Keynotes & Speakers

Kathryn A. Bax
Vice President-Investments, First Financial Equity Corporation
Women Who Have Reinvented Themselves
Storytelling

Kathy Bax is Vice President-Investments at First Financial Equity Corporation in Scottsdale, Arizona. She lives and works in Las Vegas and has been a financial advisor since 2002, serving individuals, families and businesses in financial matters including retirement, estate planning, business planning and real estate securities including 1031 Tenant-In-Common exchanges.. Kathy also has a real estate license in Nevada, focusing on commercial properties. She is owner of Bax Family Office, LLC; a firm providing value-added services for affluent families.

Kathy serves on the board of Technology Business Alliance of Nevada (TBAN) and on the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce Board of Advisors.

Before moving to Las Vegas, Kathy owned a telecom business in Connecticut for 10 years, along with her husband, and worked at IBM 17 years prior to that. Kathy started in IBM fixing software in the field on mainframe computers. She moved 6 times with IBM in various management positions and traveled the world representing IBM’s service division. She holds 3 college degrees: a B.S. in Systems and Data Processing from Washington University in St. Louis, a B.A. in Mathematics from Western Connecticut State University, and an MBA from The University of Phoenix, part of the first graduating class in their online program.

Kathy and her husband of 34 years, Danny, have two grown daughters, raised while pursuing careers. Five years ago Kathy and Danny spent two months hiking the New England portion of the Appalachian Trail. They continue to enjoy hiking and other outdoor activities.

Victoria Castle
Owner, Castle Enterprising
A Calling for Great Leadership: Targeted Solutions and Best Practices
Storytelling

A Calling for Great Leadership: Targeted Solutions and Best Practices
As consutlant and coach to executives, social entrepreneurs, and Fortune 500 leaders for over 20 years, Victoria Castle helps leaders be great in the midst of pressure and chaos where leaders live. Her clients include Hewlett-Packard, Capital One, Boeing, Getty Images, Childrens Hospital, and Microsoft. With the principles taught in her book, The Trance of Scarcity, her clients learn to make bigger offers, expand their influence, and achieve greater results while experiencing ease and fulfillment in their daily lives.

Victoria, a Master Somatic Coach, is on the faculty of the Institute for Women's Leadership and teaches in the Organizational Systems Renewal Program at Seattle University. She speaks at women and business conferences nationally and recently presented at the Sacred Activism conference in Seattle addressing how to turn our care and values into sustainable action.

Known as a pragmatist with a a well-earned sense of humor, Victoria has taught thousands of people how to free themselves from chronic struggle and "not enough-ness" and to operate from flow and ease. Her book, The Trance of Scarcity, is available through her website, http://www.tranceofscarcity.com/ and Amazon. She and her husband live in Seattle where it rains all the time so you wouldn't want to move there.

Gail Farnsley
Vice-President and Chief Information Officer, Cummins, Inc.
Women as Technology Leaders

As Vice President and Chief Information Officer for Cummins, Inc., Gail Farnsley has worldwide responsibility for Information Technology at Cummins, including setting strategy and standards, applications development, implementation and support, and operations and infrastructure. Ms. Farnsley joined Cummins in 1997. Since then she has worked in various IT roles, including spending two and a half years in the UK where she led the IT organization for the Europe, Middle East, and Africa region, as well as Cummins’ Power Generation IT globally. Ms. Farnsley has more than 20 years of experience in Information Technology, including nine years with Georgia-Pacific in Atlanta, Georgia. She began as a programmer and worked her way through the IT ranks, primarily in applications development and support organizations.

Ms. Farnsley has a BS in Computer Science from Bowling Green State University (1982) and an MBA from the Krannert School of Management, Purdue University (1997). She lives in Columbus, Indiana with her husband and two daughters, 13 and 18.

Laura Fucci
Chief Information Officer, City of Henderson, NV
Women as Technology Leaders

Laura is the VP and CTO for MGM MIRAGE. She is responsible for infrastructure strategy and design at MGM MIRAGE including systems and network engineering, data security, telecommunications architecture, and compliance as it relates to technology and IT processes. Laura led the technical design of the system and network monitoring and automation environment, the selection of the centralized backup environment, and the architecture planning and implementation for thin client computing at MGM MIRAGE. She led various engineering efforts for two property openings, and assisted with two large mergers and acquisitions. Laura was also pivotal with managing Sarbanes Oxley compliance for Information Technology at MGM MIRAGE. Since joining MGM MIRAGE in August 1995, Laura has obtained various awards and recognition of technical excellence on behalf of MGM MIRAGE IT including the inclusion in Juniper's Master of IT series, BMC Gold Award for Best Practices in Enterprise Management, inclusion in the Journal of The Computerworld Honors Program “A Search for New Heroes”, to name a few. Prior to joining MGM MIRAGE, she was employed 13 years as an Information Technologies Regional Manager for CH2M HILL, responsible for vetting and implementing new technologies across 50+ offices nationwide. Laura earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science at Oregon State University. She is a native to Henderson, Nevada, is married with two wonderful children, and enjoys music, travel, and cooking.

Listen to Laura's recent interview with Women's Radio

Alyse Hart
Founder, Corporate Recovery
Storytelling

Alyse Hart is an exit strategist, general instigator, storyteller, writer, and agent for change. She left the daily grind in 2000 after 20 years. Now she inspires professional women to rethink their relationship with their jobs and teaches them how to make work work while they figure out what's next and repurpose what they've got to get it.

Alyse knows her subject well. She worked in trade publishing company as the youngest female Vice President of Advertising at Faulkner & Gray and later Thomson International Publishing. After weathering buy-outs and start-ups, she managed the Western District for Miller Freeman PSN from her home office. That's where she created her own exit plan and developed the concept of "Corporate Recovery."

Her proudest accomplishment is her long-term happy marriage. Her favorite addictions are now coffee, drumming, dancing and anything to do with Pugs.

Bettina Jetter
, Coaching Sanctuary
Women as Technology Leaders

Mindjet co-founder Bettina Jetter has served as the company’s COO and CEO. Prior to co-founding Mindjet in 1994, she worked in key marketing positions for Clarins, Scherer Team, and Blaxxun Interactive Inc. Jetter draws on her management experience and expertise in implementing projects and strategies on an international scale marketplace to lead Mindjet’s efforts to make a positive impact on people and communities around the world. Ms. Jetter has a degree in marketing communications from the Bavarian Academy of Marketing in Munich, Germany. She is co-author of the book "The Cancer Code - How a journey through leukemia led to software that changed the way people work".

