Each year, WIL Europe organizes an Annual Gathering for its Members, Talents and Friends, to meet and exchange with other participants from the WIL network and selected guests. This year, we met on the 21st and 22nd of March 2019 in Milan, at the Microsoft House and at the Cariplo Factory.

On the first day, the 21^st of March, we came together at the Microsoft House, one of Europe’s most vibrant hubs of innovation and technology, where we explored the topic of Artificial Intelligence through panel debates and presentations given by experts.

On the second day, the 22^nd of March, we moved to the Cariplo Factory Hub, for a day of networking sessions and panel debates that focused on how to build synergies to help start-ups and their ecosystems to scale, and how female start-ups are redefining business and leadership.

In addition, those who wished were invited to a day of shopping the Italian way, on Saturday 23^rd of March at Fidenza Village! 

   

On the 30th of January, WIL Europe organised an EU Debate on Digital Health at the European Parliament in Brussels. The event, kindly sponsored by Fipra and Microsoft, was hosted by MEP Lieve Wierinck (ALDE Group) and featured a high-level panel of speakers, including Belgian Minister of Health Maggie de Block.

In light of the European Commission’s recent adoption of its “Communication on Digital Transformation of Health and Care in the Digital Single Market”, and Belgians innovative strides to build a “Digital Belgium” and “Digital Health Valley”, this event provided the opportunity for different perspectives centered around digital transformation within the health sector, to come together. Both possible opportunities and challenges around digital health, were shared and deliberated. Talks relating to the link between health policies and improved patient, and societal outcomes, were just one of the many fascinating discussions that took place.

The panel discussion, moderated by Laura Batchelor, Director of Health and Life Sciences Practice at FIPRA International, featured a high-level panel of speakers, representing various organizations:

• Dr Ann Aerts, Head of the Novartis Foundation
• Elena Bonfiglioli, Managing Director Health and Life Sciences, EMEA, Microsoft and WIL Board Member
• Marco Marsella, Head of the eHealth, Well-Being and Ageing Unit, European Commission
• Bart Vermeulen, Deputy Head of Office of Belgian Minister Maggie De Block

On the 29^th of November 2018, thanks to our host and member Pervenche Berès, Member of the European Parliament, and to our sponsor Procter&Gamble, the European Network for Women in Leadership (WIL Europe) gathered female leaders from across Europe to highlight some of the best practices for retaining and attracting women and supporting them to climb up the professional ladder.

The discussion, moderated by WIL Europe’s President Thaima Samman, took place at the European Parliament and featured a high-level panel of speakers, representing various organizations and industries:

- Ourania Ekaterinari, CEO, Hellenic Corporation of Assets and Participations S.A

-    Isabella Lenarduzzi, Founder and Managing Partner, JUMP

-    Renate Nikolay, Head of Cabinet to Commissioner Jourov

-    Caroline Thomaes, Benelux Country Leader, P&G

Moderated by: Thaima Samman, WIL President

Wrap-up remarks: Montserrat Pardo Bayona, Government Affairs Manager, Microsoft Iberica

Thanks again to our host Pervenche Berès and our sponsor Procter&Gamble for making this event possible!  

On 19 June, the EU Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society Mariya Gabriel and Godmother of our Women Talent Pool programme has hosted the Digital4Her conference in Brussels, focusing on building concrete measures to ensure gender equality in the digital sector.

During the Digital4Her Conference, WIL President Thaima Samman, together with 20 high-level representatives from the Digital sector including our Member Isabella Lenarduzzi, Founder and CEO of JUMP, signed on behalf of WIL Europe the Declaration and call to action to EU corporate tech leaders to achieve gender balance in their companies through 4 concrete measures:

• promote an open and female-friendly company culture;
• implement recruitment and human resources business policies fully aware of the importance to invest in women;
• make senior management and top positions (for the most part occupied by men) concretely accessible to women;
• identify potential female leaders and train them to develop their strengths and play high-level roles;

While being a strong acknowledgment of the necessity of having more women in STEM, this Declaration is also a reminder of the work that remains to be done... and of the importance of initiatives such as our network!

