Dubai, 29th September 2009 - Cartier, the renowned French jeweler has been committed to supporting women in business for over 3 years with its unique annual competition, the Cartier Women's Initiative Awards. This year, the Maison will be participating in the Women In Leadership Forum (WIL Forum), from October 25th to 27th, 2009 held under the patronage and attendance of HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, Wife of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE Ruler of Dubai. The Forum will provide women with a platform to meet influential women leaders and inspire them to discover and further develop their potential.

In keeping with its tradition towards its creativity, commitment and ethical approach in business practices, Cartier created in 2006 with the support of the Women's Forum, McKinsey and INSEAD management school, the annual Cartier Women's Initiative Awards; a unique and international business plan competition for innovative female entrepreneurs with creative, sustainable and socially responsible businesses in the initial phase. It is awarded annually to five female laureates, one per continent, giving them the chance to win personalized coaching support for a full year, a US$ 20 000 grant, numerous networking and visibility opportunities. This initiative was an obvious choice for Cartier as its workforce comprises mainly of women.

"Diversity has been at the heart of our creative heritage for 160 years. Women represent 60% of our staff and 52% of our managers: we believe it to be our role to encourage them to reach their full potential. Entrepreneurial values are part of Cartier's genetic code and as a jeweller, women have shaped our history! This shared belief explains our early commitment to the Women's Forum in creating the Cartier Women's Initiative Awards and a natural choice for our participation this year in the WIL Forum. We extend our support to women business leaders in the Middle East by providing them a set example of successful women entrepreneurs who have achieved their goals in setting up their own businesses with our Initiative." Said Mr. Bernard Fornas, President & CEO of Cartier International.

Mr. Fornas added: "Through our Initiative, we have supported over 40 creative initial-phase women entrepreneurs since 2006 from countries like Swaziland, Canada, Iceland, India or China. We have funded and coached projects which will positively and durably impact our societies: by creating jobs, by integrating marginalized populations, by contributing to protect our ecosystem, or even by revolutionizing our financial system".

"Initiatives of the likes of Cartier's are essential to further encourage women in becoming prominent actors of the business arena. By gathering regional and international leaders from the political, academic and business sector, our objective is common with Cartier: inspiring women to exercise their leadership skills and supporting women entrepreneurship. We are very proud to collaborate with Cartier for the WIL Forum in setting an annual rendezvous for business women to network, share experiences and facilitate deal opportunities among peers." Commented Sophie Le Ray, CEO of naseba, the organizer of the WIL Forum.

The Cartier Women's Initiative Awards is a stepping stone for ambitious women driven with a passion to achieve their dreams and help their community. The Middle East is a growing region fostering many such women. It is important to note the active involvement of Her Excellency, Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, Minister of Foreign Trade of the United Arab Emirates, as Jury President for the Asian Finalists, on the Awards' Jury Panel. Her Excellency's mission includes acting as spokesperson for the awards and her participation has set an excellent example for inspiring women around the world.

-Ends-

About naseba
naseba is a publicly listed business information company that produces, promotes and hosts upper level executive business congresses and forums across 26 industries on five continents. Our events focus on re-education, networking, and most importantly, deal flow opportunities, whether the "deal" be capital raising or purely sourcing new business for our clients. Each naseba congress/forum offers a platform to generate business. We work with the highest qualified industry experts to engage with the most pressing issues and cutting edge topics in each industry, which are extensively researched by our teams. Since inception in 2002, naseba has organized over 200 business events, and has opened four offices strategically located throughout the world - Bangalore, Dubai, Monaco and Shanghai. For further information on naseba, please visit: www.naseba.com. For further information on the WIL Forum, please visit: www.wilforum.com.

About Cartier Women's Initiative Awards
To apply for the 2010 edition of the Cartier Women's Initiative Awards, candidates must fill in the application form on www.cartierwomensinitiative.com, available from Saturday 17 October 2009 to Monday 10 March 2010 at 11.59 pm, Greenwhich Mean Time + 1 hour.

Contact naseba:
Josephine Deniau
Tel: +971 4 367 1376
E-mail: josephined@naseba.com
http://www.naseba.com/

© Press Release 2009

 

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