Athena40 e-Forum 2020 | athena40forum

eForum 2020

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Athena40 Forum

‘Leadership in a New World’

500+ Attendees

55 Speakers

On December 9, 2020 the Athena40 Forum brought together decision makers from all over the world for a day of conversations dedicated to visionary leadership, women in decision making roles and how we can trigger positive changes in our societies. The theme of the Forum was ‘Leadership in a New World: Compassion, Competence, Confidence’. The event unfolded over several thought-provoking panels.

Leaders, luminaries, philanthropists, academics, activists, friends and partners of Global Thinkers Forum

and Athena40 from all over the world attended and exchanged ideas, inspiration and positivity for the future.
Feedback about the event revealed the need for collective thinking but also for access to

new knowledge, networks and fresh ideas for a new world!

Watch Event's highlights

Speakers e-Forum 2020

Dame Stephanie Shirley Entrepreneur & Philanthropist	Lord Hastings of Scarisbrick CBE Chancellor, Regents University London	Rosalía Arteaga First Female President of Ecuador	Marc Ventresca Professor, Strategic Management, Saïd Business School	Elizabeth H. Filippouli Founder & CEO, Athena40 & Global Thinkers Forum	Silvana Koch-Mehrin President & Founder, Women Political Leaders (WPL)	Saskia Sassen Robert S. Lynd Professor of Sociology
Doug Wills Editor Emeritus, London Evening Standard	HRH Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan President, Royal Scientific Society	The Rev. Canon Mpho Tutu Van Furth ED, Tutu Teach Foundation	Anna Schebsdat Executive Education Advocate	Vicky Pryce Chief Economic Adviser, CEBR	Shainoor Khoja Managing Director, Better Business Enterprise (BBE)	Helen Disney Founder, Unblocked Events
Shamim Sarif Author & Film Director	Leonor Stjepic CEO, Montessori Group	Nnenna Nwakanma Global Ambassador, World Wide Web Foundation	Dominic McVey Social Entrepreneur	Priya Guha Venture Partner, Merian Ventures	Deema Bibi CEO, Injaz	Linda Duberley Writer & Broadcaster
Akinwole Omoboriowo II CEO, Genesis Group	Dr Jane Thomason CEO, Fintech Worldwide	Veronica Chou Founder & CEO, Everybody & Everyone	Muna AbuSulayman Businesswoman & Activist	HE Mr Manoah Esipisu High Commissioner of Kenya to the UK	The Rt Hon Tobias Ellwood MP Former Under Secretary of State, MoD	Dr Radha Basu Founder, iMerit
Rita Payne President, Emeritus Commonwealth Journalists Association	Jeff Hoffman Entrepreneur	Helen Alderson Head of Regional Delegation to the UK & Ireland, ICRC	Peter Kellner Journalist & Pollster	Chris Lewis Author	Shawn McQueen-Ruggeiro ED, Just Like My Child Foundation	Stephanie Gnissios COO, Climate Risk Services
John O'Brien Managing Partner EMEA, OMNICOM - UK	Sarah Mintey MBE CEO, Developing Experts	Marcus Watson Co-Founder, Adoreum Partners	Max Gottschalk Founding Partner, Ocean 14 Capital	Julie MacDonald Broadcaster/Strategy Director	Dr Mara Harvey Head of Client Services, UBS Global Wealth Management	Maya Ziswiler Head of Programs & Social Finance, UBS
Amira El-Aghel Trustee of Montessori St Nicholas	Yasmin Pakzad Entrepreneur, Wellbeing Activist & Speaker	Erika Ender Singer-Songwriter & Founder, Fundación Puertas Abiertas	Paola Diana Entrepreneur & Author	Roksana Ciurysek-Gedir Chairwoman, White Oak Global Advisors' Advisory Board	Tessy de Nassau Entrepreneur	Marco Vicenzino Global Affairs Commentator
Nayantara Watsa Director, Innovative Financing, Living Goods	Heather Brooke Author & Campaigning Journalist	Martin Bentham Home Affairs Editor, The Evening Standard	Nina Goswami Creative Diversity Lead, BBC 50:50	Laetitia Lynn Corporate Affairs Director, PwC	Leisha Santorelli World Editor, BBC Marketplace	Jon Cronin Head of Broadcast Content, Lansons

