CONTACT
Liana Wolkenbreit
Senior Associate, Brand Management & Events
(646) 388-7729
lwolkenbreit@catalyst.org
Catalyst Awards Conference
In recognition of Catalyst's 50th anniversary, the sold-out annual Catalyst Awards Conference was held over two days at The Waldorf=Astoria in New York.
Wednesday, March 28: Conference attendees—an engaged group of executives, line managers, diversity and inclusion practitioners, and media—examined the advances made by women in the workplace—past, present, and future—through expert sessions, panel discussions, and networking opportunities. Activities highlighted the future of women, corporate social responsibility, diverse women, and the resurgence of employee resource groups. Attendees were also introduced to MARC (Men Advocating Real Change) a new initiative that leverages male champions, and Get Even, a partnership with the National Council for Research on Women and The White House Project.
The luncheon discussion featured Emme, Supermodel, Entrepreneur, Mom, and Author; Susan Cartsonis, Producer, Storefront Films; Mike Devlin, EVP, Creative Director, Draftfcb Healthcare; and Herminia Ibarra, Ph.D., Professor of Organizational Behavior, INSEAD.
Thursday, March 29: Attendees learned about the 2012 Catalyst Award-winning initiatives at a plenary session featuring the CEOs and senior executives from Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Sodexo and more intimate sessions with the people responsible for building and executing the initiatives. They also learned how previous Catalyst Award Winners continue to drive progress, even during difficult times.
A special luncheon session featured Catalyst President & Chief Executive Officer Ilene H. Lang in a discussion with sisters Denise Morrison, President & Chief Executive Officer, Campbell Soup Company, and Maggie Wilderotter, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Frontier Communications, and their children on "Redefining the Mommy Track."
The Catalyst Museum, open on both days, displayed artifacts from Catalyst's history, an interactive timeline, a Twitter station, and the I Am A Catalyst video booth.
The Conference was sponsored by The Coca-Cola Company and Walmart.