Women in Business, Jobs, Women Entrepreneurs, Women in the News: News On Women

Roseann Stevens Made VP of Field Operations at FIRST

FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), a not-for-profit organization founded to inspire young people’s interest and participation in science and technology, appointed Roseann Stevens Vice President of Field Operations. Roseann, who holds an  MBA from the University of Detroit Mercy, has more than 25 years of sales experience in the automotive industry. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Firsts and Fortunes for Women in 2009

2009 was full of firsts for women. Elinor Ostrom became the first woman ever to receive the Nobel Prize for Economics. Judge Sonia Sotomayor became the first Hispanic U.S. Supreme Court Justice. 2009 saw two major CEO jobs go to women, Ursula Burns (pictured) becoming Chief Executive Officer of Xerox Corporation and  Carol Bartz taking over as CEO for Yahoo!. 2009 also saw Diane Sawyer become the Anchor for "World News" at ABC, another breakthrough for women in media. But what do all these firsts lead to - certainly fame, not so certainly fortunes. So what exactly is the road to fame and fortune? If you look at the Forbes 400 list of wealthiest individuals, you will see that the biggest of these are entrepreneurial fortunes. This is good news since a majority of new entrepeneurial ventures are being formed by women.

Some of the amazing women entrepreneurs NewsonWomen covered in 2009 included Alexis Maybank and Alexandra Wilkis who founded Gilt Groupe which offers  luxury brands online at a discount; the Ernst and Young "Winning Women" Entrepreneurs; Sramana Mitra, a Technology Entrepreneur and Strategy Consultant  whose books teach us to not only know who our competition is, but who our competition should be; Kara Goldin, the former AOL Executive who started Hint Essence Water because she couldn't find the kind of healthy drink she wanted for her four children; and Louise Wannier, the experienced and tech savvy entrepreneur who founded MyShape, the online shopping destination all about convenience (personal shops) and the customer experience. Will these entrepreneurs eventually make it to the Forbes 400? Only time will tell!

 

Phoebe Wood Named to Invesco Board

Invesco Ltd., headquartered in Georgia, appointed Phoebe A. Wood to its Board of Directors. Phoebe is a Principal at CompaniesWood and most recently served as Chief Financial Officer of Brown-Forman Corporation. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Women in Government Nominated This Week

President Barack Obama intends to nominate Beatrice Hanson, to be Director, Office of Victims of Crime, Department of Justice. Beatrice is currently the Chief Program Officer for Safe Horizon. See White House press release 12/22.

President Barack Obama intends to nominate Gayle A. Nachtigal to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the State Justice Institute. Judge Nachtigal is currently a Circuit Court Judge in Washington County, Oregon. See White House press release 12/22.

President Obama Judge J Michelle Childs to the District Court bench for the District of South Carolina.  Childs currently sits on the South Carolina Circuit Court. See White House press release 12/22. 

President Obama nominated Anne Tompkins and Sally Quillian Yates to be U.S. Attorneys. Anne, a partner at Alston & Bird, LLP, is a Noinee for the Western District of North Carolina. Sally, the Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, is a Nominee for the Northern District of Georgia. See White Huse press release 12/24.

President Obama nominated Gloria M. Navarro for the District Court Bench for the District of Nevada. Gloria has served as Chief Deputy District Attorney for Clark County since 2005. See White House press release 12/24.

Sheryl Sandberg Named to Disney Board

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) named Sheryl Sandberg to its Board of Directors. Sheryl is Chief Operating Officer of Facebook Inc. Read more in the Company press release.

Carolyn Corvi Named to Continental Airlines Board

Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL), headquartered in Texas, appointed Carolyn Corvi to the airline's Board of Directors. Carolyn spent  more than 30 years at The Boeing Company, most recently serving as Vice President and General Manager of Airplane Programs in the commercial airplanes division. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

Lisa Fitzgerald Made EVP at Carter's Inc.

