Powerful Women Keynote Speakers that are Breaking the Glass Ceiling
Like many barriers in the workplace, the glass ceiling is one that has always been in corporate existence. While 21st century women have really proved their ability and demanded equality, a stereotype still remains for those who have exceeded through levels of management or are in the process of currently doing so.
WWSG is proud to represent a few powerful women keynote speakers who have really made their mark in their business societies. From secretaries to CEOs and minority students to organization Presidents, Founders, and CEOs, some of WWSG’s speakers can shed light over their experiences and inspire everyone following in their steps. Take a look at some of the most influential women who have shattered their own glass ceilings.
Carly Fiorina
As former CEO of the world’s first $100 billion information technology company HP, Carly Fiorina is all too familiar with the complex, arduous path these individuals tread and the far-reaching strategic decisions they must make with finesse and fortitude. In her six years as chairman and CEO of Hewlett-Packard, Hewlett-Packard not only survived the dot-com bust—they became the leader in every market segment and every product category. HP doubled revenue to over $80 billion, quadrupled the growth rate to 6.5 percent, and tripled innovation to 15 patents a day. While household names went out of business, Carly saved 80,000 jobs and would grow the company to 160,000 jobs. Carly transformed HP from a lurching bureaucracy into an agile, tech industry leader. As a result, HP grew from the 28th to 11th largest company in the United States during her tenure.
A passionate business evangelist who made tough choices in the pursuit of growing her organizations, Carly began her business career as a secretary and achieved the pinnacle of corporate success. She passionately believes that leaders are made, not born, and that leadership potential exists at every level of an organization. “Anyone can lead, at any time, from anywhere. Leadership is not about title, position or wealth. It is about making a positive difference.”
Sheila Bair
Widely lauded for her steady hand in leading the FDIC through the worst financial crisis since the great depression, Sheila Bair has a proven track record of effective leadership and decision-making under extraordinary pressure– when the consequences are nothing short of calamitous if the decision is wrong. Chairman Bair took charge in assessing risk with imperfect information, resolving conflicts with other decision makers under crisis conditions, dealing with the media and Congress, and most importantly navigating through male power structures as the only woman in her position.
In naming her to their 100 Most Influential People in 2009, Time Magazine recognized that Bair’s unusual clout derives from the breadth of her command and her guts in staking new ground.
Elaine L. Chao
Elaine Chao is a dynamic speaker with a dramatic personal story, extraordinary resume, and wide-ranging expertise on leadership, innovation, the economy and much more. Her 37-day journey aboard a cargo ship with her mother and sisters to America foreshadowed a life of possibilities, challenges and achievements. The first Asian American woman to be in the President’s cabinet, the arc of Elaine Chao’s experience encompasses cultures of Asia and the West; the public, private, and non-profit sectors; four presidential administrations; and living and working in New York, California, Kentucky, and Washington, D.C. During COVID-19, her leadership at the U. S. Department of Transportation allowed our nation’s transportation systems to remain open, safe, and moving. Engaging, informative, and results-oriented, Elaine Chao will leave your audience inspired and ready to conquer the world.
Olga Koroleva
As a technology pioneer in capital markets, entrepreneur, and world-class mountaineer, Olga Koroleva’s capabilities and triumphs are limitless, both in the boardroom and on the mountain. She is the founder and CEO of Capital Brain, a company that creates AI-run investment strategies to invest in real estate and public securities. An adventurer by nature, she has also completed over 40 expeditions, summiting the highest, the deadliest, and the hardest mountains on the planet (Mount Everest, Annapurna I, and K2). The lessons and similarities she has gleaned over the course of her career deliver an exciting and insightful presentation to audiences of all kinds.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali
A global figure in every sense, Ayaan Hirsi Ali embodies both the opportunity and consequence of the human rights struggle. She reminds audiences around the world what true human rights looks like… aside from the influences of any particular group or movement, apart from the religious/political/social context of the day, and above the changing winds of globalization.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and founder of the AHA Foundation. She served as a Member of the Dutch Parliament from 2003 to 2006. While in Parliament, she focused on furthering the integration of non-Western immigrants into Dutch society and on defending the rights of Muslim women.
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