Working Internationally Now:
Sustainable Strategies for Women - Making a Difference
Milan, Italy 14th - 17th September 2000
The W.I.N. Organization is an independent initiative sponsored by world-class companies and supported by business schools, international organizations and women's networks around the globe. It was created in 1998 by Kristin Engvig with the aim of organizing a conference to provide international working women with a forum for change. Kristin grew up in Norway but has lived both in Japan and Australia before coming to Italy 9 years ago. Inspired by her work in multinational corporations and her experience as an expatriate, Kristin realized that she and her colleagues were grappling with important issues for women working abroad or in an international environment: how to strike a balance between work and personal commitments, how to create the most productive and inclusive workplace, and how to find a professional situation that most respected and encouraged cultural diversity. Spurred on by these questions and by her work with other women in the Professional Women's Association in Milan (which she headed from 1994 - 1996), Kristin gathered an impressive group of women collaborators, from eight countries and three different continents, and created the first Women's International Networking (W.I.N.) Conference.
Initially planned as a one-off occasion, its unqualified success and enthusiastic, even passionate feedback convinced Kristin to make the W.I.N. Conference an annual event. A total of 160 participants from 17 countries attended W.I.N í98 and every continent was represented. The following conference, W.I.N. '99, had an even greater success with 289 participants who came to Italy from 39 different countries. Not was the event named ìa magical conferenceî but 98% of responses rated it as ìexcellentî both for content and organization. 'We feel we have no choice but to provide another occasion, through W.I.N. 2000, to meet and learn more and reach an even wider audience' says Kristin.
The upcoming W.I.N. 2000 conference will continue building on the global concept providing the leading and most innovative voice in the world on issues related to women working internationally. The program will combine lectures, panel discussions, workshops and training sessions addressing change, new opportunities and promoting sustainable strategies for working women as well as an occasion to focus on practical solutions and transferable skills. It will examine the new technological developments, the New Economy and global trends defining the next era of business and work. It aims to assess the organization of the future and the latest innovative management practices being pioneered by market leaders to stay competitive in a sustainable fashion, on taking responsibility for the global as well as one's own community and workplace. There will be a chance for introspection too, through investigating what it takes to build a successful and balanced career or woman-run business and a focus on personal growth and development. "I'm really interested in how we can work together and create new opportunities," Kristin says. "With new technology, work places are evolving fast providing new possibilities for women to become protagonists of change and make a difference for both themselves and others.î Its aim to address the future of business and emerging themes relevant to women in the international workplace, presents an ideal environment for networking, developing skills and shaping an exciting future to make a difference.
In addition to world-leaders and premier speakers invited for W.I.N. 2000 we target professional and international women and an increasing number of progressive and internationally minded men. "I would like to see the conference concept put into practise and lived by participants even after they have left". The enthusiasm and business acumen of Kristin and her team not only inspire a large number of conference participants, they have also attracted the sponsorship of IBM, the Bocconi University Business School, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Whirlpool and a host of major multinational and local companies.
The W.I.N. Organization is very grateful to everybody who is helping make the W.I.N. 2000 conference a success and would like to pay particular thanks to the sponsors and speakers for investing not only their time but also their belief in this innovative project.
See the WIN web site http://www.winconference.netor
e-mail the organisers on winfo@iol.it
Mary Farmer
