Doha: The 2016 How Women Work Conference, themed ‘Connecting the Dots’ that captures at its heart the change, growth and diversity that defines Qatar, will be held from March 8 to 9 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel Doha.
It coincides with International Women’s Day celebrated annually on March 8.
The annual forum that empowers women in Qatar in personal and professional capacity has announced two high-profile keynote speakers.
The first is Sheikha Alanoud bint Hamad Al Thani, from Silatech Qatar who has given her patronage to the event for the second year running.
She is a member of the Global Shapers Community and in 2014 was selected to join the Global Shapers Community’s Advisory Council on Collaborations, where she was involved in decisionmaking and agenda setting locally, regionally and globally.
Day two of the conference will welcome Dr Kholode Al Obaidli, Vice-President, HR National Talent Management, Qatar Airways (QA), who has been a longstanding supporter of the initiative, having given workshops in previous years.
She will share insights from her career, which has spanned across senior management positions in the public and private sectors, at Qatar Olympic Committee and QA. As HWW Founder Carolin Zeitler explains, it’s a day and a half filled with opportunity: “The conference attracts amazing women from all kinds of background and cultures, giving attendees a platform to take practical skills and lessons and apply them to their lives for their continued growth and development.
“One of our main goals at the forum is to reach hearts and minds, break down barriers and promote understanding. We encourage all delegates to use the opportunity to meet new people and connect to their strengths and potential.” It is an interactive, inspiring and empowering event, with four ‘streams’, including workshops, panel discussions and interactive activities pertinent to each stream: One for entrepreneurs and executives; one for employees and jobseekers; one for individual women with ambitions and aspirations and, for the first time, one for Arabic speakers.
Delegates can follow a stream throughout, pick and mix, or attend a panel discussion targeted at all three. They will also have the option to give a 90-second pitch on stage and take part in a free one-to-one coaching or mentoring session, as all attendees will define and create their success.
The workshops include ‘Reducing unconscious bias to leverage potential fully’ by Livia Freudl; Head, Human Resources, Siemens Qatar; ‘How women take entrepreneurial decisions’ by Professor. Wolfgang Amann, Academic Director and Professor of Strategy and Leadership, HEC Paris in Qatar; and resonating with the overarching theme will be ‘Connecting the dots of change and transformation’ led by Elizabeth Fleming, an industry professional with over 20 years of international HR and business solutions experience.
There will be three panel discussions — ‘Can I have it all?’ moderated by Suzette de Coteau-Atuah, communications facilitator in healthcare, on day one, and ‘Connect and re-connect your skills – navigating your career path skillfully’ by Nevine Kamel, HR practitioner; and ‘Connection and collaboration vs. competition or segmentation’ by Vani Saraswathi, journalist and long-term resident of Qatar on the second day. The Peninsula
