The American Wholesale Marketers Association (AWMA) announced that sociologist and women’s work expert Marianne Cooper will be the keynote speaker at the AWMA Women’s Leadership Initiative Kickoff Breakfast, Thursday, Feb. 27, at the 2014 AWMA Marketplace & Solutions Expo in Las Vegas, Nev.
Cooper, research associate at the Michelle R. Clayman Institute for Gender Research at Stanford University, was lead researcher for the book, Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg. She is an expert on gender, family life, work and social inequality. She writes, speaks and consults about these issues for media outlets, companies and professional groups.
Cooper will provide a behind-the-scenes view into the issues and research discussed in Lean In. She will highlight the barriers women face in trying to get to the top and what can be done to support women in achieving their goals and ambitions.
“AWMA is launching its new Women’s Leadership Initiative because we recognize the importance of providing support to the many women who are rising in the ranks of our member companies and who will play an increasingly important role in our industry in the future,” said AWMA President & CEO Scott Ramminger, in a prepared statement.
That session will be one of three concurrent seminars to be held Thursday morning, Feb. 27. The others will be a peer-to-peer discussion designed for small distributors, with a focus on cost-saving ideas and innovative products for the warehouse, as well as a workshop entitled “Designing Today's Sales Calls: Purpose, Passion and Techniques.”
The Women’s Leadership Initiative is part of AWMA’s newly redesigned convention format, which will feature a broad array of educational and networking opportunities in a show that is intended to provide maximum value for attendees and exhibitors alike.
