroom. Presenter:Erika Hayes James, Senior Associate Dean for Executive Education and Professor, Darden School of Business, University of Virginia
Lessons In Leadership Deloitte Consulting hosts an interactive workshop to help you succeed as a leader at business school and in your career. Multiple paths can lead to successful careers. As next generation leaders, you must navigate your own journey. Top leaders from Deloitte will be in attendance to share their personal and professional experiences. You will receive hands-on experience and learn practical tips to leverage during the recruiting process and beyond. Presenters:Stacy Burke, Senior Manager, Financial Services and Technology, Deloitte Consulting; Terri Cooper, PhD, Principal, Deloitte Consulting *This workshop is intended for class of 2015 MBAs.
Emotional Intelligence Your degree gets you the job, but Emotional Intelligence (EI) can make or break your career. In fact, EI accounts for approximately 60% of performance, regardless of job type. In this interactive workshop, you’ll learn the key concepts of EI, work through examples of each, and identify strategies to develop your own Emotional Intelligence. Additionally, you come away with key strategies to combat the most emotionally tough situations in business. Presenter:Kate Nason, Corporate Quality Finance Manager, Intel
The Secrets to Work+Life "Fit" Success Knowing how to flexibly manage the way work fits into your life, day-to-day and at major life transitions, is a modern skill set we all need, but few have. Internationally-recognized work flexibility strategist and author, Cali Williams Yost, shares the commonsense, real-world secrets to success on and off the job that every woman should know at the start of her career. Secret #1: There is no balance! Presenter:Cali Williams Yost, CEO and Founder, Flex+Strategy Group/Work+Life Fit Inc. & Author of TWEAK IT: Make What Matters to You Happen Every Day
Harnessing LinkedIn for Your Career Success With more than 200 million members worldwide, LinkedIn can be a powerful resource as you navigate your career. New features and functionality abound. In this session, you'll gain insights on best practices for leveraging LinkedIn for your job search, business intelligence, professional networking, client development, recruitment of employees and much more. Presenter:Lindsey Pollak, Bestselling Author, Corporate Consultant and Next Generation Career and Workplace Expert
The Secret to Confidence: Upgrade Your Success Story Confidence. We know when we have it. And we know when we don’t. What’s harder to figure out is how to have it in any moment, especially in those most challenging of situations when the course of our professional ambitions requires us to speak about ourselves: job interviews, performance reviews, speeches, pitches, and networking. Anytime, 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. In this interactive workshop, you will:
Explore the tools of narrative and storytelling that can be applied to nearly any conversation about you.
Create your own story about an accomplishment – one that inspires you and leaves you with the confidence to tell it in any situation. (Be sure to come with a favorite accomplishment in mind to practice with!)
Differentiate between arrogance and confidence and cultivate the ability always to project the latter.
11:45 - 12:45 pm Dialogue with Leadership Sponsored by Join us in this candid conversation with senior women executives Irene Chang Britt, President of Pepperidge Farm and Senior Vice President, Global Baking and Snacking, Campbell Soup Company and Kathleen Murphy, President of Personal Investing, Fidelity as they share insights and advice on taking advantage of the opportunities and overcoming challenges as you advance to the top. Moderated by Pattie Sellers, Senior Editor at Large, Fortune & Executive Director of MPW/Live Content, Time Inc. Learn more about the Dialogue with Leadership.
All attendees will have the opportunity to pose their own questions at the close of the session. Click here to view highlights from the 2012 Dialogue with Leadership.
12:45 - 2:00 pm Awards Luncheon and Networking with Company Representatives Sponsored by 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 Award.
2:30 - 4:15 pm Career Insights I & II 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
Colleen Crowley, Strategic Business Planning Controller, Intel Corporation
Kristen Vennum, Principal, Performance Improvement, Ernst & Young
3:30 - 5:45 pm MBA 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, consumer products, 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 2014 and 2015. 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.
3:30 - 5:30 pm 2nd Year Town Networking Workshop and Forté Update The Secret to Creating New Connections: Discover the Power of Spontaneity You have perfected your elevator speech. But how often do you really get to use it? And what about those times when you actually do get the chance to deliver it, but it just comes out feeling flat and forced? The reason your best rehearsed stories don’t always work is because a conversation is a spontaneous thing. It is happening right now, and no two conversations are exactly the same. To successfully make a connection with someone new, you have to let the conversation happen naturally and spontaneously in the present moment. But what could be more terrifying than that?
In this highly interactive workshop meets networking event, you will begin to discover your own power to be spontaneous and create genuine, unrehearsed connections while building relationships with second-year MBA women from other Forte sponsor schools.
