Following a first workshop on Wholeness and Purpose in June, in which Pinuccia Contino showed our Talents different ways to connect with their whole selves through meditation and self-reflection exercises, Pinuccia offered a second session focused on how greater compassion and self-compassion can lead to a greater sense of purpose.

Together with special guest, Alena Skrbková, these unique sessions led by Pinuccia aimed to guide our Talents towards a deeper connection with themselves, who they are and what they can contribute to the world, and thus towards whole self-leadership. 

In July 2021, 18-months after the start of the sanitary crisis, remote working is still the rule for most companies and is likely to remain a big part of our lives. The ability to communicate effectively in a virtual environment is therefore a skill which all leaders and professionals need to master effectively. How do we manage human relationships remotely? How does a good leader communicate ideas and strategy at a distance? How is it possible to drive productivity without ever meeting clients, stakeholders and partners face-to-face?

During this workshop, WIL Member and former WTP Talent Myriam EL Ouni, Managing Director Sales for Financial and Insurance Industries at Pegasystems, drew on her experience in the digital sector to respond to these questions during a highly interactive session.

Academic studies in the field of medicine, psychology, sociology, business administration and management from the last decade have provided considerable evidence that human beings are and interact in their entirety, and that compartimentalising or pretending being different from who we are comes with a price. Issues of wholeness and purpose, of who we are and what we do, are therefore vital for consideration if we are to be, in Mahatma Gandhi’s words, “the change you want to see in the world”.

During this self-developed workshop, and leaning on her experience as a student in ACT - Applied Compassion Training at Stanford University, WIL Board Member and Secretary General, Pinuccia Contino, delivered an interactive session combining theory, practice and discussion, to help our Talents lead the way to a better world.

For this third workshop of the Women Talent Pool 6th edition, WIL Member Despina Anastasiou, Global Business Development Director - Corporate Strategy at Dow Europe, drew on her 30-year experience to show how purposeful and strategic networking can have a positive impact on our Talents' career development and leadership brand. 

On 29th April, Christelle Cuenin, Career Development and Public Speaking Coach and Alumna of the 4th edition of the Women Talent Pool (WTP) programme, kicked off the second workshop of the 6th edition of the WTP with an interactive Masterclass on developing a "Speaking Utility Vehicle". Many people struggle to give speeches and presentations with real impact, and Christelle showed our Talents how they could achieve this, drawing on examples of famous speeches like Oprah Winfrey's at the Golden Globes in 2018, to illustrate what good looks like.

On 23rd March, Marina Niforos, WIL Board Member and Affiliate Professor at HEC Business School in Paris (Future of Work), delivered the first in a series of workshops for the 49 Talents of the 6th edition of WIL's Women Talent Pool (WTP) leadership programme, entitled "Developing Your Leadership Potential". Marina was supported by two Talents who have been nominated as Sherpas for this promotion and will act as the link between her and the Talents throughout the year: Paola Brucker-Dhont, Government Relations and Policy Director France at VMware, who moderated the Q&A session, and Tolulope Ayeni, Lead Product Manager at WIL WTP Partner, Rexel, who wrapped up the workshop.

On the 1st of March, WIL Europe launched the 6th edition of the Women Talent Pool (WTP) leadership programme, with a special Opening Ceremony for our 49 new Talents, as well as our Members, Partners and Alumni. There were introductory remarks from WIL President, Thaima Samman, and WIL Board Member, Nathalie Wright, followed by an inspiring exchange between WTP Programme Patron and WIL Member, Petra De Sutter, and WIL Member, Milena Harito. In part two of the event, former WTP participant, Chloe Jones, recounted her experience as a talent in the WTP4. This was followed by an icebreaker networking session between our new Talents.

On the 10^th of December, WIL Europe welcomed the participants of the 5^th Women Talent Pool Programme (WTP) for an interactive Closing Ceremony to mark the end of their collective 12-month long journey together.

This special event welcomed the participation of WIL members, Catherine Ladousse, President of Cercle InterElles and former Executive Director of Communications EMEA, Lenovo, who gave her tips on building a personal brand and communicating with confidence; and Myriam el Ouni, Group Head of Sales for Financial Services Institutions of Europ Assistance, who talked about the impact that participating in the WTP programme in 2012 had on her career.

The two sessions were moderated by our talents Eva Sinkovic, Policy Officer/Team Leader at the European Commission and Marie-Louise Weeda, Attorney at Osborne Clarke.

This event provided the participants with important new insights and perspectives to enrich their professional journeys as they came to the end of their time on the WTP programme.

On the occasion of the visit of our US-based partner GlobalWIN, on the 18^th of February 2020, our members, talents, and friends met in Berlin for a gathering, kindly hosted at the offices of Osborne Clarke.

Our event began with a self-awareness and career development workshop led by Korn Ferry, followed by a networking session and roundtable discussion on “Taking Risks for Career Growth” moderated by our President, Thaima Samman, and joined by a distinguished panel of thought leaders and professionals!

We rounded off the day with a networking reception with the GlobalWIN delegation joined by more than 100 participants!