Carolyn Leighton
Founder/Chairwoman, WITI
Storytelling

Carolyn Leighton founded WITI in 1989 as a worldwide e-mail network for women in all technology sectors. At the time WITI was established, Ms. Leighton was President of Criterion Research, a research consulting firm for the high tech industry which she founded in 1984, as well as chair of the Core Competency Database Project at Stanford University.

Due to Ms. Leighton's leadership and vision, WITI has grown to be the premiere brand and worldwide organization dedicated to empowering women worldwide to achieve unimagined possibilities and transformations through technology, leadership and economic prosperity.

Ms. Leighton has 35 years of experience as an educator and entrepreneur. In addition to WITI, she founded four start-ups in the high-tech, legal sectors and, most recently, the pet industry. She attended the University of Michigan and has a bachelor's degree in human development from Pacific Oaks College. Ms. Leighton was named one of Fast Company Magazine's 2011 Most Influential Women in Technology." Previously Carolyn has received numerous accolades including one of the "Top 100 Women in Computing."

Robin Raskin
Founder, Raising Digital Kids
Women as Technology Leaders
Storytelling

Robin Raskin has spent the past 25 years helping parents raise a generation of digital kids. She's the former editor of PC Magazine and former Editor in Chief of FamilyPC. She's been a columnist for USA Today Online and has authored 5 books about parenting in the digital age. She's been featured on most network television shows including: NBC Today Show, Dateline, CNN, MSNBC, Live with Regis and Kelly, CBS Early Show, and Fox's Good Day New York. As a freelance writer her work has appeared in numerous womens' and technology magazines.

Today, Ms. Raskin is known as The Internet Mom, and produces her own monthly television tours on technology that appear nationwide. This year she created a special magazine issue called Raising Teens, and is currently writing a book for Random House called "200 Things Every Parent Needs to Know About Sending their Kids to College". Raskin consults for the technology industry on strategies to reach consumers; clients include Nickelodeon, Intel, The Motion Picture Association of America, Hewlett Packard, Microsoft, SONY, Virgin Mobile, Disney Publishing, Ziff Davis Publishing and Gruner and Jahr. She's also the Director of Communications at The Princeton Review. An outspoken advocate for raising safe children in a digital age, Raskin has served on numerous committees in Washington, including a two year stint with the National Academy of Sciences.

Cindy Solomon
President, Solomon & Associates, Inc.
Creating a Culture of Courage™: The New Leadership Challenge

Cindy Solomon is passionately committed to helping organizations build long-term, profitable relationships with their customers, their leaders and their employees through keynote presentations, executive coaching, leadership training and strategic design. An internationally recognized speaker, writer, executive coach and consultant in the fields of customer service, customer loyalty, employee engagement and leadership, Cindy captivates her audiences with her content rich and provocative message. Cindy is known as one of the most sought after leadership and customer loyalty speakers, and through her executive coaching and strategy work with corporate, public sector and professional association clients, Cindy brings her humorous and compelling insights on the current business landscape, as well as future horizons, to tens of thousands of leaders each year. Her results-oriented view of leadership development and customer loyalty comes from years of working ¡¥in the trenches¡¦ during her corporate career in marketing, sales and customer service. In addition to her speaking and consulting, Cindy is completing her first book, Creating a Culture of Courage„§, due out in 2006. Contact Cindy at WWW.CindySolomon.com.

Fara Warner
,
Acquiring Wealth and Influence
How Smart Companies are Adapting to the World's Most Important Consumers - Women!

Fara Warner has written about marketing, advertising, and consumer trends for more than fifteen years for The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Fast Company, Brandweek, and other national publications.

Warner joined the Journal in 1994 from Brandweek, where she wrote extensively about the advertising and marketing industries. In 1995, she became a correspondent for the Journal's Asian edition, covering consumer trends, media, and marketing in Asia from her base in Singapore.

In 1998, she came to the Journal's Detroit bureau, where she covered e-commerce, marketing, and Ford Motor Co. In 2000, she joined Fast Company as a senior writer, where she wrote "Nike's Women's Movement," an in-depth account of how Nike transformed the way it sells to, designs for, and communicates to women. She holds a master's degree from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism and is a recipient of a Knight-Wallace Fellowship at the University of Michigan for 2005-2006. She lives in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Listen to Fara's recent interview with Women's Radio

Linda K. Bolliger
Founder & CEO, Boardroom Bound
Corporate Board Service is The Next Frontier
Storytelling

Linda K. Bolliger has traveled the path of using entrepreneurship to engineer social change. As a successful business owner for over 22 years and a recognized local leader in the Washington, DC community as well as a recognized national diversity leader, she has founded and operated, in addition to her own management and consulting firm, public service projects such as the Enterprise Exchange, Inc., and the District’s Public/Private Partnership on Small Business Incubation. Boardroom Bound® is her current public service challenge. Pre-Enron, she established it to help companies find pre-qualified director candidates for corporate board service.

The group’s overall goal is to provide corporate America a pipeline to advance their business success culture to future business leaders. Through the program’s Pipeline Seminar© and Boardology© Coaching services, diverse, independent candidates are prepared and promoted for corporate board service. Result: 24 Appointments with over 1,000 pre-qualified candidates currently available for appointments.

Ms. Bolliger is a veteran leader of multiple nonprofit boards, Mayoral transition Teams, her own company board and formerly the board of a mid-western manufacturing firm. Serving in these roles, she recognized the value of learning leadership and governance…skills she now employs in Boardroom Bound.

Today, most Americans share Ms. Bolliger’s corporate change vision! Her story illustrates how one person can still make a difference in board stewardship by helping to introduce more independence and diversity in today’s corporate boardroom.

In recognition of her leadership efforts in business, diversity and volunteerism, Ms. Bolliger has received numerous awards, appointments and opportunities to speak.

Press: WITI Speaker Leading Women to the Boardrooms, WomensRadio, May, 2006

Michael Bonfils
President, International Media Management Corp
Taking The Lead on the Internet….Top 20 Useful Tips on Succeeding with Search Engine Marketing

Michael Bonfils is the President of SEM International, a Division of Hyper Interactive Corp. SEM International is a company specializing in providing International search engine marketing management services for global advertising agencies and Fortune 500 firms. Headquartered in the United States, SEM International currently operates in the Asia Pacific Region, Europe and the Latin American regions. Furthermore, Mr. Bonfils is a speaker and writer on internet marketing technology and trends, having contributed his time to many major national publications and events. In addition to being the founder of a successful internet contextual advertising agencies which he sold in 2004, he has spent the last 11 years at the forefront of helping pioneer the global search engine marketing industry. He sits on the board of directors for many organizations including the TechBiz Connection and is the former VP Communications for the American Marketing Association (SOCAL).