2020 Speakers

Programing

Agenda

Agenda Forum - 9th December 2020

9.55-10.00am

Elizabeth Filippouli - Founder of Athena40 - Launches the Forum

10.00-10.45am

Technology For Good produced by Unblocked

The global crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the critical role of science technology and innovation in better understanding, containing, curing and preventing pandemics. The conversation will also visit technology trends that can help build a resilient society, as well as considerations about their effects on how we do business, how we trade, how we work, how we produce goods, how we learn, how we seek medical services and how we entertain ourselves.

Speakers:

Helen Disney, CEO, Unblocked (Chair)

Dr Jane Thomason, CEO, Fintech Worldwide

Nnenna Nwakanma, Global Ambassador, World Wide Web Foundation

Priya Guha, Venture Partner, Merian Ventures

Vicky Pryce, Chief Economic Advisor, CEBR

11.00-11.45am

The Future of Wealth produced by UBS

Women are gaining influence and stature in nearly every sphere of society. Yet despite their progress, inequality persists. As women embrace their economic potential, they are increasingly able to address these imbalances through the choices they make with their wealth. Whether as an individual, an entrepreneur, a philanthropist or an investor, women can help change lives. Building on UBS Optimus Foundation's experience, we will explore the potential of blended finance, combining philanthropy and investing to attract more and better funding to reach the UN SDGs.

Speakers:

Maya Ziswiler, Head of Programs & Social Finance, UBS (Chair)

Mara Harvey, Head of Client Services, Global Wealth Management, UBS

Nayantara Watsa, Director, Innovative Financing, Living Goods

Keynote Speech: New Leadership Models: Compassion, Competence, Confidence by Dame Stephanie Shirley CH

12.00-12.15pm

12.15-13.15pm

New Leadership Models in a New World produced by Athena40

They say that the chain of socioeconomic events that marked the first decade of the Millennium, would not have happened if women were at the helm. Because women bring compassion, patience and a collaborative leadership style, values which our world is missing. This panel will explore the ‘female’ virtues that we have seen shine over the past few months, as effective leadership practices and as such have attracted praise during the pandemic.

Speakers:

Elizabeth Filippouli, Founder & CEO, Global Thinkers Forum (Chair)

Rosalía Arteaga, First Female President of Ecuador

HRH Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan, President, Royal Scientific Society Jordan

Lord Michael Hastings, Chancellor, Regents University London

Silvana Koch-Mehrin, President & Founder, Women Political Leaders

Professor Saskia Sassen, Robert S. Lynd Professor of Sociology

Tobias Ellwood MP, Member of Parliament

Rev. Mpho Tutu Van Furth - Executive Director Tutu Teach Foundation

Diversity as a Mindset produced in collaboration with BBC 50:50 Project

Want to reach more consumers and new audiences? Then putting diversity at the heart of your businesses mindset is crucial. Join this panel to explore how the 50:50 Project has done this in the BBC for women’s representation and how others organisations across the world - including PwC and Lansons - have joined the global partners network to do the same.

Speakers:

Nina Goswami, Creative Diversity Lead for BBC 50:50 (Chair)

Laeticia Lynn, Corporate Affairs Director, PwC

Jon Cronin, Head of Broadcast Content, Lansons

Leisha Santorelli, World Editor, BBC Marketplace

13.00-13.30pm

1.30-2.15pm

Nurturing Innovative Minds produced by Montessori Group

For educators, the COVID-19 Pandemic is a quintessential adaptive and transformative challenge, one for which there is no preconfigured playbook that can guide appropriate responses. Education leaders must swiftly design responses – and with specific contexts in mind – as the pandemic runs its course. This conversation will explore how different educational institutions and tech platforms across the globe have handled the urgent educational needs and new learning models that are emerging.