You'll also get an update from Forté's Executive Director, Elissa Sangster, about Forté's current and future initiatives--from college, early career and MBA audiences to women on boards. Bring questions! Presenter:Angela Guido, President, Communicate Yourself
5:45 - 7:00 pm Networking Reception Welcome Remarks by Amanda Magliaro, Managing Director, U.S. Investment Grade Syndicate, Head of ABS Syndicate, Citi Sponsored by Wrap-up your day by networking with other MBA women attendees and Forté sponsor schools and companies.
SATURDAY, JUNE 29 SESSIONS
8:15 - 8:45 am Breakfast
8:45 - 9:45 am Morning Keynote Hard Won Wisdom Best-selling author Fawn Germer will present a crash course in real-world success based on her interviews of the strongest women leaders of our times. She personally interviewed CEOs, Nobel Peace Prize winners, Olympic Athletes, Academy Award winners and everyone from Hillary Clinton to Martina Navratilova to Erin Brockovich to find out what they learned the hard way. From them, she has a success formula that will teach you how to:
Take risks and make your mark so that you get noticed and accelerate your career
Stare down your insecurities and self-esteem issues so you can put a more positive, productive self in charge
Create a network that you can leverage to create success (and great friends)
Own your career, rather than waiting for others to tell you what’s next
Advertise your skills and do the one thing women hate doing, but must do nonetheless
Promote yourself by volunteering for extra opportunities instead of waiting for a change in title and job description Presenter:Fawn Germer, Best-Selling Author and Leadership Speaker
10:00 - 11:15 am Concurrent Sessions I
Can Women Really Have It All? Do you think women can have it all? And if so, how would you define having it all? A diverse panel of MBA women will share insights about their career and life choices. This session will be an open dialogue and lively discussion based on the differing points of view illustrated by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg’s recommendation to ‘Lean way into your career’ during her commencement address at Barnard (2011) and Princeton Professor Anne-Marie Slaughter’s article ‘Why Women Still Can’t Have It All’ in The Atlantic magazine (July 2012). There will be plenty of opportunities to participate in this discussion and draw your own conclusion on this hotly debated topic. Panelists:Daria Burke, Founder and CEO, Black MBA Women; Chanda Collins, Director – Small Business Sales Experience, AT&T Business Solutions; Wendy Levitt, Author and Speaker, At the Corner of Wall and Sesame; Liz Lerner, PMC Partner and Global Leader, Cognizant Moderator: Caitlin McLaughlin, Senior Vice President, Director of Total Rewards, The PNC Financial Services Group
The Road Less Traveled: Non-traditional MBA Career Options You’re sure about getting your MBA and want to learn more about how it can propel your career in a non-traditional MBA career path. This session will feature a diverse group of MBA Alumnae who have followed the road less traveled and found career success and personal satisfaction. Panelists: Laura Clancy, Chief of Staff, Achievement First; Nell Derick Debevoise, Founder and Principal, Inspiring Capital; Frida Polli, CEO & Co-founder, Pymetrics; Jyoti Singhvi, CEO, JYOTI Moderator: Roxanne Hori, Associate Dean, Corporate Partnerships, Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management
View from the Road: Success Secrets of Consultants In this session, you’ll learn keys to success in consulting. This session will provide insights for women that aim to be a consultants and those who want to use consulting skills to be successful in another role. Topics covered include developing strong relationships, building your book of business, maintaining your edge, ensuring that your expertise is valued with clients and within your firm, and much more. Panelists:Malika Gandhi, Senior Manager, Deloitte; Vikki Tam, Partner, Bain & Company; Jennifer Larson, Associate Partner, Strategy & Change Internal Practice, IBM Global Business Services; Vikki Tam, Partner, Bain & Company Moderator: Wendy Tsung, Associate Dean, Career Services, Goizueta School of Business at Emory
Impact and Influence: Maximize Success as an MBA & Perfect Your Personal Pitch This workshop will give you a jump start to communicate strategically, effectively, and persuasively – no matter the situation. Not only will you have an opportunity to whip your personal elevator pitch into shape, you will get practical, tactical advice and hands-on training to make great impressions every day, manage difficult conversations, and be solutions focused, both in the classroom and the workplace. Please join Johnson School alumna Jodi Glickman (MBA '02), founder of communication training firm Great on the Job, for a high impact workshop on:
Asking for help (& sounding smart)
Giving guidance
Giving and receiving tough feedback
Engaging a teammate who's not carrying his/her weight
Dealing with crises
Perfecting Your Personal Pitch
