Americas Society/Council of the Americas Hosts 4th Annual Women's Hemispheric Network Forum in Miami

The forum gathered women and men corporate leaders and entrepreneurs for a conversation on trending topics in the gender parity debate such as diversity targets, work flexibility, and mentorship strategy.

New York, March 1, 2017—Americas Society/Council of the Americas (AS/COA), with the support of Greenberg Traurig, brought together a group of successful female and male executives in Miami on February 17 for a conversation on how to fill the women’s leadership gap in the Americas. AS/COA’s Fourth Annual Women’s Hemispheric Network Miami Forum—a half-day conference and networking session—assembled an outstanding lineup of corporate leaders and entrepreneurs who shared personal stories, viewpoints, and advice with more than 150 female professionals from across the region.

In her remarks, AS/COA President and CEO Susan Segal highlighted the importance of giving young professional women the opportunity to build their networks. “Connecting with female leaders and having the opportunity to learn from their personal stories provides critical support for these rising professionals at very important junctures in their careers,” she said.

The AS/COA Women’s Hemispheric Network (WHN) seeks to build productive mentoring connections between senior female leaders with up-and-coming professionals. Currently in its fifth year, the Network has held conferences and roundtable discussions in several major cities across the continent including Bogota, Buenos Aires, Lima, Mexico City, Miami, New York, Panama City, Santiago, and São Paulo.

“Thank you to all the women and men who participated at this year’s forum. Year after year, this event demonstrates that gender parity initiatives make a real difference toward the advancement of women across industries, which, in turn, benefits companies’ bottom line,” highlighted Patricia Menéndez-Cambó, vice chair of Greenberg Traurig. “However, despite the progress we’ve made toward gender diversity, many industries are still struggling to ensure women are represented in top management positions. Therefore, it is imperative that we expand support for this cause to include more men, encourage the breakdown of implicit biases and integrate diversity at all levels of our organizations. To this end, I’m thrilled to see more and more men participating at our diversity events each year.”

Panelists at the AS/COA’s Miami forum conversed about mentorship and sponsorship, as well as initiatives and policies to bring more women to the top of the corporate ladder. For Citi Latin America CEO Jane Fraser, companies should work on setting targets when it comes to the number of women they hire. “Not quotas because quotas are tough, but what targets we are putting in and how do we get to a critical mass quickly,” she said. For UPS International Americas Region President Romaine Seguin, informal mentorship plays a critical role in advancing the careers of both women and men. “If someone asks you to meet to take 15 or 20 minutes time out, whether it is a 16-year-old, a military veteran, a female struggling with her boss, whatever it may be, you have so much good advice and experience to share!” she said. The conversation included Antonio Ferreira, international vice president of Janssen Latin America at Johnson & Johnson, and Greenberg Traurig shareholder Yosbel Ibarra.

Microsoft Latin America Consumers and Devices Group General Manager Fabricia Degiovanni moderated a panel that discussed how mentorship, networking, and advocacy are essential tools for professional advancement. “If you don't have a structured mentor-mentee program [at your organization], go on and find one for yourself,” advised Bulltick Capital Markets Macro Research and Emerging Markets Strategy Head Kathryn Rooney Vera. “The more you give, the more you get back, so start by thinking how you can help other women,” said SheWorks! and Yandiki Founder and CEO Silvina Moschini. Royal Caribbean’s Celebrity Cruises Vice President of Finance and Strategy Elizabeth Oates completed the panel.

On March 7, the day before 2017 International Women’s Day, the AS/COA Women’s Hemispheric Network will host “From Risk to Success: Lessons from Leaders and Innovators,” in Santiago, Chile, featuring Chilean President and former UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet, along with a group of influential entrepreneurs and business leaders committed to women’s economic empowerment. Visit as-coa.org for complete details on this upcoming AS/COA WHN event.

Learn more about AS/COA’s Women’s Hemispheric Network:

• Watch more videos of our Fourth Annual Women’s Hemispheric Network Miami Forum
• Check out our 2017 events.
• Get updates via the Women's Network portal.
• For more information, contact women@as-coa.org.
• For press inquiries contact: AS/COA Media Relations | mediarelations@as-coa.org | 212-277-8384 | 212-277-8333.

Americas Society is the premier organization dedicated to education, debate, and dialogue in the Americas. Established by David Rockefeller in 1965, our mission is to foster an understanding of the contemporary political, social, and economic issues confronting Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada, and to increase public awareness and appreciation of the diverse cultural heritage of the Americas and the importance of the inter-American relationship. Council of the Americas is the premier international business organization whose members share a common commitment to economic and social development, open markets, the rule of law, and democracy throughout the Western Hemisphere. Web: as-coa.org Twitter: @ASCOA

About Greenberg Traurig’s Women’s Initiative
Greenberg Traurig is committed to its women lawyers’ success, which includes a firm-wide women’s affinity group encompassing recruiting, retention, and business development. The firm regularly collaborates with like-minded organizations to address these issues on a broader scale in a variety of industries and communities.

About Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GTLaw) has more than 2,000 attorneys in 38 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East and is celebrating its 50th anniversary. One firm worldwide, GTLaw has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, was named the second largest firm in the U.S. by Law360 in 2016, and among the Top 20 on the 2016 Am Law Global 100. Web: gtlaw.com Twitter: @GT_Law.