2024 New Jersey Women in Leadership Symposium
March 07, 2024
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM (ET)
Theme
Leading with Heart: Empathy, Ethics & Excellence
Sponsored By
The Women in Leadership Symposium is a dedicated event that brings together accomplished women leaders, aspiring leaders, and advocates for gender diversity in various industries. The primary objectives of the symposium are to inspire, educate, and empower women to thrive in leadership roles and to promote gender equity and inclusivity in the workplace. This year's symposium theme is, Leading with Heart: Empathy, Ethics & Excellence," which celebrates and explores the importance of compassion, ethics, and excellence in leadership, particularly as they relate to women leaders. Attendees will gain valuable insights, advice, and connections, making the Women in Leadership Symposium an essential platform for advancing women's representation and influence in leadership positions.
Panelists
Ciulla
Prof. Ciulla’s research focuses on the ethical challenges of leadership and topics in business ethics, such as meaningful work. She has taught ethics in liberal arts and business schools for over forty-seven years. Before joining Rutgers, she held the Coston Family Chair in Leadership and Ethics at the Jepson School of Leadership Studies (University of Richmond), where she was one of the school’s founders. Ciulla has held academic appointments at Harvard Business School, The Wharton School, and LaSalle University. She held the UNESCO chair in Leadership Studies at the United Nations International Leadership Academy in Jordan and was a Fulbright Specialist. Ciulla has published ten books and over 150 articles. She has received Lifetime Achievement Awards for her scholarship from The Society for Business Ethics, The International Leadership Association, and The Network of Leadership Scholars at the Academy of Management for her scholarship. In addition, she is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award for Service to the Field of Business Ethics from the Society for Business Ethics, the Master Teacher Award from The Wheatley Institution at Brigham Young University, the Outstanding Faculty Award from the Virginia State Council of Higher Education, and the Distinguished Educator Award from the University of Richmond. She was president of The Society for Business Ethics and The International Society for Business, Ethics, and Economics. In addition, Ciulla has worked with the Aspen Institute, The Brookings Institution, and the World Economic Forum. She has been an expert witness, consulted, and given lectures and seminars to business, government, and non-profit organizations in the US and abroad.
Espinal
Evelyn Maria Espinal is the Global Vice President and head of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion for Unilever. Evelyn is a senior executive with a proven record of leading transformational change, building trusted relationships to co-create strategy and maximizing operational intensity to deliver concrete business results. Evelyn is leading our new Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I) Strategy which is an organization-wide effort to achieve an equitable and inclusive culture that eliminates any bias and discrimination from our practices and policies. At Unilever, we firmly believe that our success is powered by the Diverse Opinions, Skill Sets & Life Experience of our Employees. We strive for a work environment where all individuals are treated fairly & respectfully, celebrating their human uniqueness. Evelyn joined Unilever in 2013 as Leadership Development Director and Chief Diversity Officer for North America. At Unilever, Evelyn has also served as VP HR Supply Chain for the Americas for 4 years before moving to Mexico in 2017 as the VP HR Mexico & Caribbean. In Mexico, she led a robust HR organization servicing ~9,000 employees in over 25 countries and 36 agencies across a billion-dollar business. She was instrumental in improving HR Core Operations, sponsoring digital transformation and driving the adoption of methodologies to accelerate innovation and unlock human potential. Evelyn has earned a Master’s Degree in Applied Behavioural Science from American University with a concentration on Social Reform and Race Relations. This reflects her love of learning which gives her a valuable breadth of perspective on innovative practices which she leverages to bring new ideas to Unilever. Across her 30-year career, she has worked in an unusually wide range of organizations and sectors – in consulting and in corporate roles at Verizon, Novartis, J&J, Pfizer, Blackrock and now Unilever. Evelyn brings a great breadth of HR experience with a spike in talent, diversity and organizational development. She is energetic and engaging, with a high work ethic and a deep-rooted commitment to make a positive difference; she combines this with a strong focus on supporting her business partners and on delivering against agreed goals. Evelyn lives in Central New Jersey with her husband of twenty years, Luis, and her 15 year old child Fern who is non-binary. EDUCATION: 1991 Bachelor of Arts New York University | New York 1998 Masters of Science in Organization Development and Applied Behavioral Sciences | American University & National Training Laboratories | Washington, DC 2003 Advance Certification in HR Management and Organization Development | Columbia University | New York
Lee
Megan Myungwon Lee is chairwoman and Chief Executive Officer of Panasonic Corporation of North America. In her role, Megan leads the company’s growth strategy and is responsible for guiding its ongoing business evolution. With over thirty years of experience, Megan has served in a variety of leadership roles and has been instrumental in spearheading new business initiatives, strategic planning, digitization of human resources management, as well as the company’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) strategy. After joining Panasonic in 1987, Megan was entrusted with human resources and strategic planning assignments in the US and Japan, including leadership of the international human resources team in Osaka. In 2004, Megan returned to the US to serve Panasonic North America as Vice President of Human Resources, Diversity and Corporate Giving. Most recently, Megan served as the Chief Human Resources Officer and Vice President of Corporate Planning and Strategic Initiatives. Megan serves as Board Chair of the Panasonic Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides disadvantaged students with the skills and credentials they need to lead fulfilling and successful lives in a global 21st century economy. She is also a Board Member for the Newark Museum of Art.
