Inspiring global leaders gather in Karachi: 10th ‘International Women Leaders’ Summit’ held

KARACHI: The 10th ‘International Women Leaders’ Summit’ was held here on Tuesday, bringing together women leaders from across the globe, to reflect on their stories of success, and inspire others to take the lead.

A pioneer in leadership development for professional women, New World Concepts led by Yasmin Hyder has been organizing the International Women Leaders’ Summit in Karachi since 2012.

The premier annual conference series has to date hosted 180 speakers from 45 countries and over 3500 delegates in the previous 11 conferences. Yasmin highlighted that this conference was a culmination of a decade of achievements in Women Leadership & Empowerment.

The Summit focused on bringing 400 women professionals and together by inspiring them through success stories of global women leaders. Guest speakers include H.E. Andrea Wicke, Ambassador of Austriato Pakistan, Georg Steiner, Ambassador of Switzerland to Pakistan, Tania Aidrus, Co-Founder and CEO DGLOBAL, Maheen Rehman, CEO Infra Zamin, Umar Ahsan Khan, Managing Director and CEO Dawlance Arçelik, Dr. Akbar Zaidi, Executive Director, IBA, Karachi, Ronak Lakhani, Chairperson, Special Olympics Pakistan, Qashif Effendi, CEO, 3 Musketeers company Canada, Kamran Arshad Inam, Managing Director & CEO, EFU General Insurance Ltd, Nancy Wang, CEO, Advancing Women in Tech & former GM, Amazon Web Services, Syeda Sarwat Gilani, renowned actress and entrepreneur and Huma Amir Shah, TV anchor, and host.

The theme for the conference is ‘Building Growth Mindsets’ with the aim to encourage and enable positive change in difficult times and empower the next generation of women leaders and female human capital. This is the only conference that is women developed, organized and executed and has been running for over a decade and is attended by small women business owners and female graduate students as well. We believe the objectives to support women economic empowerment, promote civic engagement and capacity development are what drives this premier conference in Pakistan.

The Consul General of Turkey Cemal Sanju highlighted the warm relations between businesswomen of both countries and the opportunities for further growth and collaboration. He introduced the keynote speaker Dr Beril Özlem Leylek, CEO of Mesoest Chair of the Board, GAGIKAD, Turkiye, who highlighted women’s empowerment in Turkey and the importance of promoting inclusiveness of women in the workforce. She emphasized that women must have growth mindset to achieve leadership positions.

Umar Ahsan Khan, Managing Director and CEO Dawlance, highlighted the importance of gender initiatives for a more enabling work environment for women. He also stressed on the positive impact of these initiatives on an organization’s bottom line.

Maheen Rehman, talked about first ever gender bond. She expressed pride in this initiative, emphasizing its commitment to empowering women, building resilience, and creating a historic impact on the community.

Tania Aidrus, Co-Founder and CEO DGLOBAL, shared her life experiences at the International Women Leaders’ Summit. With a focus on resilience and achievements, she aimed to inspire women, fostering belief in their potential and empowering them on their paths to success.

Andrea Wicke, the Ambassador of Austria to Pakistan, shared valuable insights on career transitions during her address at the International Women Leaders’ Summit. Her insights provided valuable guidance, contributing to the broader conversation on empowering women globally.

George Steiner Ambassador of Switzerland to Pakistan shared some thoughts on gender equality during his talk at the International Women Leaders’ Summit. It added an interesting dimension to the discussion, offering valuable insights for everyone present.

Dr. Akbar Zaidi, Executive Director, IBA, Karachi, spoke about the need to create more awareness about the importance of girl’s education and women’s participation in the workforce.

The Consul General of USA, Conrad Tribble highlighted the importance of diversity and inclusion and lauded the organization of the International Women Leaders’ Summit over the last 12 years.

Ronak Lakhani, Chairperson of Special Olympics Pakistan, detailed the importance of Inclusion of all and shared the successes of Special Olympics movement. Her emphasis on embracing diversity and fostering inclusivity resonated strongly, highlighting the path towards building a stronger and more supportive community.

Yasmin Hyder who is also Adviser Special Olympics Pakistan reflected on the importance of inclusion as per vision of the founder of our country Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

Nancy Wang, CEO, Advancing Women in Tech and former GM, Amazon Web Services, actively participated in a panel discussion at the International Women Leaders’ Summit. Her focus centered on fostering growth mindsets, emphasizing the importance of cultivating an environment that encourages positive change and empowers the next generation of women leaders.

Qashif Effendi from Canada spoke authentically about the influence of diversity on organizational culture during the International Women Leaders’ Summit. His insights highlighted the importance of embracing diversity for creating a more dynamic and inclusive workplace environment.

Kamran Arshad Inam, Managing Director and CEO of EFU General Insurance Ltd, shared his unique perspective on how diversity shapes organizational culture during the International Women Leaders’ Summit. His insights provided a distinct lens on the positive influence of diversity, emphasizing its role in fostering a vibrant and inclusive workplace environment.

Syeda Sarwat Gilani, renowned actress and entrepreneur, played an engaging role in the panel discussion on transitioning careers at the International Women Leaders’ Summit. Her insights added a valuable perspective from the entertainment and entrepreneurial sectors, contributing to a comprehensive exploration of career shifts for women.

Huma Amir Shah, TV anchor, and host, brought skillfully moderated the panel discussion on transitioning careers at the International Women Leaders’ Summit. Her role added finesse and guided the conversation, providing a platform for valuable insights and experiences on navigating career transitions.

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