Ralph Carson, Ph.D., RD, LD
Chief Science Officer, Monarch Health Sciences, Inc.
Health & Well-Being

Ralph Carson Ph.D., RD, LD, is a cofounder and Chief Science Officer, Monarch Health Sciences, Inc. In this capacity, Dr. Carson is responsible for establishing and monitoring the scientific guidelines for the development of the Company's products and services, educational consulting, government grant program implementation and on-line patient services.

Dr. Carson is a nationally recognized expert in the fields of eating disorders, weight management, exercise physiology and child obesity. Dr. Carson is the Clinical Nutritional Advisor of the Renaissance Eating Disorder Center of Hattiesburg Mississippi and the Nutritional Director of the Weight Management Program of the Alabama Pain Center, Huntsville, Alabama. Dr. Carson was the Clinical Nutritional Consultant to the University of Tennessee Women's Athletic program. He was also the woman's sports nutritional consultant for Oprah Winfrey's Internet site. Dr. Carson is a research expert in the fields of weight management, nutritional development, and exercise physiology. He is a nationally sought after speaker in the areas of nutrition and weight management.

Dr. Carson is currently teaming with the Renaissance Eating Disorder Treatment Center of Hattiesburg, Mississippi on the “Monarch Experience” which when implemented, will be one of the first SOLUTION BASED child obesity programs in America.

Alie Chang
, Intl. Telecommunications, Inc.
Global Business Development: The Landscape of Opportunity

Ms. Alie Chang has combined her business acumen, leadership and creative design abilities to position her "The Art of Living" television series as a gateway to China for international businesses. Her design talent and unique presentation manner has made Ms. Chang a recognizable and respected television personality in China, enabling her access to many Chinese dignitaries and top business executives.

Ms. Chang’s network in U.S. and China business circles gained the trust of many governmental and business sectors. This will enable Ms. Chang and her affiliates to provide a bridge for Chinese companies into markets in the West and for the US and international companies to obtain licenses, permits, and a marketing share in China. Ms. Chang’s ability to communicate fluently in Mandarin and English, as well as her keen sensibility in business decisions, places her in an important position in many business transactions between China and the West. Ms. Chang has gained tremendous expertise not only in management, but has also gained great knowledge in international relations.

In the past decades under Ms. Chang’s direction, many major US technology companies were led by her to China for Beijing Olympic procurement. These successful events established a strong on-going working relationship between her company, US business sectors, the US Department of Commerce, Chinese businesses and governmental agencies in China.

Ms. Chang’s own design TV series “The Art of Living” was shown on Times Warner cable TV. The Chinese version of the program was featured on Beijing TV over satellite to nearly 100 million viewers weekly.

Ms. Chang was featured numerous times on TV in China. This is including her feature biography that was showcased on China Central Television.

Ms. Chang’s strong relationship with China TV media has enabled her to arrange the broadcast of National Geographic TV programs on China Central Television stations, thus further enhancing her identity in China as well as in the international media arena.

Ms. Chang received her Master of Arts degree in Environmental Design from the University of California, Los Angeles. Upon graduation, she joined William L. Pereira Associates in Los Angeles as Project Designer. While at Pereira she was involved in and responsible for the 400 acres urban renewal project in Queens New York, the Master Plan for the University of Missouri's four campuses, and the Long-term Land Use plan for several million acres of property for the Burlington Norton Railway Company.

Ms. Chang’s design work has also been continuously featured in numerous major U.S. and international design books and magazines, newspapers and publications. Examples of her design work are part of the permanent collection in the Slide Library of UCLA.'s Environmental Design Department for teaching material. Ms. Chang is the recipient of Women in Design International's Outstanding Achievement Award in both architecture and interior design. Ms. Chang served two terms as co-President of Design International, a non-profit, San Francisco based professional organization.

Because of her excellence in design and her contributions to the society, Ms. Chang and her husband Mr. Felizian Paul received numerous awards and proclamations. In California Ms. Chang was honored by the Secretary of the State by having her birthday, August 12 in 1990, proclaimed as “Alie Chang Day.”

Ms. Chang is sought after as a speaker in international business and trade conferences. She was a key presenter at the NAPTE 2006 conference on “Emerging Media Market of China”. Currently, she is nominated as one of the “Ten Most Outstanding Woman” by China Women’s World Organization.

Christine Collins
Director, Supplier Management, Raytheon
Succeeding In A Male-Dominated Industry: The Myth-Busting Panel

Christine is a Raytheon Company Director, Supplier Management, with Missile Systems in Tucson, Arizona. In this position, she oversees the acquisition of approximately $1.3B of material and services in support of RMS needs. The Supplier Management organization consists of approximately 250 Supply Chain employees and supports the purchasing needs for over 60 programs.

Christine’s Supply Chain experience spans 25 years in the aerospace and defense industry. She is a 22 year veteran of Hughes Aircraft Company, and has held a variety of Supply Chain positions during that time. She has been a Price/Cost Analyst, Subcontract Administrator, Material Program Manager, Commodity Manager, and Manager of Engineering & Production Procurement.

Christine earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Arizona State University in 1980 where she graduated with honors and was a member of Beta Gamma Sigma (honorary business fraternity).

Christine grew up in Phoenix, Arizona and has lived in Tucson with her family for the last 22 years. She enjoys spending her spare time with her two boys, watching baseball, jogging, and reading.

Marian Cook
President, Ageos Enterprises, Inc.
Global Business Development: The Landscape of Opportunity
Starting/Building a Successful WITI Network

Marian Cook is the President of Ageos, a business and technology consulting firm that helps clients find innovative ways to drive profitable growth and develop their leadership. Headquartered in Chicago with an office in Denver and working internationally, the company partners with clients to create new services, products and markets, streamline operations, and create sales and business strategies.

Long active in the community, Ms. Cook has been appointed to Chicago's Mayor's Council of Technology Advisors, Inaugural SpringBoard Midwest Steering Committee, Empowering Women Network Strategic Advisory Board, Founding member of The Field Museum's Council on Africa, Steering Committee for the W/MBE Venture Capital Conference, Regional Advisory Board, Women in Technology International (WITI), Advisory Board, Center for Information Management, Loyola University.

Her leadership has most recently been recognized by The Influential Woman in Business Award presented by The National Association of Women Business Owners, The Top 100 People of Chicago's High Tech Community by I-Street magazine and the "Woman in Black" Award winner for leadership in the technology and business community. Ms. Cook has also been a columnist for IT Contractor magazine and a subject matter expert editor for McGraw-Hill on running professional services firms.