Presenter: Jodi Glickman, Founder & President, Great on the Job
Checking the Rearview Mirror: What I Wish I had Known As a First Year MBA You’ve heard all 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 women and recent alumnae 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 your first year prepared for the challenges ahead. Panelists: Chantel Adams, Current Forté Fellow, MBA 2014, UNCKenanFlagler Business School; Sarah Maynard, Current Forté Fellow, MBA 2014, Johnson School of Management at Cornell; Sarah Pasyk, Market Research Consultant, Eli Lilly and Company; Laura Rodriguez, Associate, Barclays Moderator:Zoe Hillenmeyer, Strategy & Transformation Consultant, IBM
Passport to Pursuing a Global Career 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 vs 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 vs later makes sense, how to stay visible from a distance and tips on maximizing your career locally or abroad. Panelists:Beverley Babcock, Vice President, Corporate Financial Services, ExxonMobil; Janet Lewis Matricciani, Chief Executive Officer, Antenna International; Aradhana Sarin, Managing Director, Global Healthcare Group, Citi; Risa Sparks, Investment Strategist in Benefit Plan Investments, Chevron; Sarayu Srinivasan, Venture Capitalist and Advisor
Make It Work: Women in Beauty/Fashion/Luxury Goods Do you dream of combining your passion for fashion with a business career? How can you put your MBA to work in Beauty or Luxury goods? This session will feature MBA Alumnae who are making an impact in these exciting industries. Panelists:Nancy Le Blair, Marketing Manager, Elizabeth Arden Inc.; Irene Lee, Director of Marketing, Refinery29; Gurjot Sidhu, CEO & Creative Director, Gurjot New York Moderator:Maggy Siegel, President, Siegel Strategic Consulting
168 Hours: Time management strategies for work, school and life Does anyone have enough hours in the day? You do! In this session on rethinking time, you’ll learn that it is possible to build a fulfilling career and a full life - and still get enough sleep. Leave with strategies for feeling less stress and getting more done. Presenter:Laura Vanderkam, Author of 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think, and the What the Most Successful People Do (Series of ebooks)
Turbocharge Your Career with the Right Mentor or Sponsor Do you wonder if career success depends on finding the right mentor or sponsor? How do you develop real professional relationships with women and men who can provide you with candid feedback and access to the right people and opportunities? This session will introduce the value of mentors/sponsors and suggest ways you can begin to build your own 'board of directors'. Panelists:Meghan Baivier, Associate, Real Estate Investment Banking Group, Citi; Karen Welt Steeves, Manager, Women's Global Leadership Council, Bain & Company; Melissa Evers-Hood, Sr. Strategist, Software and Services Group, Intel Moderator:Ann Hargraves, Director of Recruiting for Professional Programs, Liberty Mutual Insurance;
2:30 - 3:30 pm Street Wisdom: Lessons from Women Entrepreneurs Panelists: Elena Bajic, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Ivy Exec; Alexa von Tobel, CFP®, Founder and CEO, LearnVest.com; Danae Ringelmann, Co-founder, Indiegogo Moderator:Laura R. Walker, President and CEO, New York Public Radio
3:30 - 3:45 pm Sing Your Song: Activating the creator in you and designing your own unique box to transform the world Lourds Lane, Author and Musician Lourds Lane is the book, music,and lyrics writer of the Broadway-bound musical, CHIX 6 (chix6.com), a heart-warming story that empowers women and girls to find their inner superhero, as well as one of the stars of the show-- the electric-violin playing superhero, "Rise." Critically acclaimed, the NY Daily News raves: "It's only a matter of time before Chix 6 is a smash hit." Lourds is also founder and curriculum creator of the educational arts-based non-profit called Lightning Girl FUN-dation. A classically trained prodigy on violin and piano at age 3, Lourds toured with youth orchestras in concert halls around the world. Eventually, with a sparkly, new electric violin as her main axe, she kicked in the distortion pedal and shredded her way on tours across North America, fronting her rock band, LOURDS, and amassing a diehard nation-wide fan base. As producer, multi-instrumentalist, and charismatic singer and songstress, Lourds is scheduled to play stadiums for major global events in the next year leading up to opening night on Broadway. No matter what the venue, whether she’s speaking at Forbes or TED, performing on Broadway, or playing rock stadiums, Lourds inspires, energizes, and embraces an audience with a voice that's unforgettable, and uniquely her own. For a little more of Lourds’ history, watch as she entranced the attendees of the TEDx Women’s Conference in Washington DC: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NNqiFk-xxs&feature=share&noredirect=1
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Forté Fellow Welcome and Kick-Off Meeting
8:00 - 8:45 am 
8:15 - 8:45 am
Lourds Lane