Women & Leadership Summit June 18, 19 & 20, 2008 Toronto

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Conference Agenda

Session 1:

9:00-9:45 - Leadership Loves a Vacuum
Dr. Ruth Corbin, CEO & Managing Partner, Corbin Partners and Adjunct Professor, Osgoode Hall Law School

The Summit’s opening address presents a creative approach to finding and seizing opportunities in your organization to take leadership where it’s most needed. By way of cogent example, Dr. Corbin will discuss today’s priority interest by corporations in assessing, managing and protecting their valuable brand assets. Proactive, visionary managers have an opportunity to facilitate cooperation among different departments, engage the C-suite, and support the Board in this area of emerging priority for corporate governance.

-Setting career goals that are aligned with the priorities of your organization
-Identifying or creating opportunities for leadership
-Other "next big things" awaiting leadership by ambitious professionals



9:45-10:30 - Gender Differences & Dynamics in Leadership Style & Career Management
Christianne Dostie, Vice-President, Allstate Insurance Company of Canada

Do women have a different leadership style than men? Do they approach their career path differently? What are the implications stemming from these gender dynamics? This presentation will discuss the evolution of women’s roles in the workplace.

-Differences in leadership styles of men versus women and their implications
-Is there growing gender parity in the modern workplace?
-Are there women-specific methods to plan a career advancement strategy?
-Women-friendly workplace policies: job-sharing, flex-time and telecommuting
-Examining men's versus women's perspectives on how they see the women's changing roles in the workplace
-What women bring to the table: how is it different? how does it add value?



10:30-10:45 NETWORKING BREAK

10:45-11:30 - Leading Strategies for Effective Leadership
Denise Amyot, Vice-President, The Leadership Network, Canada Public Service Agency

Effective leadership creates an irresistible positive force to mobilize potential and capture success. In the fast-paced and ever-changing workplace environments of today, traditional command and control structures no longer apply. Gone are the days of the autocratic chief dictating people to follow. Today's leadership imperative requires consideration of a complex matrix with components ranging from work-life balance to integrating personal and corporate value systems. Building trust is a skill common-and critical-to the woman leader. In this presentation, Denise Amyot will explore the latest strategies for effective leadership.

? Traditional vs. current models of leadership
? Best practices for creating leadership development programs
? Developing and leveraging the talents of women
? State-of-the-art principles for powerful and sustainable leadership
? How organizational culture can impede or enhance the development of effective women leaders


11:30-12:15 - Translating Corporate Culture into Success: Marketing is the Key
Arlene Dickinson, President & Owner, Venture Communications

Leaders are leaders, it's not a question of chromosomes, but of skill. The tough part these days is ensuring that a leader's vision is infused in the company's culture, and then tactically translated to the marketplace. The most successful companies are sustained from the inside; everyone in an organization knows what they do on a daily basis supports and embodies the brand. Arlene Dickinson will talk about the importance of cultural leadership and how it relates to marketing as a business enabler.

-Who's doing it right and what are the common pitfalls that inhibit success
-Successfully translating a leader’s vision
-Aligning the company’s external and internal brands


12:15-1:15 Lunch