Stephanie Ann Cota
, Position2.com
Taking The Lead on the Internet….Top 20 Useful Tips on Succeeding with Search Engine Marketing

Stephanie Cota co-founded two leading Search Engine Marketing companies. Her latest venture is Position2.com. Position2 builds and manages lead generation and performance-based marketing for clients in the mid-sized business market. Position2 has Google Agency Certification and ClickTracks Analytics Agency Certification. Position2 works closely with Google, MSN, and Yahoo and is a beta-tester of their new services. Offices in San Jose, Bangalore, and Bombay. Stephanie Cota lives in Menlo Park.

She is also the co-author of two books. Her most recent book Insider SEO & PPC: How to Get Your Website to the Top of the Search Engines debuted May 2006. For more, see http://www.Insider-SEO.com

Gayle Crowell
Senior Information Technology Advisor, Warburg Pincus
Women Who Have Reinvented Themselves
The Newest Generation Of Technologies

Gayle Crowell's role with Warburg Pincus represents the culmination of an outstanding career in the technology sector. Leveraging her extensive experience in operations, sales and organizational management, Gayle works closely with portfolio companies to help drive business strategy, evaluate market opportunities and build world-class management teams. As a former CEO, Gayle understands the challenges senior leaders face in building sustainable, long-term businesses in technology today. Her hands-on knowledge, coupled with a keen perspective into the financial markets and venture capital environment, brings a unique and valued viewpoint to the companies in the Warburg Pincus portfolio.

Mary Dossett
Director of Gaming Technologies, Harrah's Entertainment
Results By Design – Optimizing Team Performance on Projects

With a background that includes a series of senior leadership positions in companies such as IBM, Bellcore/Bell Labs, Scient, and Harrah’s Entertainment, Mary Dossett has demonstrated her ability to provide bottom-line impact on a global scale. Mary has over 20 years of experience in the technology sector where she has built and led global organizations as Project Executive of strategic outsourcing, Managing Director of Professional Services, and Director of Technology Development. Her roots in operating system and system-level software design and development provide a solid platform to deal with technology at any level. Mary’s areas of expertise include complex project and program management, optimizing enterprise operational performance, and business process design and re-engineering. She has worked both domestically and abroad consulting with an impressive list of customers across multiple industries – technology, telecommunications, energy, and hospitality/gaming.

Mary is co-author of the book "Results by Design - Survival Skills for Project Mangers."

Keith Eades
Chairman & Senior Managing Partner, Sales Performance International
The Secret to CRM Success... People, Process and Technology

Best selling author of The New Solution Selling and Just Released The Solution-Centric Organization

Keith Eades has dramatically changed the face of selling and is acknowledged as the master of the consultative sales process by the Dean at Clemson University’s College of Business & Behavioral Science. His ability to help leaders establish and communicate clearly articulated visions has been recognized by Hugh McColl, retired Chairman, Bank of America. At Microsoft Corporation, Kevin Johnson, Group Vice President, states Mr. Eades’ principles are at the core of Microsoft’s selling processes and have been key to developing a high performance sales culture within their organization.

In a career spanning more than thirty years, Mr. Eades has provided an innovative framework and enhanced marketing and sales productivity for top performing, global organizations including IBM, Microsoft and Manpower. He is the founder, chairman and senior managing partner of Sales Performance International (SPI), a leading authority of marketing and sales performance improvement. SPI was founded in 1988 and recognized by the Charlotte Business Journal Fast 50 in 2002 for exceptional growth, ranked number eight among the fastest growing companies. Currently doing business in over 54 countries, SPI has grown to one of the largest sales improvement companies in the world under Mr. Eades’ leadership.

He regularly moderates and speaks at industry, customer and partner events. He is a published author of sales performance books and articles in leading industry trade periodicals. Recently published books include, The New Solution Selling and The Solution Selling Fieldbook and just released, The Solution-Centric Organization.

Mr. Eades is a graduate of Clemson University. In 2001, Clemson University recognized him with the Alumni Fellow Award for his outstanding career accomplishments. He is an adjunct professor at the University and an inaugural member of the Shapiro Center Entrepreneurial Round Table.

Mr. Eades currently serves on the Board of Directors at Connexus, a corporate performance improvement and innovation firm and the Executive Advisory Board at Clemson University College of Business.

Susan Fleitz
Senior Vice President, Corporate Advertising, MGM MIRAGE
Using Different Mediums to Promote a Key Message

Susan Fleitz, Sr. Vice President of MGM MIRAGE Advertising is responsible for the Advertising and Marketing needs for Bellagio, The Mirage, TI, Beau Rivage, NewYork-New York, Circus Circus Las Vegas, Monte Carlo and all MGM MIRAGE Corporate initiatives. In her position since June of 2000, her responsibilities include overseeing Advertising, Graphic Arts, Production Services, Media, Direct Marketing, VidiAd, Promotions, MGM MIRAGE Events, and M lifestyle, the magazine of MGM MIRAGE.

Ms. Fleitz began her career as an Account Executive for VidiAd in January 1993, and in February 1993 was promoted to General Manager. She was promoted to Vice President of Development at TYOH Advertising in 1997, Vice President of MGM MIRAGE Advertising in April 1999, and named to her current position in August 2002.

She was previously president and served on the board of directors of Women in Communications (WIC) and is a Lifetime Honorary member. She has been honored by the Las Vegas Business Press as a "Top 40 Under 40" executive. In addition, she was named "Distinguished Woman in Southern in Nevada in 1997”, and is a recipient of a "Woman of Distinction" award by the National Association of Business Owners.

Kari Foster
Financial Advisor, Citigroup, Smith Barney
Acquiring Wealth and Influence

Kari Foster is a Financial Advisor with Citigroup, Smith Barney in Los Angeles and has earned the Financial Planning Specialist designation. She provides solutions to meet the comprehensive financial needs of executives and entrepreneurs. Her background includes eight years in Private Wealth/Investment Management, where she spent six years at both Morgan Stanley (New York and Los Angeles) and Goldman Sachs (Los Angeles) and a year at Procter & Gamble. She has an MBA in Finance/Accounting from Vanderbilt University (Owen Graduate School of Management) and a B.S. in International Business from Fisk University, located in Nashville, TN. Originally from Lawton/Ft. Sill Oklahoma, she enjoys traveling, “learning” golf and playing tennis.

