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Diane Keaton Headlines 30th Annual Simmons School of Management Leadership Conference -- "Vision to Voice: Leadership in the Global Age"
BOSTON, MA -- 01/26/09 -- The Simmons College School of Management today announced the keynote speakers for its May 2 premier Leadership Conference, "Vision to Voice: Leadership in the Global Age." The conference will feature keynote addresses by four extraordinary women: Oscar-winning actress Diane Keaton, award-winning journalist Charlayne Hunter-Gault, Build-A-Bear Workshop® Chief Executive Maxine Clark and former U.S. Surgeon General Antonia Novello, M.D.
Conference Executive Director Joyce Kolligian said, "Attendees tells us year after year that the quality and breadth of our speakers sets us apart from other women's leadership conferences. We have consistently attracted the top women in their fields from around the globe, so that attendees can listen, learn and be re-energized by diverse perspectives, and leave the conference better equipped to make their mark in the world."
Celebrating its 30th year, the conference is the preeminent women's leadership forum in the country and annually attracts a global audience of 3,000 business and professional women. The day-long event provides an exceptional roster of speakers who participate in varied and thought-provoking seminars and workshops, and significant networking opportunities for attendees. The event is held in Boston at the Seaport World Trade Center.
Keynote Speakers -- Background
Oscar-winning actress Diane Keaton has always been in a class by herself. Although first earning attention as a dramatic actress in "The Godfather," her work with Woody Allen -- beginning with "Play It Again, Sam," "Sleeper," and "Love and Death" -- quickly established her gift for comedy. Real stardom arrived with the semi-autobiographical "Annie Hall," which won her the Academy Award for Best Actress and launched a national fashion craze. Keaton subsequently took on dramatic roles in such critically acclaimed films as "Looking for Mr. Goodbar," "Reds," and "Marvin's Room," and directed a variety of television and film projects. More recently, she appeared in such popular productions as "Father of the Bride," "The First Wives Club," and "Something's Gotta Give." Much in demand at the box office, Keaton stars in several new movies including "Smother," "Mama's Boy," and "Mad Money."
Almost from the day she became one of the first African American women to graduate from the University of Georgia, Charlayne Hunter-Gault has remained one of the world's top journalists. After an award-winning stint at The New York Times, she spent two decades at PBS where she served as chief national correspondent for "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer" and anchor for the human rights newsmagazine, "Rights and Wrongs." She then relocated to South Africa, where she worked as chief correspondent in Africa for NPR and as bureau chief in Johannesburg for CNN, before recently rejoining NPR as a correspondent. Hunter-Gault brings her renowned journalism skills as well as her riveting personal experience to a recent book, "New News Out of Africa: Uncovering Africa's Renaissance," a firsthand perspective on positive developments that have gone unreported in the international press.
Widely recognized as one of the nation's most creative entrepreneurs, Maxine Clark is founder, board chair and chief executive bear of Build-A-Bear Workshop®, Inc. In just 10 years, she has built a global enterprise with more than 300 company-owned stores and sales of more than $435 million. Her recent book, "The Bear Necessities of Business: Building a Company with Heart," defines the essential elements required to launch, nurture, and run a publicly traded company. Clark developed her talent for innovation and customer-centered leadership during 30-plus years in marketing and product development at the May Department Stores and as president of Payless ShoeSource. She currently serves on the boards of the Sara Lee Bakery Group and Teach for America as well as the J.C. Penney Company, where she chairs its corporate governance and compensation committees.
Dr. Antonia Novello made history as both the first woman and the first Hispanic to be appointed Surgeon General of the US Public Health Services. A specialist in pediatric kidney diseases and AIDS research, she was among the first to recognize the need to focus on neonatal transmission of HIV. As Surgeon General, Dr. Novello focused on the health of women, children and minorities, and actively promoted immunizations of children and childhood injury prevention. After leaving office, she traveled the world on behalf of UNICEF and served as Commissioner of Health for the State of New York, Most recently, she has been named vice president of women's and children's health and policy affairs at the Disney Children's Hospital at Florida Hospital, a visionary new facility that will use sophisticated interactive technology to create a national model for pediatric care.
About the Conference
The Simmons College School of Management Leadership Conference is one of the oldest and best-known women's leadership events in the country. The conference has included such notable speakers as Madeleine Albright, Benazir Bhutto, Carly Fiorina, Toni Morrison, Queen Noor, Jehan Sadat and Oprah Winfrey.
All proceeds from the conference support scholarships to the Simmons College School of Management, offering the first and leading MBA program in the world designed specifically for women.
Conference corporate sponsors for 2009 include EMC Corporation, KPMG, HP, Deloitte, Novartis, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Raytheon, Paralelles Magazine and PINK magazine.
For a complete conference agenda and schedule, visit: http://www.simmons.edu/leadership