Thursday the 14^th and 15^th of June saw the WIL Network meet in Warsaw for its Annual Gathering. Hosted by our partner Orange Polska, we began the meeting in their Headquarters where more than 80 participants had the opportunity to meet and exchange with other WIL members, WTP participants/Alumni and selected guests.

The two-day event included a customized training for the participants of our Women Talent pool programme, panel debates on women leadership and on sustainability, and a presentation by two start-ups supported by the Orange Foundation. We concluded the event in the POLIN Museum, further networking opportunities and a visit of the Museum!

   

   

Wednesday the 11^th of April saw the WIL Network come together to meet and discuss ‘The New Face of Digital Transformation: Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things and Blockchain’ with a focus on how to make users understand and remain comfortable during the transition induced by these cutting-edge innovations, that will be transforming health care, transportation, education and much more.

50 WTP participants, WIL members, Alumni and Guests assembled at the European Parliament in Brussels, where we were hosted by MEP and fellow Board Member Pervenche Berès for a Luncheon Debate and had the opportunity to hear a high-level panel:

• Pinuccia Contino, Head of the Unit "Product Safety and Rapid Alert System”, Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers at the European Commission
• Paulina Dejmek-Hack, Member of Cabinet, Financial Advisor of the President of the European Commission, J-C. Juncker
• Benjamin Docquir, Partner at Osborne Clarke
• Antonietta Mastroianni, Senior Vice President IT Development at TDC Group
• Marina Niforos, President and CEO at Logos Global Advisors and Advisor to IFC/World Bank Group

     

  

“The future of Europe is digital, and women cannot be left out” were among the words of Mariya Gabriel, EU Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, who joined us for the launch of the 4th Edition of our Women Talent Pool (WTP) programme and met with nearly 90 WIL members and guests. Among them were the 46 selected talents that she will accompany as Godmother of this edition throughout the 18-month programme.

Group photo of WTP participants 

To read the Commissioner's speech, click here. 

   

On behalf of WIL Europe, Antoniya Parvanova invited EU Commissioner Mariya Gabriel to become Patron of the 4th edition of our Women Talent Pool programme. The EU Commissioner gladly accepted our invitation and will also take part in the kick-off event of the 4th edition of our Women Talent Pool programme, which will be organised with our Premium Partner Orange, in the offices of Orange in Paris, on 15 March 2018.

The objectives of this meeting were the following:

• further introduce our network, highlighting WIL’s effort to help increase women presence and leadership in the digital sector;
• present our Women Talent Pool programme and discuss the Commissioner’s role as Patron of the 4th edition and her talk during our kick-off event;
• discuss future collaboration opportunities, in particular how WIL Europe could contribute to the Commissioner’s agenda and initiatives when it comes to promoting women in digital.

      

“There are amazing women everywhere – those that can’t see them need to get better glasses!”, were among the words of the EU Commissioner for Competition, Margrethe Vestager, at EU Breakfast Debate that took place at the European Parliament,  on Tuesday 5 December.  The event was organized by European Network for Women in Leadership (WIL Europe), and moderated by Thaima Samman, WIL President. 

The event began with warm welcome delivered by Thaima Samman, WIL’s president and was followed by introductory words of Laura Batchelor, Director of Fipra, sponsor of the event and by Pervenche Berès, MEP and the hostess of our debate.

  

  

The meeting, which took place at the European Parliament in Brussels on the 26th of September 2017, gave rise to an exceptional exchange of views, as Mr. Barnier shared insights on Brexit negotiations and its latest developments, while WIL members and guests coming from across Europe and representing various organizations, showcased how Brexit may potentially influence the sectors for which they are responsible.

Following the debate with Mr. Barnier, the discussion on Brexit and its impacts on Europe continued with Anne Houtman, Lecturer at Sciences Po Paris, former Director for General Policy at DG Energy of the European Commission.