Nina Gass
President, Mobile Spa
Health & Well-Being

Nina A. Gass is the Owner and President of mobileSPA Los Angeles, a distributorship of mobileSPA headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. The Company was founded in 2002 and provides a unique value proposition for corporations, event and wedding planners, hotels, health clubs, nightclubs, consumers, and more through a national chain of distributorships.

Nina Gass has more than 17 years of media relations, marketing communications, corporate identity, strategic positioning and investor relations experience. She has worked with clients in industries, representing entertainment, construction, web solutions, online advertising, healthcare, financial services, high technology, chemical, food, textile, distribution, packaging, and mortgage banking. Previously, Nina was an Account Executive for Forti Communications, Inc., a public relations and communications agency located in Thousand Oaks, California. She has worked as a freelance writer and publicist, helping numerous companies build brand awareness, translate their vision into powerful internal and external messages, and fulfill their strategic objectives through comprehensive marketing and advertising programs.

She studied Literature and History at Oxford University in Oxford, England and holds a B.A. Degree in English Literature from California State University, Northridge. Nina is currently a candidate to receive her MBA. She also has served as a volunteer for the Ventura County Adult Literacy Program.

Mallika Govindan
Senior Manager, Deloitte Consulting
Marketplace Success: Building Personal Eminence and Strengthening Personal Brand

Mallika has over 10 years of management consulting experience. She is a Senior Manager specializing in the Financial Services sector at Deloitte Consulting. She is part of the Technology Integration practice focusing on serving Wall Street firms in a variety of areas: Technology Strategy and Implementation, E-Commerce solutions and large-scale Program Management. She has consulted at JP Morgan Chase, Deutsche Bank, UBS and American Express and worked across the globe. She has a large Deloitte and non-Deloitte professional network that she has built over time. She is the Program Co-ordinator for Deloitte’s Financial Services Diversity Program and is responsible for the career development of entry level technology consultants into the Firm. She sits on the Board of the Women’s Bond Club of New York and a patron of the New York Philharmonic.

Michael Hewitt, Ph.D.
Research Director, Canyon Ranch
Health & Well-Being

Michael Hewitt's expertise in exercise physiology and his specialties in body composition, cardiometabolic assessment and physiology, exercise for bone health, optimal aging, exercise for weight loss and practical exercise programming have made him a much sought after speaker for groups across the country. As a recognized exercise and health expert, he has been consistently invited to present at the International Longevity Center symposia, University of Arizona Integrative Medicine Program seminars and American College of Sports Medicine national meetings.

With a foundation built on years of experience and education and his comfortable, unassuming speaking style, Michael informs and enlightens groups from health care experts to medical laymen. People of all backgrounds can learn something new from Michael about the benefits of exercise to their health.

In addition to his speaking engagements, Michael serves as research director for Exercise Science and Exercise Physiology at Canyon Ranch. Since he joined Canyon Ranch in 1992, he has also served as director of Exercise Physiology and the Health & Healing department.

Tracie Kambies
Senior Manager, Deloitte Consulting
Marketplace Success: Building Personal Eminence and Strengthening Personal Brand

Tracie has 8 years of consulting experience as management professional. Tracie is a senior manager for Deloitte Consulting, LLP and member of the Technical Integration Practice, specializing in technology advisory services, project management, development management and rollout methodologies for large global projects and large system integration projects across consumer business and manufacturing industry clients. Her experience in delivering technology solutions, process improvement and support strategies for clients with 200-800 million dollars in revenue. She is a leader in the development and expansion of offshore development strategies for global implementations. Tracie is a wife, mother, and active in her community. Her purpose is to building relationships, model, encourage, and counsel others in implementing a plan to find and achieve their passion.

John King
President, JLS Consulting
The Cultural Map of the Business Environment
The Cultural Map of the Business Environment

Over the past three decades, John has worked with thousands of championship business leaders to achieve extraordinary results. His background of training and coaching more than 25,000 people to excellence in their fields gives him a unique perspective on business coaching.

John is nationally recognized as a senior teacher, coach, and program leader. He currently leads seminars, courses, and programs in the Southern California area. Clients of his coaching practice have been featured on all major television networks and in The Wall Street Journal.

John is co-author of The Coaching Revolution, a book presenting the best practices of executive coaching. He is also co-author of Managing Across Generations, a training program currently used in five Fortune 500 companies.

John is president of JLS Consulting, a consulting firm that focuses on Leadership, Strategy, Cultural Change and Executive Coaching. JLS's clients include Intel, Cedars-Sinai Health System, Southern California Edison, CB Richard Ellis, The California State Appointed Executives, California Institute of Mental Health Professionals, Southern Company, United Technologies, Amgen, and American Express.

John is part of the leadership development design team at Sierra Health Foundation and is a senior strategist and on faculty at CBRE University. John is also on the faculty of The California Leadership Institute and The American College of Physician Executives. John is in demand as a keynote speaker, recently addressing The Boys and Girls Clubs of America Regional Conference, WITI (Women in Technology International); CB Richard Ellis Private Client Group, JPL, The Professional Coaches and Mentors Association, and The Space Frontier Foundation.

John is also a frequent guest lecturer in the Marshall School of Business and the School of Public Policy, Planning, and Development at USC. He participates in special projects such as, the Japanese Entrepreneur Development Program in the Annenberg School of Communication. He studied philosophy at the University of New Mexico and chaos theory at the Santa Fe Institute.

Ani Kortikar
Founder and CEO, Netramind
Taking The Lead on the Internet….Top 20 Useful Tips on Succeeding with Search Engine Marketing

Ani is founder and CEO of Netramind. Netramind empowers companies to scale their businesses profitably by using disciplined search marketing techniques. Ani has been in professional services field for last 16 years.

Ani has gone through the cycle of being an entrepreneur - technical architect - being in executive management - back to being an entrepreneur. He has worked in consulting and in management capacity with various venture funded private and public companies in Silicon Valley over last 10 years. As a consulting technical architect Ani was involved with many global, multilingual marketing project implementations for Cisco systems as early as 1994. As an executive he was responsible for creation of information technology, training and knowledge management divisions for consulting arm of Xoriant - a silicon valley based 600 people consulting firm. Later he also established pre-sales and professional services groups for the software products division of Xoriant. .

Ani completed his Bachelor of Technology from IIT Bombay as well as his Masters in Operations Research. Ani holds dual MBA from Columbia NY and HAAS school of Business - Berkeley, CA.