Carter's Inc. (NYSE: CRI) appointed Lisa A. Fitzgerald Executive Vice President & Brand Leader for the OshKosh B’gosh brand. Lisa had been Executive Vice President of Merchandising, Design, and Creative at Lands’ End, Inc., a division of Sears Holdings Corporation. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Dr. Julie Gerberding Made President of Merck Vaccines

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE: MRK) appointed Dr. Julie Gerberding President of Merck Vaccines. Dr. Gerberding led the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as director from 2002 to 2009. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Brenda Harmon Made SVP at Cooper Tire & Rubber

Cooper Tire & Rubber Company (NYSE: CTB) appointed Brenda S. Harmon Senior Vice President, Global Human Resources and Communications. Brenda has been Chief Human Resources Officer for both public and private companies. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

Selena Rezvani Interviews Powerful Women to Find a Roadmap to the Top

Selena Rezvani works to propel more women into the top echelons of businesses. Selena wrote her debut book, The Next Generation of Women Leaders: What You Need to Lead but Won’t Learn in Business School (Praeger, 2009), while pursuing her MBA at Johns Hopkins University where she graduated first in her class! Selena has this to say about her book:

"As a first year MBA student and aspiring business leader, I saw a hole in the leadership development literature.  Being on the cusp of Generation X and Generation Y, I sought a roadmap that could tell me how someone of my specific age and experience level could move up in the business world.  I wanted to hear advice from women who had actually achieved leadership status, including “Don’t do this…,” “Make sure you do this,” “Skip wasting your time on that….”  Propelled to find answers to my questions, I interviewed thirty c-level women, including Melissa Monk, CIO at CapitalOne, Jamie McCourt, former President of the LA Dodgers, Mei Xu, CEO of Chesapeake Bay Candle, and Katharine Weymouth, CEO of The Washington Post.  The advice provided became the basis for my new book, The Next Generation of Women Leaders: What You Need to Lead but Won't Learn in Business School, which details the hardest-won lessons of women at the top in a candid and conversational style. The guidebook I wished I’d had when graduating with my MBA, the book provides tangible how-tos on navigating the workplace as a woman.  As the title of my book suggests, many of the topics I cover are ones that you don’t learn about in formal business preparation programs.  Too many people assume that if they’re technically competent, they have everything they need to succeed in the business world.  This is not true.  So much of one’s career trajectory is affected by the ability to influence, affect change, motivate others--even one’s level of likability.  The book provides the missing information, arming women with tools and insights covering all of these topics and more."

Read more about Selena's book on nextgenwomen.com.

Lynne Ford Made CEO of ING Financial Solutions Business

ING appointed Lynne Ford CEO of ING Financial Solutions business. Lynne had been Executive Vice President and Managing Director of the Retail Retirement Group at Wells Fargo. Read more in the prnewswire press release. 

Tekedra McGee Jefferson Made Senior Vice President at AOL

AOL Inc. appointed Tekedra McGee Jefferson Senior Vice President of Government Affairs. Tekedra, who holds a JD from the Columbia University School of Law, had been Vice President and Chief Counsel, Public Policy & Regulatory at AOL. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Maria Pinelli Encourages Women Small Business Owners

Maria Pinelli is the Americas Strategic Growth Markets leader for Ernst & Young. Maria leads a practice that serves fast-growth, high-potential companies that are evolving into market leaders. As an expert on high potential companies, Maria believes that investing in women small business owners is definitely good for the economy. Read her article on the Forbes Woman Network.

Women Appointed to Government Jobs This Week

President Barack Obama intends to nominate Sharon E. Burke (picturedf) to be Director of Operational Energy Plans and Programs, Department of Defense. Sharon  is a Vice President at the Center for a New American Security. See White House press release 12/10.

President Obama intends to nominate Marilyn A. Brown to be a Member, Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority. Marilyn is a Professor of Energy Policy at the School of Public Policy at the Georgia Institute of Technology. See White House press release 12/10.

President Barack Obama intends to nominate Marie Collins Johns to be Deputy Administrator, Small Business Administration. Marie retired as President of Verizon Washington, DC after a career of over 20 years in the telecommunications industry. See White House press release 12/16

President Barack Obama intends to nominate Sharon L. Browne to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation. Sharon is a principal attorney in Pacific Legal Foundation’s Individual Rights Practice group. See White House press release 12/17.

Lisa Caputo Named to Best Buy Board. Other Women Named to Corporate Boards

Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE: BBY), headquartered in Minnesota, appointed Lisa Caputo (pictured) to its Board of Directors. Lisa is Executive Vice President, Global Marketing and Corporate Affairs for Citigroup Inc., and Chairman and CEO of Citi’s Women & Company. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

BankUnited, headquartered in Florida, appointed Sue Cobb to its Board of Directors. Sue, who holds a JD from the University of Miami, is a principal with Cobb Partners. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAG), headqaurtered in Massachusetts, appointed Dr. Lesley Russell to its Board of directors. Lesley is Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Cephalon. See Business Wire press reelase.

MSCI Inc. (NYSE: MXB), headquartered in New York, appointed Alice Handy to its Board of Directors. Alice is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Investure. See Business Wire press release.

