MIAMI – Jan. 19, 2016 – International law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP partnered with Americas Society/Council of the Americas (“AS/COA”) for their third annual Women’s Hemispheric Network Forum. The Forum took place at Greenberg Traurig's Miami office on Jan. 15, 2016.
“With each year that passes, and each diversity event that I am fortunate enough to participate in, I am both impressed by the depth of discussion and honored to be part of a group actively making change possible,” emphasized Greenberg Traurig Vice President and Secretary Patricia Menéndez-Cambó. “With partners such as AS/COA, and the commitment from such an extraordinary group of male and female executives in the community, I am proud of the efforts we are making towards changing the status quo and supporting the advancement of women across industries, cultures and continents.”
Greenberg Traurig has elevated its commitment and opportunities for female professionals and executives, in and outside the firm, through its partnership with AS/COA and its annual Women’s Hemispheric Network Forum. The Forum brought together public and private sector men and women leaders from across industries to discuss their personal career trajectories and encourage other women to lead and succeed.
"This is the third time that we bring our Women's Hemispheric Network Forum to Miami in association with Greenberg Traurig and we can feel the enormous momentum this initiative is gathering," said Americas Society/Council of the Americas President and CEO Susan Segal. "Our proposition is deceptively simple and incredibly powerful: when women connect and share their personal stories with each other, they get stronger and better equipped to take advantage of the opportunities and overcome the challenges in their professional lives."
The Forum was introduced by Keynote Speaker Jane Fraser, CEO of Citi Latin America, and consisted of two panel discussions. The first panel “Women Making an Impact in the Americas” was moderated by Ramiro Prudencio, President and CEO of Burson-Marsteller Latin America, and included panelists H.E. Liliana Ayalde, Ambassador of the United States to Brazil; H.E. Maria Eugenia Brizuela de Avila, Board Member of INCAE Business School and Former Foreign Minister of El Salvador; and Dr. Felicia Knaul, Director of the Miami Institute for the Americas (MIA) at the University of Miami.
Jane Fraser, CEO of Citi Latin America, touched on the importance of mentorship for the advancement of women, and added: “Through my career, I’ve had mentors help me take risks, try different things, turn disadvantages into advantages, turn fear or doubt into motivation.” Speaking directly to the next generation women leaders in the audience, Fraser advised: “Seek mentors who are willing to bet on you, give you good or hard advice and access to opportunities.”
The second panel “Corporate Executives on Empowering Women” was moderated by Arlene Amitirigala, Head of Communications at Diageo WestLAC, and included panelists Jordi Botifoll, President of Cisco Systems, Inc. Latin America; Donna J. Hrinak, President of Boeing Latin America; and Sonia Garcia-Romero, and Managing Director of J.P. Morgan Latin America Private Bank.
Reflecting on her own experiences mentoring other women, President of Boeing Latin America Donna J. Hrinak shared: “The best advice that I can give to young women is to understand what they bring to the table. Not all women are better communicators; not all women are more accessible. But if you do tend to communicate better or if you are more accessible, play on those strengths.”