Pat Lynch
Founder & Editor-in-Chief, WomensRadio/WomensCalendar
Leveraging the Internet To Reach, Convert and Keep Online Customers

In 1969 at the age of 25, Pat Lynch was the first woman to begin an advertising agency single-handedly in the South. By 1977, she had been listed twice in The World's Who's Who of Women and most recently in the International Who's Who and Strathmore's Who's Who. In 1996, she began WomensRadio, (www.womensradio.com) a converging medium, to promote communication for and about women. WomensRadio is now powered by their amazing audio recording and streaming service – AudioAcrobat! Now it is expanding its audio offerings including a new vanity-styled Web radio and radio syndication through the forthcoming WomensRadio "Channel." In 2002, her company began WomensCalendar (www.womenscalendar.org). Today it is the largest databank of women's events in the world reaching over 500,000 women leaders every week. Pat serves on several not-for-profits benefiting women, and is a frequent speaker on the value of opening the media to women's voices and creating the communications bridge to the future. (Contact her directly in Oakland, CA, at 510-891-0006x225 or pat@womensradio.com.)

John Marz
Owner, John Marz & Company
Using Different Mediums to Promote a Key Message

John Marz has over 30 years of senior executive and corporate level experience in marketing, advertising and public relations. Presently, he is the owner of John Marz & Company, a marketing consultant firm in Las Vegas that services a variety of industries. Marz has proven ability to direct and implement highly successful strategic marketing plans that support organizational business and revenue goals, while maximizing brand integrity and consistency. He has demonstrated success in directing outstanding advertising campaigns that satisfy client and corporate needs.  

Formerly, Marz was the senior VP of Marketing for Mandalay Resort Group, where oversaw all marketing activity for a $3 billion a year hospitality/gaming company with 15 properties. Marz was instrumental in successfully launching and implementing the company’s first player club and multi-layered advertising campaigns for various MRG brands. He profitably repositioned Luxor, Las Vegas from an “economy” brand to a premium mid-priced brand and with property enhancements, resulted in dramatic increases in repeat visitors, customer satisfaction, loyalty and value.  He also developed and managed new exclusive travel industry partner relationships which included of one-of-a-kind supplier models that reduced costs and increased market share and revenue.

Prior to Mandalay, Marz was the owner and president of DRGM Advertising which was Nevada’s second largest advertising agency with billings in excess of $50 million annually and a staff of nearly 100.

Rena Mears
Partner, Deloitte & Touche
The Impact of Global Privacy Regulations on US Based Companies

Rena Mears is a partner with Deloitte & Touche LLP. She leads the Global Service Line Leader of the Deloitte Privacy & Data Protection Team and the Northern Pacific Regional leader for Deloitte Security Services. She is an internationally recognized expert in security and privacy. Rena has more than 20 years of experience in security strategy and program design, enterprise security architecture (ESA), and secure infrastructure implementation. She has authored articles on wireless technology, customer and employee privacy and security in the enterprise. She is a CPA, CISSP and CISA.

Nilofer Merchant
Entrepreneur, CEO & Chief Strategist, Rubicon Consulting
Finding the Big Idea: Innovation Strategies

CEO, Author and Strategist, Nilofer is a leading authority on creating business strategy to win markets. Having worked inside and outside major corporate brands like Adobe, Apple, Nokia, SAP and others, Nilofer has honed her collaborative approach to solving tough problems.

As Rubicon’s founder and CEO, she leads a distinguished team of operational veterans. Her firm is hired by global brands such as Hewlett-Packard, Pinnacle, Logitech, Openwave, Symantec and others to create the solutions to win markets.

Her keynotes attract SRO crowds at business leadership events, technology expos, women’s conferences and universities – ranging from AjaxWorld to CTIA and PBWC to Stanford. Having won multiple awards for her insights on applying strategic thinking and innovation, she’s been quoted or published in major business publications such as BusinessWeek, Entrepreneur, Fortune and The Wall Street Journal.

Nilofer earned her MBA from Santa Clara University, a BS in Economics from University of San Francisco and is a certified Instructor of Facilitative Leadership from Interaction Associates. O’Reilly Media is publishing Nilofer’s book on the art of collaborative strategy creation, in Fall ’09.

Darcy Neighbors
Founder and CEO, Consultants in Marketing, Inc.
Using Different Mediums to Promote a Key Message

Darcy K. Neighbors, Founder and CEO of Consultants in Marketing, Inc., founded the firm in 1996, turning her dream into reality. Since then, she has grown the company into one of the Las Vegas valley’s premier marketing, advertising and public relations firms, highly respected for its strategic approach to marketing, creative approach to advertising and ethical approach to business.

She started her career with McDonnell Douglas where she was a business analyst at the Kennedy Space Center. After leaving the aerospace giant, she applied her business skills by opening a retail establishment where she subsequently developed her mastery of marketing. After selling the business, Neighbors moved to Las Vegas to continue her education and received a bachelor in business administration with an emphasis in marketing from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). Upon graduation, she served as marketing coordinator for Valley Bank before joining the law firm of Jeffrey L. Burr & Associates as director of business and marketing.

Since forming Consultants in Marketing, Inc., Neighbors has helped numerous companies to increase their market share and profitability by positioning them through effective marketing, advertising and public relations. She now views her role as primarily that of a consultant, coach, mentor and CEO. Neighbors shares her unique marketing vision as a frequent speaker at various national meetings and conventions.

Neighbors has grown Consultants in Marketing, Inc., by focusing its efforts on a targeted variety of clients, especially firms in the legal, financial, real estate and medical professions, as well as the construction industry.

After developing nationally recognized funeral home marketing expertise, she established CAPRI in 1999 to better meet the marketing and public relations needs of a growing national funeral home client base.

A graduate of the Leadership Las Vegas program sponsored by the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, she is a past president of the Las Vegas chapter of the American Marketing Association and has been active in the Public Relations Society of America, Leaders Network, Strategic Coach program and the Legal Marketing Association. She serves on a number of charitable foundation boards, including University of Nevada Las Vegas’ Executive Advisory Board, College of Business, and Department of Marketing. Neighbors is the creator and driving force behind DJs for PJs™, an annual charity event that collects thousands of new pairs of pajamas for children at Child Haven. Neighbors is also active in her church and community. She and her husband, Sonny, are the devoted parents of two girls, Hayley and Emily, and truly cherish their time together traveling and enjoying the outdoors.

Lisa Powell
Director of Nutrition, Canyon Ranch
Health & Well-Being

Lisa Powell has an amazing ability to synthesize even the most complex nutritional concepts into something everyone can understand. Proficient, current and well-rounded in her knowledge of nutritional biochemistry, food and supplements, Lisa tells it like it is in the ever-changing world of nutrition.

