Report from Singapore
The IWF and Leadership Foundation board meetingsin Singapore were very productive, and we were fortunate to have such wonderful hosts. The Singapore Forum, with the leadership of Janet Ang, was celebrating its 20th Anniversary, and it was quite an event. From the dine-arounds to the behind the scenes to the grand gala, everyone who attended was able to get a sense of just how impressive both Singapore and the women of the Singapore Forum are! We all appreciated your generous hospitality. Click to view full coverage.
On our final evening, IWF Director Camille Mirshokrai and Accenture hosted both boards for a tour of the Internet of Things as well as a marvelous dinner. It was a fitting ending for a visit to a city that has its eyes firmly focused on the future.
The IWF Board met to review the outcomes on the 2016 goals and approved the strategic direction and budget for 2017.
In 2016 the goals were:
- Invigorate and Increase Forum Presence Worldwide
- Affirm and Accelerate the IWF Brand
- Maintain and Market Program Excellence
- Generate and Grow Revenue
- Refine Governance, Culture and Leadership Effectiveness
I am happy to report that the goals were met with a couple of exceptions due to the organizational transition last year. The board was pleased with the progress.
For 2017, the goals are:
- Improve Member Value Proposition
- Expand Communications to Members and Among Forums
- Diversify Resource Development
- Evaluate and Strategically Improve Leadership Development Activities
- Modernize Administrative Infrastructure
We are working on a number of fronts this year to improve member engagement and communication – between IWF headquarters and the members and among members and local forums.
- We plan to unveil a new member portal in Stockholm which will make it easier for members to communicate with each other.
- IWF officers and board members will be visiting forums to ensure that members have a better understanding of the value of the global organization.
- Over the past two weeks we have expanded our social media presence with a Facebook page and Instagram feed. Judging by the response, it is something many members are enjoying. You can follow us here:
- The video we released for International Women’s Day has reached nearly 4,000 and was a great way to share with the world the excellence that defines IWF: vimeo.com/205971478
As we learned from the member survey, many members only see the value of IWF locally, and we need to communicate to every member the tremendous value of this unique global community.
On to Stockholm
I am very excited about our upcoming Cornerstone Conference in Stockholm. This cornerstone has the participation of members from more Forums than ever before, and is shaping up to be both thought provoking and fun. If you have not registered, please do so as soon as possible. We are close to selling out. This link will connect you with the registration site.
I look forward to seeing many of you there!
Teresa V-F Weintraub, IWF Preside
