BANGALORE, INDIA; January 7, 2010 – Women’s World Banking’s (WWB) Center for Microfinance Leadership, which designs and delivers executive education programs focused on cultivating principled, visionary leaders in microfinance, and Accenture (NYSE: ACN) will host a Women in Leadership conference in Bangalore, India, from January 11 to 15. The five-day program, which targets senior level female managers and CEOs of microfinance institutions (MFIs), is designed to help women develop the leadership skills necessary to become effective managers and innovators in their field.
The course is part of WWB’s overarching commitment to develop the female leadership and management capacity of the microfinance industry worldwide. It will offer women leaders from MFIs around India and other South Asian countries a series of workshops that include individual assessment, negotiation and leadership development strategies. Participants will analyze their own leadership impact and learn from various leadership models. At the end of the week, each participant will design a plan to implement her leadership vision and goals.
“Women have crucial roles to play in the development of the microfinance industry around the world, and there is no doubt that they can be a powerful force in helping other women achieve financial independence,” said Mary Ellen Iskenderian, CEO of Women’s World Banking. “This course is a great way for senior managers to get on-the-ground training in order to effectively run efficient and sustainable microfinance institutions that better serve the needs of the poor.”
“Across all industry sectors, it’s critical to develop and help advance the next generation of women leaders,” said Prithvi Shergill, lead HR, Accenture India. “We strive to do just that with the more than 60,000 women who work for Accenture around the world. Our role in this conference underscores our commitment to training and developing confident women who are prepared to meet today’s challenges and deliver high performance.”
WWB established the global Center for Microfinance Leadership in response to critical changes in microfinance—including increased commercialization, decreased presence of women staff at all levels of microfinance institutions and rapid growth—that demand skilled, trained leaders and managers. The Center will work with the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and Creative Metier Limited to design and deliver executive education programs in microfinance. Women in Leadership is one of a series of workshops organized by the Center. Additional leadership programs include “Advanced Leadership,” aimed at men and women leaders of the top 200 MFIs, and one-on-one coaching for a small cadre of leaders with the greatest potential to effect change.
Vijayalakshmi Das, CEO of FWWB/India, an apex organization made up of more than 100 NGOs and other grassroots organizations that organize women's savings and credit groups throughout India, and co-host of the Women in Leadership conference with WWB, called it “the premiere opportunity for senior-level women to learn leadership skills from each other and collectively advance the industry into the next decade."
About Women’s World Banking (WWB)
WWB is a leading global network of 40 microfinance providers and banks, working in 28 countries to bring financial products and services to low-income entrepreneurs, especially women. The network is supported by an international team of experts based in New York who deliver expertise in product design and distribution, access to capital markets, and customer care and insight. The network serves more than 20 million micro-entrepreneurs. For more information on WWB, please visit its website at www.womensworldbanking.org.
About Accenture
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with more than 176,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$21.58 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2009. Its home page is www.accenture.com.