Economist flying in from US for women’s business forum event

Sylvia Ann Hewlett will join Allan Leighton, the chairman of Pace; Carrie Hindmarsh, the chief executive of M&C Saatchi; and Emily Lawson, senior partner with McKinsey & Company; among the speakers at The Women’s Business Forum 2012.

Ms Hewlett is the founding president of the Center for Talent Innovation, a non-profit making think tank.

More than 650 delegates will attend the conference at Rudding Park, near Harrogate, on October 2 and 3.

Heather Jackson, the founder and chief executive of The Women’s Business Forum, said 80 per cent of the tickets were already reserved.

The theme for this year’s Women’s Business Forum is Regardless of Gender – The Future.

The conference will examine the business performance benefits that can be achieved from creating a gender balance in senior corporate roles.

Mr Leighton said: “The issue for many companies is not why they should appoint women to the board but how they go about doing this.

“The Women’s Business Forum has an enviable reputation in providing companies with a road map on how to achieve this goal.

“The event aims to enable companies and their women to work together to make some really simple changes to support more women into senior positions. There is clear evidence that shows better gender balanced companies are more successful.”

RBS is the major sponsor of the event.

Tickets are available via application through the website www.thewomensbusinessforum.co.uk.

[email protected].