Women’s Leadership Institute at Manhattanville School of Business

Purchase, NY – (June 27, 2016) – The Women’s Leadership Institute (WLI) at The Manhattanville School of Business recently hosted the second annual Women’s Leadership Summit, “Lead with Power and Purpose.” More than 200 female business executives, non-profit leaders, entrepreneurs, and local dignitaries attended the event, which took place on June 8 at the campus’ historic Reid Castle in Purchase, New York.

The annual one-day summit is designed to advance women’s leadership skills and inspire them to reach their fullest potential. This year’s program featured thoughtful discussions on topics such as business development, strategic planning, and current issues affecting female professionals in an effort to help professionals effectively lead their teams and organizations. The prominent line-up of speakers included opening remarks from Kevin Plunkett on behalf of the County Executive, Jenne Britell, Ph.D., board chairman of United Rentals, Inc., Carol Fishman Cohen, CEO and co-founder of iRelaunch, and Kim Azzarelli, co-founder of Seneca Women, and Partner at Seneca Point Global. The summit also featured special presentations by Catalyst, Inc., “Inclusive Leadership: The View from Six Countries,” and Poker Divas. The day concluded with a networking reception.

“WLI enables women to develop skills and broaden their network necessary to take their careers to the next level,” said Dr. Anthony Davidson, Dean of the Manhattanville School of Business. “We’ve been hearing rave reviews from participating companies that the program is making a positive difference on participants as well as in the workplace. This is a true measure of success from our perspective.”

Kathryn Meany, WLI Director, added, “Today’s summit is a snapshot of the year-long program—inspirational speakers, networking, and interactive learning experiences. In fact, today’s poker instruction was a great way to teach women how to be assertive, strategic and build confidence levels when they’re sitting around the board table.”

Special guests included Dr. Marsha Gordon, president and CEO of The Business Council of Westchester and Kevin Plunkett, Deputy County Executive. Both shared their unique insights on the importance of a resource like WLI in Westchester for both personal and professional growth and development.

“The Women’s Empowerment Summit and WLI provide ground breaking opportunity for women in Westchester to learn the skills necessary to grow their leadership capabilities,” said Dr. Marsha Gordon.

WLI offers a unique academic certificate program, mentoring, coaching, and training opportunities, as well as numerous networking opportunities throughout the year. Sponsors of WLI include MasterCard, Morgan Stanley, PepsiCo, Praxair, Swiss Re, United Rentals, Co-Communications, Inc., and Westfair Communications. For more information, visit www.mville.edu/programs/womens-leadership-institute or contact Kathryn Meany, Program Director, at kathryn.meany@mville.edu. To view highlights from this year’s program, visit https://www.mville.edu/sites/default/files/Dept-School%20of%20Business/WLI%20Summit%206-16%20version%20%232-1.mp4.

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About The Manhattanville School of Business
The Manhattanville School of Business (MSB) helps prepare today’s professionals for tomorrow’s business. Students capitalize on the school’s industry-driven content, convenient formats, and extensive faculty and alumni network. Graduates and faculty are employed at top companies including Morgan Stanley, MasterCard, PepsiCo, the NFL, Verizon, and the New York Stock Exchange. Located in the heart of Westchester County in Purchase, NY – and surrounded by Fortune 100 and 500 companies – MSB offers six career focused master’s degrees, APPEAL: five accelerated bachelor’s degree programs for adult learners and degree completers; several dual B.S./M.S. degrees options; Post Baccalaureate/Pre-health course of study; the Institute for Managing Risk; Nonprofit Management Certificate program delivered in five-module hybrid format; and the Women’s Leadership Institute, designed to meet the leadership and professional development needs of women in the workplace. Additionally, MSB’s Corporate Learning Services offers an array of industry-driven resources to assist organizations develop their employees and achieve their goals. For more information about MSB visit http://www.mville.edu/business or call 914-323-5150.

About The Women’s Leadership Institute (WLI)
The institute, supported by founding sponsor PepsiCo, is the first center of its kind offered at a world-class academic institution in Westchester and surrounding areas to meet the leadership and professional development needs of women in the workplace. WLI provides year-round mentoring, coaching, and training opportunities to help women achieve their personal goals and career objectives. Through programs and events, speaker forums, conferences, and other success tools, WLI seeks to inspire women to combine innovative thinking and best practices in the workplace to position them for further success.