Panels

 

Featured Panel: Women and Leadership... A Way to the Top

It’s no secret that despite all the gains that women have made in civil rights, education and the labor force, there is still dearth of women in the senior ranks of companies. Less than 20% of top managers are women yet we make up 48% of the workforce. A panel of senior executive women will candidly share insights and dispense advice on how to overcome the challenges of advancing to the top. The panel will go on to analyze women’s distinctive leadership abilities focusing on ways to compensate for weaknesses and draw upon natural strengths. We’ll also discuss leadership in the context of the current recession and learn how these women have managed and triumphed during previous economic crises.

Panelists

Panel Director: Neha Jain
Panel Coordinator: Renee Vaughn

 

Walk Out a Winner — A Negotiations Workshop

Whether asking for a salary increase, debating the terms for a complex deal or convincing a spouse to visit the in-laws, negotiations are a regular part of our daily lives. In this workshop, a leading family law attorney will guide audience members through a series of interactive role play scenarios with the goal of showing all of us how to walk out of negotiations as winners. Learn how to read situations correctly, avoid common pitfalls, and leverage your strengths to achieve mutually positive outcomes. Who says you can't have your cake and eat it too?

Panelists

Panel Coordinator: Nushin Alloo

 

Finding Your Balance

Achieving work/life balance is not a one-size-fits-all objective. All of us have different definitions of the right amount of work, family and outside activities that make for a happy and fulfilling life. In this panel, meet women who have all managed to find their own balance. We’ll hear from women ranging from a top financial advisor to a non-profit executive to an entrepreneur — all successful, and all happily enjoying their families and lives outside of the office. If embracing your career and your personal life is important to you, come to this session and learn about the steps you can take now to set up a career that allows you to shine both inside and outside the workplace.

Panelists

Panel Coordinator: Ranjita Iyer

 

Featured Panel: Unprecedented Times, Unprecedented Women

Without a doubt, the U.S. and global financial markets experienced unprecedented turbulence and disruption this past year. In this panel, meet a distinguished pool of senior women representing leading firms in the investment banking, diversified financial services and investment management industries. They will discuss what they think went wrong, how they helped lead their firms through the crisis, and what could have gone differently. Listen to their views for the future and how they see the events of the past year affecting women entering careers in the financial markets today.

Panelists

Panel Coordinators: Sara Friesen, Sarah Morgenstern

 

Networking and Finding Strength in Numbers

Building your network doesn’t have to be a solo endeavor. In recent years, several affinity groups for business women have emerged, offering members easy access to a large community and crucial resources. In this panel, representatives from these organizations will discuss membership benefits and commitments, as well as lead the group in interactive exercises to kick start your year of networking activities. Whether you are a pro or just starting out, this workshop will give you more tools to add to your networking toolkit.

Panelists

Panel Director: Parisa Arash
Panel Coordinator: Lili Lu

 

Global Careers — In a Flat World

With globalization creating a level playing field where talent comes from anywhere, the focus on global careers has increased exponentially. This phenomenon means that individuals must shift their perceptions in order to remain competitive in a global market where historical and geographical divisions are becoming increasingly irrelevant. This panel brings together leading executives who will highlight key issues faced while building a successful global career, whether they are finding the right job, understanding cultural differences or finding the right balance in life due to increased pressures.

Panelists

Panel Director: Shewtha Vohra
Panel Coordinator: Divya Minisandram

 

Going Solo: Women in Entrepreneurship

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness,” said Charles Dickens. Entrepreneurship has always been a key factor in economic growth, innovation, and the development of firms and businesses. In this new frenzied economy where everything is getting re-defined and every rule re-examined, an entrepreneurial mindset is more valuable than ever. In this panel, women at different stages of starting, launching and growing their own companies share passions, success stories, lessons, and advice. Bring your dream to the workshop and get ready for insightful discussions to help those dreams come true.

Panelists

Panel Director: Tina Chu
Panel Coordinator: Suhitha Reddy

 

Career Speed-Dating

This “speed-dating” event will pit current students against Wharton alumnae from a diverse set of industries, geographies, and experiences. The focus of the event will be on matching current students with young alumnae (WG ’01-’08) who will offer candid advice on everything from career opportunities, managing life after Wharton, and graduating in a down economy to getting your voice heard as a junior employee, climbing the corporate ladder, and staying involved with Wharton. Speed dates will be arranged based on students’ individual interests (career, industry, geographic, etc), ensuring productive conversations for both students and alumnae.

Panelists

Panel Directors: Jessica Ansehl, Parisa Arash
Panel Coordinators: Jenny Cheng, Erin Dress, Melody Moon, Ramya Murali