The first Monaco Power Women’s Summit sponsored by Monaco Voice took place December 1 at the Hotel Hermitage. A hundred invited guests gathered in the exquisite Belle Époque salon to listen to keynote speaker Lady Cherie Blair CBE KC, founder of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women.
The wife of former British prime minister Tony told the audience, “It’s currently estimated that it will be 151 years before women have economic equality to men. Well, I am not prepared to wait that long.” She said “Women’s economic empowerment not only gives women life choices, it creates a better world for us all. We also know that women entrepreneurs will also power global prosperity. If women and men participated equally as entrepreneurs, our research shows the global economy would be boosted by up to $5 trillion.
“I believe the scale of the opportunity—and the imperative to act on it—is clear. I’ve seen many times first-hand that when you nurture a woman’s spark of entrepreneurship she turns it into a roaring flame that warms all those around her. All she needs is the fuel to get going. That’s why I set up the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women: to provide that fuel.”
After delivering her address, Blair joined Shanu SP Hinduja (chair of Geneva-based Hinduja Bank Switzerland Ltd.), Shevon Harris-Holyfield (founder of The Harris Law Firm and wife of world boxing champion Evander), and award-winning lawyer Chinwe Esimai, the first person to hold the title of Chief Anti-Bribery Officer at Citigroup. The four women discussed “Women and Economic Empowerment.”
The second panel on “Women and a Sustainable Future” featured Dr. Christina Rahm (founder Roots Brand), Helga Piaget (founder Passion Sea), Alexander Sasha (founder LavaCopenhagen and first deputy of Denmark parliament) and Dr. Aneesha Cowan (CFO SafeMoon.
This event was a spinoff of the annual Forbes Power Women’s Summit, created 10 years ago by Moira Forbes, executive vice president of Forbes and president and publisher of ForbesWomen. Award-winning opera singer Delia Grace Noble and pianist Tereza Dos Santos provided the entertainment across the evening, which was sponsored by Aero, CFM-Indosuez Wealth Management and SafeMoon.
Photo: Dr. Christina Rahn, Shanu SP Hinduja, Luiz F Costa Macambira, Cherie Blair, Helga Piaget, Chinwe Esimai, Alexander Sasha, Dr. Aneesha Cowan, Shevon Harris-Holyfield, Dustin Plantholt and Nancy Heslin.