Remarks from Club India Launch by IWEC Chairwoman Ruth A. Davis
On June 14th, IWEC Foundation launched Club India which is being led by Harjinder Kaur, CEO Comvision India and IWEC Foundation Board Member. All of the past awardees from India were invited to attend the presentation.
Greetings to our illustrious audience of women entrepreneurs. I was delighted when Harjinder asked me to address you to help launch Club IWEC.
Now let me say a word about IWEC. As IWEC approaches it’s 15th Anniversary, I am still very excited about it and its achievements. The initial idea of IWEC was conceived by the President of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Miquel Valls, after he returned from a trade mission to India. He wanted to create an international network of women to promote their economic empowerment. At the time I had just completed an assignment as Director General of the U.S. Foreign Service. Because of my international background, my interest in women’s empowerment and my connection with the Barcelona Chamber from my time as Consul General there, Mr. Valls asked Adela Subirana and me to help create an international organization to help with the empowerment of women entrepreneurs. We reached out to the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, and FICCI FlO, then headed by Mukta Jain, which already had a relation with the Barcelona Chamber and presto, IWEC was born. India holds a very dear place in my heart as one of IWEC’s founding countries.
India has given us many of the most promising IWEC Awardees. These women have continued to expand their businesses and to become a very relevant part of global trade and connectivity with our entire IWEC network, which extends to Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and North and South America. As of today, we have honored 460 outstanding awardees in our annual conferences. Their combined annual revenue is $41 billion with an excess of 295,500 employees and represent 47 countries.
Awardees from India represent one of the top accumulation of annual revenues in the IWEC Network, with a combined annual turnover of $15 billion.
IWEC is extremely excited to be launching this new program, Club IWEC, in India. In recognition of India’s important position in global trade and business growth. We believe this will be a successful and important demonstration of the strength of India and its women business owners.
IWEC is bringing more visibility to Indian women, thanks to Harjinder who is known for her important input as a member of our board of directors. And who is now leading the charge for further IWEC engagement in India and beyond. Harjinder will share thoughts about Club IWEC India and will be your point person to share ideas and initiate the club’s activities.
So with great pleasure and anticipation, I officially announce the launch of Club IWEC India. We look to you, our exceptional past awardees of India, to help create this network of IWEC, which will showcase what the IWEC Foundation is all about, and enhance our presence and our brand. We hope you will be there with us in our annual conference in Madrid this November. Meanwhile, We very much wish to have your thoughts and ideas about how Club IWEC should be structured and successfully run to have the most positive outcomes possible.
Since those of you with us make up the network of the most well-established business-women in India, I am sure through Club IWEC you will be able to encourage, mentor and bring forth a difference in the lives of other women aspiring to follow your footsteps in India, while increasing your own business endeavors as well.
Our IWEC Board of Directors looks forward to the success of this initiatives and activities of Club IWEC in India. We will look to your example of further growth and engagement to create this new Club which our other network countries can follow.
We will invite India to discuss the activities and goals under this club during our conference in Madrid.
Thank you and consider Club IWEC officially launched.
