Georgetown to Host Washington Program of Helsinki Women Business Leaders Summit

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Fifty outstanding women business leaders from Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and northwestern Russia will join 50 outstanding women business leaders from the United States for a two day summit as Georgetown University hosts the Washington Program of the Helsinki Women Business Leaders Summit, November 13-15. The Helsinki Women Business Leaders Summit constitutes the largest U.S.-Finish public-private sector outreach program in history. "The Helsinki Summit is key in establishing connections between the U.S. and Baltic region businesses," said U.S. Ambassador to Finland Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, "Through 'person-to-person diplomacy,' we hope to strengthen economies, increase opportunities for creating new jobs, and nurturing long-term cross-border prosperity."

“Georgetown University is proud to host the Washington phase of this unprecedented opportunity for women executives from the Baltic Rim region to learn best practices and management skills from each other and from our outstanding faculty,” said Dean John Mayo of Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business. “Our international character and Catholic and Jesuit traditions make the McDonough School of Business uniquely equipped to provide an open and collaborative learning environment.”

The U.S. Government and the Government of Finland are spearheading this effort to promote a greater understanding of opportunities for trade, commerce, and free market economies. “The underlying premise of this conference is that business is an important social actor contributing to the overall well-being of a society. Through promoting and enabling women’s economic opportunities we develop sustainable democracies and lasting peace,” said Professor Catherine Tinsley of Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business who attended the first phase of Summit in Finland on September 25-27 and was integral to developing the follow on program here at Georgetown. The Summit will help develop cross-border networking, identify "best practices" for women-owned or -directed enterprises, and share information about successful strategies in developing and managing businesses to help participants gain ideas, partners and resources for growth. The first phase of the Summit featured speeches by Finnish President Tarja Halonen and Latvian President Vaira Vike-Frieberga. On November 11, participants from the Baltic Rim will travel to the United States and be paired with American participants to learn first-hand how their counterparts conduct their businesses.

During the Washington program, Professors Lamar Reinsch, Illka Ronkainen, Elaine Romanelli, and Catherine Tinsley from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business will host panel discussions on: Turning Obstacles into Opportunities, Global Growth Strategies, and Ethical Decisions. Under Secretary of State for Public Affairs and Public Diplomacy Charlotte Beers, Assistant Secretary of State for Education and Cultural Affairs Patricia Harrison, Calvert Group CEO Barabara Krumsiek, Former Ambassador to the Netherlands Dr. Cynthia Schneider, and Associate U.S. Trade Representative Jossette Shiner will also speak at Georgetown University as part of the Washington program.

Over the course of the Washington program, participants will reflect together on their experiences throughout the Summit, receive a briefing at the White House, a Federalism tour of Washington, and attend State Department reception hosted by Under Secretary of State Paula Dobrianki and featuring remarks by Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage. U.S. participants include:

For more information and a full schedule of the HWBLS, visit: http://www.usembassy.fi/servlet/PageServer?FrameSet=usembassy_w.html

About the McDonough School of Business
Georgetown University School of Business was established in 1957, and began offering an M.B.A. program in 1981 and an executive M.B.A. in 1994. In 1998, the school was named The Robert Emmett McDonough School of Business. Approximately 1350 undergraduates, 520 M.B.A. students and 85 International Executive M.B.A. students are enrolled at the McDonough School.

About Georgetown University
Georgetown University is the oldest Catholic and Jesuit university in America, founded in 1789 by Archbishop John Carroll. Georgetown today is a major student-centered, international, research university offering respected undergraduate, graduate and professional programs on its three campuses. For more information about Georgetown University, visit www.georgetown.edu.

NOTE: Reporter’s interested in covering events at Georgetown University or interviewing Georgetown University participants should call our office. Reporters interested in interviewing HWBLS participants should contact the State Department.

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