O'Driscoll
Kathleen is a proven executive with 25 years of experience navigating complex Fortune public companies, earning her an industry reputation for excellence in strategic creative vision, transformational progress, thought leadership, analytical depth, and financial optimization. Currently serving as Global Head of Benefits, Wellbeing, HR Policy & Recognition for Cognizant, Kathleen has responsibility for the strategy, governance, design and efficiencies for global benefits, wellbeing, HR policies and employee recognition across all regions in 50+ countries for their 355,000+ employees. The initiatives she has led have earned the company several industry wellbeing awards and supports the company’s Employer of Choice brand. Prior to her current role, Kathleen led the Global Institute at Business Group on Health, a non-profit membership group for global employers, where she influenced dialogue on benefits and wellbeing strategy for global workforces. She also spent over 18 years at Honeywell where she held a series of leadership roles including Benefits Leader, HR M&A, and HR Business Partner to the CFO. Kathleen holds a Masters in Human Resource Management from Seton Hall University, and a Bachelors in Psychology from Montclair State University. She is also six sigma certified as a greenbelt, and a Cognizant Certified Mental Health Ally. Kathleen lives in New Jersey with her husband, two sons, one daughter and dog.
Waller
Diane L. Waller is a Senior Vice President at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, where she currently provides benefits consulting for the firm’s employees who are planning to retire within 60 days. In this role, Diane meets with the retiree, and if applicable, their spouse, and financial advisors to provide strategic direction involving complex benefits including Medicare, deferred compensation, and equity awards. Diane is active in her community teaching financial literacy, bible based education (fifty hours per month), and is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority (Alpha Chapter). Diane received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Howard University in Washington, D.C.
Moderator
Mehta
Keti Mehta currently serves as Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Growth Leader for Gallagher’s NY Metro office, where she manages the firm’s growth initiatives to expand and deepen client footprint across diverse industry segments. Mehta also serves as an Advisor to the inaugural Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee of the Risk & Insurance Management Society’s (RIMS) Advisory Board. For the past eight years, Keti has passionately served as a Board Member on the Tri-State Diversity Council (NY, NJ, and CT). Recognized for being an inspiring growth accelerator, strategic brand promoter, and influencer - Keti Mehta successfully develops high-performing teams and strategic partnerships to unleash organic growth potential. She stands out for being a transformational culture catalyst by building diverse communities of practice that promote inclusion and collaboration. Keti leads by example and is a highly skilled, certified sales activator, leadership development coach, talent enthusiast and evangelist of the Customer Experience. Mehta has also held senior executive leadership roles at Hub International, USI Insurance Services, Dell, and Morgan Stanley. Keti resides in White Plains, Westchester County with her husband of 24 years and their beloved daughter, Karina. Keti is a licensed NY Property & Casualty Insurance Broker. Mehta received a Master of Arts degree in Change Leadership/Business Transformation from Teacher’s College, Columbia University in New York City. Additionally, Keti holds an Executive Coaching Certification from the International Coach Federation.
Awardee
Jackson Woods
As AVP and Chief Diversity Officer for ETS in Princeton, New Jersey, Dr. Ida Jackson Woods is focused on embedding equity, inclusion, and diversity across the enterprise to enhance employees’ sense of community and belonging. A proud U.S. Army veteran, Ida earned her doctorate in education, from New York University. She also holds an MBA from Rutgers University and a BA degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Mississippi. Ida has completed the Diversity and Inclusion Professionals Certificate at Cornell University. A member of the Society for Human Resource Management’s Executive Network, Ida holds that organization’s designation of SHRM-Senior Certified Professional. She is also certified through the Human Resources Certification Institute as a Senior Professional in Human Resources. She is a Certified Public Manager, and a Development Dimensions International Certified Facilitator. Ida has been featured in Essence Magazine in an article entitled, C-Suite Execs Across Top Companies Share the Black Women Leaders Who Inspire Them to Achieve. In January, Ida was selected to Diverse Woman Magazine’s “Elite 100” list. She will be featured in Diverse Issues in Higher Education Magazine, as part of their recognition of the Top 40 leaders impacting the academy. Ida has been selected to receive the Greater United Way of Mercer County, United in Impact Advocate Award for championing equity and inclusion in her daily life. Ida is a lifetime member of the National Council of Negro Women, a member of the National Black MBA Association, the NAACP, the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, and the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources. Ida is also a past member of CHIEF, a private network of executive women. A member of CNBC’s Workforce Executive Council, Ida is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
Dress For Success
Dress for Success representatives will be on-site during the event to collect donations. Please bring in clean, new or gently used, suiting items or casual clothing for women or men. Jewelry, accessories, and new undergarments are also greatly appreciated. Please note: A limit of 10 items donated per person.
Award Nomination
Sponsorship Information
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