30 Senior New Zealand Business Women Head to Beijing
30 Senior New Zealand Business Women Head to Beijing
Auckland, 8 November, 2013 - Next week Dame Jenny Shipley leads a delegation of 30 Senior New Zealand Business Women, all members of Global Women, to Beijing China to take part in an invitation-only APEC Women Leadership Forum and a three day meeting agenda. The meeting agenda will balance China exploration and insight with hard core business briefings on the New Zealand-China relationship and the business environment both countries work within.
“There is clearly appetite amongst New Zealand’s senior women leaders to better understand the diversity and complexity of this market, our long standing relationship and the opportunities that exist between China and New Zealand, to further advance the flow of people and business relationships,” said Dame Jenny Shipley, Chair of Global Women and Independent Director. “It is highly beneficial to New Zealand, and the companies that these women lead or are associated with, to see these women focused on understanding China today and what is ahead in the crucial years to come in terms of the opportunities and challenges that New Zealand companies need to tackle to succeed.”
The agenda prior to the APEC Women Leadership Forum will comprise briefings with industry leaders who will discuss China’s macroeconomic trends and the complexities of international business; including Former Managing Director and Chairman of Goldman Sachs Greater China, Dr Fred Hu and Greg Foran, CEO of Walmart China. Sharing New Zealand’s strong commitment to China, the delegation will also hear from Sarah Kennedy, Vice President, International Farming for Fonterra, David Evans, Deputy Head of Mission from the New Zealand Embassy in China and Alan Young, Trade Commissioner in Beijing for New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, who are also sponsoring the delegation’s on ground Beijing transportation. Global Women members on the delegation will also share insights into the strategies they have undertaken in working with China and discussing their learnings first-hand.
China will host APEC in 2014 and is holding the APEC Women Leadership Forum this year to ignite interest and engage leading business women in order to capitalise on the business opportunities that exist across the region. The Forum is an exclusive by-invitation-only event where a unique community of 250 outstanding and influential women leaders from business, politics and community, in China and around the Asia Pacific region, focus on improving and promoting women’s access to finance, access to markets, capacity and skill building, and women’s leadership in a dynamic world. Hosted by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, the Forum features a number of New Zealand’s women leaders including Dame Jenny Shipley, The Hon. Judith Collins and Dame Wendy Pye.
“We look forward to returning to New Zealand enriched, challenged, curious and empowered to use the learning from our exploration in a meaningful way for New Zealand business,” added Dame Jenny.
About Global
Women
Diversity is not a nice-to-have, but a
must-have to lift economic growth, productivity and
ultimately New Zealand’s prosperity. Global Women is seen
as a catalyst to transforming the landscape of women leaders
in New Zealand business and champions ideas and actions that
drive business outperformance. Led by Chair, Dame Jenny
Shipley and its influential board, Global Women continues to
build a leadership position advocating the business case of
the impact of women leaders.
The need to boost the role of women in senior management of organisations is not just about populating Boards; it’s about cultivating leaders and champions of change, activating the talent in New Zealand’s organisations and inspiring future leaders. At its heart, Global Women has 200 high calibre members representing leaders across industry sectors and a committed circle of Investment Partners from New Zealand’s top corporate organisations that see diversity as a driver of business success.
For more information visit: www.globalwomen.org.nz and follow us on twitter @NZGlobalWomen
ENDS