Women in Leadership Conference

Welcome to the 2016 Women in Leadership Conference! We have a great line up of women speaking today and we are glad you could join us. It is our hope that you leave today with lessons to help drive your successful career. Get involved, ask questions, and be bold -- today and everyday. Thank you in advance to all participants, organizers, speakers, the Ross Program Office, and Ross Operations/Catering/IT; without any of you, this conference would not be possible. Enjoy! - Paige & Jackie

Research shows that lack of business and financial acumen, as well as mindset, prevents women from ascending to the highest levels in an organization. Beyond your education, how can you get the skills and abilities to set yourself up for the journey to the top? And what personal considerations should be addressed in order to clear the path? Join Ross faculty member and executive coach Cheri Alexander as she shares stories from her 33-year global executive career as well as her experiences and research coaching herself and other C-suite executives.

From a young age, we're often asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Parents and relatives ask. Teachers ask. Even into adulthood, business schools and prospective employers ask. What's the "right" answer? It's a highly personal answer, but often, we can't answer that question for ourselves. Join Ross Admissions Director and Business Communications faculty member, Soojin Kwon, for an interactive session on how to find the answer to what you want to be - during business school and beyond.

Leadership comes from within, and you can be a leader in any situation. There are skills that transcend title and level, and are universal to those who strive for excellence. Rosie Kitson, a dynamic and successful leader, has managed teams of all sizes; from 2,000-person unionized call centers, to small, highly-specialized business development groups supporting multi-billion dollar M&A. She will speak to the skills she developed to emerge as a leader, and will disuss how these softer skills can help you navigate the dynamic waters of an ever-changing market and achieve your career goals.

Women often opt out of opportunities or struggle to make decisions that don't fit within their perceived "life plan." In this hands-on session, Deloitte Consulting practitioners will walk you through how to develop a personal and professional development plan that helps balance your long-term aspirations with making critical decisions in the short-term. Setting impactful goals enables us to focus on what we can immediately control, while being flexible for important decision points throughout life.

Within which Leadership Principles do women excel? Within which to women have blind spots? Join Amazon for a workshop on how to develop comfort in an environment of ambiguity.

The modern workplace is an ever-changing landscape, and not only can markets change, but personal goals can change as well. Career paths are not always linear, and goals can shift from "climbing the ladder" in one company, to starting an individual journey on your own. Whatever the path, women need to develop a personal brand and presence as well as a set of tools and skills that are portable between organizations. Lauren Bigelow will share her own career evolution and how she created her own path, personal brand, and found success along the way.

In this interactive session, we will discuss how unconscious bias in the workplace impacts company performance, and conduct an activity which will prepare us to work through biases.

With those candid words from a loving but exasperated father of five daughters, Teresa Carroll was welcomed into the world – a world where a farm-grown dreamer from rural Michigan could graduate with honors from a male-dominated university, serve as a mechanical engineer at a Big 3, run marketing for a Fortune 500, and become a global executive developing talent strategies for some of the world's best-known brands. Teresa's career includes many unconventional turns, and along the way she has learned the importance of facing her fears head-on and the impossibility of pleasing everyone. Join her for an animated, interactive session on staying true to yourself while forging your way in the world of business.

Join Ross alumna and professionals from across various industries for an interactive chat about gender in the workplace. Panelists will share their lessons for success.

When chef Eve graduated from high school, her father gave her key advice: be open to different experiences and do what you love most. When she got a job as a prep cook in college, she found her true passion in the restaurant industry and never looked back. Join us as we listen to chef Eve tell the story of how she founded two of Ann Arbor's favorite restaurants, Frita Batidos and Eve, all while overcoming challenges in the male-dominated culinary industry and staying true to her own passion and creativity.

What is it that you want out of life and your career? Whatever it is, define your OWN success. Join Mary Petrovich as she tells her story of success -- one which involves a path leading to industrial CEO, globally-respected private equity leader, wife and mom of two teen boys, and a nationally competitive golfer. She will talk about her lessons learned through her peers and bosses, the challenges with maintaining her work/life balance, the tradeoffs made along the way, and the rewards that made it all worth it.

Gaps in gender equality can start from the time we are toddlers, and continue through adolescence and into the workplace. Some of these gaps are a result of "social norms" or traditions we don't even question. What are some of these norms? And how do these norms impact women in the workplace? Join us as Traci leads a co-ed discussion where we can answer these questions and further understand how to close the gender gap in both social and professional settings.

Thank you for spending the day with us at WILC! Please join us for ice cream and talk with current and prospective students, speakers, MBW Allies, and company representatives as we close out the day.

"Corporate Sponsors and Students participating in Thursday's Coffee Chats & Career Fair may check in on the 6th floor of Ross
(Friday check-in will be available as well)"

"New this year (!!), the WILC team has organized a career fair for women to interact with 15 of our sponsors in a semi-casual setting. This is a great opportunity to learn more about some of our sponsor companies, their offerings for MBA interns, and to network with Ross alumni working at these companies. A limited number of Coffee Chats will also be happening at this time.
Companies Attending: General Motors, AT&T, Accenture, Deloitte, Exxon Mobil, Liberty Mutual, Luxottica, Target, BASF, M&T Bank, Microsoft, ZS Associates, Amazon, EY, and Pepsico
Dress Code: Business Casual
Helpful Tips: Bring a notebook and collect some SWAG"

Join us for appetizers and drinks at the University of Michigan Natural History Museum. Our corporate sponsors have been invited to join us for the evening.