Speakers:

Leonor Stjepic, CEO, Montessori Group

Deema Bibi, CEO, INJAZ

Dr Radha Basu, Founder, iMerit

Stephanie Gnissios, COO, Climate Risk Services

Sarah Mintey MBE, CEO, Developing Experts

Amira El-Aghel, Trustee, Montessori St Nicholas

James Archer, Montessori Institute

Anna Schebsdat, President of Columbia Business School’s UAE Alumni Chapter

Paula Craigie, Head, Tanglin Infant School

2.30-3.15pm

Media & Trust produced by The Evening Standard

The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented public health crisis. It is becoming increasingly clear that people’s behavioural responses during this fast-changing pandemic are associated with their preferred media sources. The polarisation of media has been reflected in politically motivated messaging around the coronavirus by some media outlets. This resulted in different messaging around the risks of infection and behavioural changes necessary to mitigate that risk. This conversation will focus on the grave concern of waning trust in our societies -and the role of media.

Speakers:

Doug Wills, Managing Editor, London Evening Standard (Chair)

Rita Payne, President, Emeritus Commonwealth Journalists Association

Peter Kellner, Journalist & Pollster

Martin Bentham, Home Affairs Editor at the Evening Standard

Heather Brooke, Author & Campaigning Journalist

3.30-4.15pm

Global Women of Social Impact

A woman alone has power; women, together, have impact. Raising each other up and channeling the power of collaboration is truly how women can change the equation—and have a lot more fun along the way! This panel will bring together fascinating women from around the world.

Speakers:

Linda Duberley, Writer & Broadcaster (Chair)

Muna AbuSulayman, Businesswoman & Activist

Shainoor Khoja, Managing Director, Better Business Enterprise (BBE)

Shamim Sarif, Author & Film Director

Yasmin Pakzad, Entrepreneur

Paola Diana, Author & Entrepreneur

Erika Ender, Founder, Fundación Puertas Abiertas

Tessy de Nassau, Entrepreneur

4.30-5.15pm

Ethics & Accountability in Business produced by Adoreum Partners

Impact Investing is about using your money to make a positive impact in the world whilst generating an investment return. Sometimes referred to as ethical investing, it incorporates environmental, social and governance (ESG) values into the investment process. This way we can make the world a better place, and address some of societies biggest challenges: from pandemics to climate change to gender equality. How can we achieve a mindset shift towards profiting and thriving with a social purpose?

Speakers:

Dominic McVey, Social Entrepreneur (Chair)

H.E. Mr Manoah Esipisu, High Commissioner Republic of Kenya to the United Kingdom

Veronica Chou, Founder & CEO, Everybody & Everyone

Max Gottschalk, Founding Partner, Ocean 14 Capital

Marcus Watson, Co-Founder, Adoreum Partners

Roksana Ciurysek-Gedir, Founder of PossibleX

5.30-5.45pm

Keynote Speech on "Social Entrepreneurship as a Global Imperative"

- by Jeff Hoffman

6.00-6.45pm

Kindness in Leadership in Times of Crisis

The struggle that leaders face in holding the complexity of challenging situations and the contingent nature of these characteristics in mind and in heart highlights the need for deep-seated belief in the value of kindness. Embedding this belief in practice does not take a single form, nor does it rely on a single characteristic. Instead, it is the work of integrating elements of kindness into a personal leadership strategy and an individual discipline and practice.

Speakers:

Dr Marc Ventresca, Professor Strategic Management, Saïd Business School (Chair)

Chris Lewis, CEO & Founder, Team Lewis

Helen Alderson, Head of Regional Delegation to the UK & Ireland, ICRC

John O'Brien, Philanthropist & Author

Akinwole Omoboriowo II, CEO, Genesis Energy Group

Shawn Ruggeiro, Executive Director, Just Like My Child Foundation

6.45pm

Exclusive Musical Performance from Erika Ender

Our Sponsors

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