Kindred Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:KND), headquartered in Kentucky, appointed Phyllis R. Yale to its Board of Directors. Phyllis, who holds an MBA from Harvard, is a Partner with Bain & Company, Inc. See Business Wire press release.

Tempur-Pedic International Inc. (NYSE: TPX), headquartered in Kentucky, appointed Evelyn Dilsaver to its Board of Directors. Evelyn was President and Chief Executive Officer of Charles Schwab Investment Management. See prnewswire press release.

Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ: CELG), headquarterd in New Jersey, appointed Carrie S. Cox to the Company’s Board of Directors. Carrie  had been Executive Vice President and President of Schering-Plough's Global Pharmaceutical Business. See Business Wire press release.

Met-Pro Corporation (NYSE: MPR), headquartered in Pennsylvania, appointed Robin L. Wiessmann to the Company's Board of Directors. Robin  recently concluded a term as State Treasurer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. See prnewswire press release. 

The Alleghany Corporation (NYSE: Y), headquartered in New York, appointed Karen Brenner to its Board of Directors. Karen is a Clinical Professor of Business at the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University. See Business Wire press release.

Gilt Groupe and Others Give Weary Shoppers Great Alternatives

While Amazon and Wal-Mart have a shoot-out over book prices, the apparel market online is heating up, and I am amazed at the variety of business models that are surfacing. At first I thought magazines would have the edge - see something you like online while reading and buy it. Then the brick and mortar stores like Gap, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdales and Neiman Marcus began their big push online. Now its our turn - the entrepreneur approach. The ability to compete with big brick and mortar names is unique to the internet and women are taking advantage of it, like Katherine Power and Hillary Kerr of WhoWhatWear (pictured above).

Retailing has always been about the right concept as much as the right outfit. Three apparel companies in particular are interesting because they capture what's great about the online space. Gilt Groupe and MyShape couldn't be more different - east coast versus west coast, high fashion versus high tech, exclusivity versus community. Gilt, founded by Alexis Maybank and Alexandra Wilkis Wilson to offer luxury brands at a discount, is run by a giant in the media industry, Susan Lyne, former CEO of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. MyShape is run by an experienced and tech savvy entrepreneur, Louise Wannier, and Mercedes de Luca, a former Yahoo! executive. Gilt has done a fantastic job building their brand, which allows them to branch out to other businesses. MyShape is all about convenience (personal shops) and the customer, with suggested pairings of skirts and coats, tops and jewelry; something a lot of busy women find very helpful. But how do you decide what to buy? This question creates yet another business model, one based on celebrity sightings. WhoWhatWear.com, started by Katherine Power and Hillary Kerr (pictured), makes a business of finding the items worn by celebrities, so if you see a movie star in something great or want the latest trend, you know where to go to buy it for yourself.

Creativity and innovation are alive and well in America. All these companies were started by women, young and old, and have plenty of women executives. And of course women customers. But who will win? Gilt Groupe, the brand built to sell luxury brands for less; MyShape, the customer convenience oriented shopping experience; or WhoWhatWear, the trends and style site? I hope they all do!

Patti Goodrich Made VP of Enterprise Infrastructure at Choice Hotels

Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) appointed Patti Goodrich Vice President of Enterprise Infrastructure. Patti, who holds an MBA from Xavier University, had been Associate Vice President of Information Technology Operations at Scottsdale Insurance Company. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

Stacy Lastrina Made Chief Marketing Officer at Jones Apparel

Jones Apparel Group, Inc. (NYSE: JNY) appointed Stacy Lastrina Chief Marketing Officer. Stacy, who has been with the company for 19 years, previously served as Executive Vice President of Marketing and Creative Services. Read more in the Business Weire press release.

Coca-Cola Enterprises Named Veronique Morali to its Board.

Coca-Cola Enterprises (NYSE: CCE), headquartered in Georgia, appointed Véronique Morali to its Board of Directors. Veronique is Vice-Chairman of Fitch Group. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Louise Wannier Made Exec Chair at MyShape, Mercedes De Luca Made President.

MyShape, the personalized online shopping and apparel company, named founding CEO Louise J. Wannier (pictured) Executive Chairman of the Board. Mercedes De Luca was named President of the Company. Louise, who holds an MBA from UCLA's Anderson School of Management, is an experienced Entrepreneur. Mercedes, who holds an MBA from Santa Clara University, had been VP & Chief Information Executive of Yahoo!. Read more about it in the Business Wire press release. Check out the website to read about more of the many women executives at MyShape.