A member of the Canyon Ranch Nutrition department since 1988 – an area she has directed for more than 13 years – Lisa has also served as a contributing nutrition editor for Self magazine, nutrition editor for a medical reference software company, and nutrition consultant for new products development for Chiquita International. She is a contributing writer to many nutrition articles, workbooks and cookbooks – and has appeared as a nutrition spokesperson on Good Morning America, Travel Network, CNN and The Food Network.

Lisa's areas of expertise include functional/nutritional medicine, preventive & wellness nutrition, supplements, women's health and cardiovascular nutrition. Her current passion is the emerging new science of nutritional genomics, using genetic markers to determine optimal nutrition strategies. Lisa's erudite and definitive nature has helped many people address a wide range of health concerns – and achieve nutritional wellness.

Chuck Ross
, Raytheon
Succeeding In A Male-Dominated Industry: The Myth-Busting Panel

Chuck Ross is vice president of Kinetic Energy Interceptors (KEI) at Raytheon Missile Systems. In this capacity, he is responsible for leading the company's involvement in the $4.5 billion joint Northrop Gruman-Raytheon development program. KEI is a critical element of the Missile Defense Agency's mission to protect the homeland, our allies and forward deployed troops.

Prior to assuming this position in 2003, Ross was vice president of Missile Systems’ Business Development, responsible for managing the new business capture efforts and strategic planning, including $100M of discretionary investment allocation. He championed integration of crosscompany business development efforts to better serve the acquisition customer and war fighter.

Sondra Schneider
CEO, Security University
Are you Protected? An Update of Security Issues From Your Wired to Wireless Network
Things That Go Bump In The Night - When a Security Disaster Hits Will You Have What It Takes?

Sondra Schneider is CEO and Founder of Security University a Connecticut based Computer Security and Information Assurance Training Company. For the past 11 years Sondra has been traveling around the world training network professionals to be network and security professionals. In 2004 she was awarded Entrepreneur of the year for the First Annual Woman of Innovation Award from the Connecticut Technology Council. She sits on the advisory board for 3 computer security (start-up) technology companies and is a frequent speaker at computer security and wireless industry events. She is a founding member of the NYC HTCIA and IETF, and works closely with ISC2, ISSA & ISACA chapters and the vendor community to provide computer security training and feedback.

Sondra has been teaching, consulting and advising on Intrusion Detection and PKI for the past 11 years An 18 year industry veteran, Sondra wanted to bring the first Hands-On Security Training to her network and security peers. Her quest to build informed, knowledgeable security professionals has taken her around the world. Sondra establishes International partnerships for SU and has trained security professionals in multiple languages. She has created personal workshops for learning how to protect your company's networks and critical systems from attack. These classes teach how to plan, implement, build & maintain a complete computer security strategy.

The Anti-Hacking and AIS (Advanced Information Security) curriculums and Certification includes 6 tools and 2 management classes, from finding to fixing Exploits and Vulnerabilities to Mitigating Security Risks. Recognizing the need for wireless security training, in 2001 SU partnered with the CWNP Wireless Certification Program as their first Educational partner, and as of mid 2005, has trained over 200 companies/ government agencies and 450 professionals for the CWNA, CWSP and CWAP Certifications.

2006 brings yet another new level of certifications to SU. After the great success of our new EC-Council Certifications in 2005, providing the CEH Ethical Hacking Certification, ECSA Security Analyst, LTP License Penetration Tester Certificate, and CHFI Computer Hacking Forensics Investigator Cert. we are now providing the only hands-on Certified Secure Coding Certification, all to compliment the SU Anti-Hacking and AIS Certifications.

Prior to founding Security University, Ms. Schneider was a co-founder of IFSEC, an Information Security Consulting firm in New York City, where she was responsible for Business Strategy and New Business Development. As Partner of New Business Development, she was responsible for the introduction and implementation of Intrusion Detection and Public Key Infrastructure solutions for customer networks like AT&T and managed services, as well as implementing Information Security Training programs for IDS and PKI. Capitalizing on her earlier product experience as NorthEast Director of Business Development for the WheelGroup (acquired by CISCO), Ms. Schneider brought real-time intrusion detection systems and tools to telecommunication, healthcare, financial institutions and Fortune 500 customers. In 1992, Ms. Schneider became the first Internet Specialist for ATT and Senior Data Network Engineer.

Sondra Schneider is CEO of Security University and has been teaching, consulting, advising and educating on Information Security since before Gore created the Internet. Specializing in intrusion detection systems, wireless and PKI for 11 years previous to founding Security University in 1999, a CT based computer security training and certification company, Sondra has a lot of first’s to her name. Sondra was part the first team to sell internet bandwidth in the US, also a part of first team to implement firewalls to the commercial market place, ‘marketed the first IDS systems to carriers like IBM, ATT and implemented the first US PKI system. A computer security industry veteran, Sondra wanted to bring the first Hands-On Security Training and Certifications to her network and security peers. Her quest to build informed, knowledgeable security professionals has taken her around the world. Sondra is a frequent speaker at security & tech conferences like RSA, E-Gov, MISTI and SANS. Sondra and has created International partnerships to train security professionals in multiple languages and countries. She has created workshops for learning how to protect your company's wired and wireless networks and critical systems from attack. These classes teach how to plan, implement, build & maintain a complete computer security strategy. The SU Anti-Hacking Certification, Advanced Information Security (AIS) Certifications are becoming the standard in the new performance based hands-on computer security training. Security University is also the leading provider of CWNP’s wireless certifications and EC-Council certifications. From finding & fixing exploits & vulnerabilities to reducing risk SU's classes help you get back to work fast with real world answers. Look for the new Certified Secure Coder Certification coming in Q1 2006.

Kate Schrader
President, Mondo Solutions
The Secret to CRM Success... People, Process and Technology

As President of Mondo Solutions a CRM consulting and technology company, Kate Schrader manages the operation of the company and is hands on with customers. Schrader has spent the last 20 years working with organizations of all sizes introducing sales methodology and technology needed for success. Schrader’s depth of knowledge in sales and technology tools was gleaned from her extensive career working in sales and sales management.

Schrader has hosted CRM Talk Radio, since 2002 which is a free, weekly Internet program providing an informational and entertaining forum to help executives and sales professionals navigate the complex landscape of Customer Relationship Management.

Prior to joining Mondo Solutions in 1997 as Vice President of Sales, Schrader has held progressively responsible sales positions. Regional Sales Manager for Jostens Learning Corporation and American Learning Corporation, Inside Sales Manager for Kaypro Corporation and Operations Manager for a family owned manufacturing and retail outlet.

Performance awards: President’s Club Mondo Solutions, Jostens Learning Corporation, American Learning Corporation and Kaypro Corporation.

Professional Organizations: Vistage (formerly TEC International) and WITI.

Education: BS in Education from SUNY Geneseo and an MS in Education from the SUNY Buffalo. Schrader has lived in San Diego since 1983.

Diane Schueneman
EXECUTIVE VP, GLOBAL OPERATI, Merrill Lynch

Diane L. Schueneman is senior vice president and head of the Global Infrastructure Solutions group at Merrill Lynch. She leads global operations, client services initiatives, technology infrastructure, applications development, and business process outsourcing. Diane works with Merrill Lynch business and support functions on growth strategies and supports infrastructure and execution services for the company's global operating units and clients.

Since starting her Merrill Lynch career in 1971 as an account executive in Institutional Sales, Diane has held a number of successive management roles, including International Equities in the U.K., Global Futures Execution and Clearing Services, Global Fixed Income and Derivative Operations, Operations and Administration for Merrill Lynch Investment Managers worldwide, and Global Private Client Services & Technology.

By successfully managing global, cross-discipline businesses, operations, services, and technology organizations – and by utilizing innovation and execution to lead change – Diane and her teams have created new business and service paradigms that have been transformational for Merrill Lynch’s businesses and clients.

Diane serves on Omgeo's board of managers and on the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation's board of directors. She is also Senior Advisor to the Merrill Lynch Women's Professional Network.

Lilian Vayhinger
Deputy, Strike Product Line, Raytheon Company
Succeeding In A Male-Dominated Industry: The Myth-Busting Panel

Lil Vayhinger is the Deputy for the Strike Product Line at Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, Arizona. In this position she is responsible for program execution and performance, as well as overseeing all aspects of the Product Line in direct support of the Product Line vice president.

Raytheon Missile Systems (RMS) is the premier designer and manufacturer of the country’s missiles. The Strike Product Line is responsible for development and production of most of the nation’s Strike type weapons: Tomahawk Cruise Missile, Joint Stand-Off Weapon (JSOW), Paveway Laser Guided Bomb, High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM), Maverick, and Advanced Cruise Missile products and services.

Wendy Wallbridge
President / Executive Coach, On Your Mark
Storytelling
Turning Walls Into Bridges, Becoming The Person You Were Meant to Be©

Wendy Wallbridge, a pioneer in the coaching field, has worked with individuals for over two decades to help them gain clarity of purpose, unlock their power and creativity, and make their mark in the world. In her early twenties, Wendy was diagnosed with lupus, a life-threatening blood disease. Her talent in guiding others to reinvent themselves was sparked by her fourteen-year struggle with lupus and subsequent kidney transplant. Today, Wendy coaches leaders to become their own best advocates, and to champion the expression of their values, passions and talents to make a difference wherever they work.

Wendy founded On Your Mark Corporate Coaching & Consulting in 1993. Wendy and her partner, Randy Methven provide leadership and team development to Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies such as Disney, Wells Fargo, HP, SBC, Intel, Vodafone and Providian Financial as well as technology, financial and educational institutions including Ameritrade, Network Appliance, Nvidia, Alcatel, Silicon Valley Bank and University of California, Office of the President. Wendy has been featured as the change management expert on the Intel-sponsored TV show "Home Sweet Office" and has lectured at the Haas School of Business, The Commonwealth Club and Hewlett Packard. She has been interviewed by: Fortune Magazine, the San Francisco Chronicle and the New York Times.

www.onyourmarkcoach.com

Alicia Young
Executive Vice President, Ruder Finn
Leveraging the Internet To Reach, Convert and Keep Online Customers

Alicia Dollard is an Executive Vice President and leader of Ruder Finn's Corporate Technology practice, a strategic group of professionals dedicated to international clients in both the business-to-business and business-to-consumer technology marketplace. Working across Ruder Finn's global network of offices, Alicia brings nearly 15 years of editorial, marketing and public relations experience to the agency.

With a diverse background in consumer, business-to-business and high-technology programming, Alicia is a strategic partner in helping clients leverage their marketing and product/service assets to develop visionary branding and communications programs based upon insightful corporate messaging and measurable results. Alicia's experience involves working with such clients across hardware, software and services sectors, including: Information Builders, Targus, Worldspan, Ricoh Corporation, Microsoft, AboveNet, Agency.com, Sharp Electronics, Time Warner Cable, Technology Service Solutions (IBM), Reebok International, Target.com and XOsoft.

Bill Lamond
President, The Feminine Principle in Leadership
The Feminine Principle in Leadership
Born To Lead

A founding member of the personal coaching profession in the United States, Bill Lamond is the inventor of a system of strategic thinking based on the way women naturally think and operate. Aspects of this thinking have been taught to more than 300,000 people globally. According to Bill, "In the information age, the feminine style of relationship and cooperation is the wave of the future for everyone in business." Lamond's clients include women in business, technology, the professions, sports and entertainment. He teaches them to use the power of their natural genius, their appetite and desire and the natural ability that women have to attract and keep relationships to achieve sustained championship results in an elegant, first-class style. A popular speaker, Lamond has mesmerized audiences across North America with his vision of a world where passion and cooperation are the hallmarks of human endeavor and where the Voice of women is expressed and heard in its full power and magnificence.

Bill's book, Born to Lead: Unlock the magnificence in yourself and others, will be out in October 2006.

Patricia Shafer
President, Compel Ltd.
POWERFUL and CONNECTED: An Interactive Workshop for Women in Technology

Patricia Shafer is President of Compel Ltd., an international consulting and research firm dedicated to Evoking.Courageous.LeadershipSM and co-founder of The Change Leaders, a global network of consultants and coaches based in the UK. Shafer and a team of leadership development associates specialize in four Practice Areas: Inspiring Leaders, Mentoring Multinationals, Empowering Women and Transforming Technology.

Patricia has provided consulting and coaching services to executives and managers in 15 countries; held leadership positions in change and communications at two global Fortune 100 companies; and led strategic change initiatives touching headquarters, manufacturing and retail sites. One of these initiatives was cited by TIME Magazine for successfully changing the dynamics and image of an industry.

Patricia is a contributing author to the books Enlightened Power: How Women are Transforming the Practice of Leadership (Wiley/Jossey-Bass, 2005) and Managing Worldwide Operations and Communications with Information Technology (IGI-Global, 2007). In late 2007, she will begin leading a project to produce a book series on “Transformative Technologies” – focusing on people-centered IT approaches to transform the workplace and improve results. She is a columnist on workplace issues for the magazines “Global HR News” and “SAVVY”; and a sought-after speaker in North America, Europe, Africa and India.

And more to be announced soon!