The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and Next Billion: Women & the Economy of the Future Conference to Shine Light on Role of Women in Business

IDB's Vice President for Countries Among Speakers at May 7 Event

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 14, 2015 /CNW/ -- The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), through its Multilateral Investment Fund, has teamed up with the organizers of "The Next Billion: Women and the Economy of the Future" conference with the goal of empowering women in the business sphere. Together, the partners are assembling senior corporate leaders to discuss ways in which women can contribute to the success of companies in the international economy. The conference will take place May 7 at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

Noted Alexandre Meira da Rosa, IDB Vice President for Countries, who will be speaking at the conference, "At the IDB, we believe in confronting traditional challenges with innovative, results-driven approaches. That's why working alongside partners like the organizers of The Next Billion conference is essential to accelerating development in Latin America and the Caribbean. In providing executives with the tools to harness the talent of their female employees, The Next Billion conference is identifying a unique way to both empower these women and contribute to lasting and tangible growth."

Through a series of discussions with key corporate decision-makers from North America, Europe and Latin America, the conference will provide crucial insights into how and why women are key to the long-term profitability and growth of businesses in the banking, consumer product, technology, and manufacturing sectors, among others.

"Instead of focusing on social or health benefits of inclusion as so many conferences already do, we're creating a platform for senior leaders to engage in candid, results-oriented discussions about how women can impact the bottom line and drive long-term economic growth," noted conference organizer, business owner and philanthropist Lisa Wolverton.

In addition to IDB and its Multilateral Investment Fund, The Next Billion partners include BSR: Business for Social Responsibility, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, The United Nations Foundation and the World Bank Group/International Finance Corporation.

Registration is open to senior executives. For more information and to register for an invitation, please visit www.thenextbillionconference.com or contact [email protected].

About The Next Billion: Women & the Economy of the Future
The Next Billion: Women & The Economy of the Future conference will bring together key corporate decision-makers from North America, Europe and Latin America for a results-oriented, evidence-based dialogue on the topic of women in the global economy. Through a series of moderated discussions, the conference will provide crucial insights into how and why women are the key to the long-term profitability and growth of businesses in the banking, consumer product, technology, and manufacturing sectors, among others. The inaugural conference will be held Thursday, May 7, 2015, at the Vancouver Convention Centre in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

The Next Billion advisory board members include:

• Lord Mark Malloch-Brown, former UK government Minister and United Nations Deputy Secretary General and Current Chairman of Europe, Middle East and Africa, FTI Consulting;
• Canaccord Genuity Group Inc.;
• Maria Livanos Cattaui, former Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce;
• Laura Gitman, Vice President New York, BSR;
• Frank Giustra, President and Chief Executive Officer, Fiore Financial;
• Melanne Verveer, former U.S. Ambassador for Global Women's Issues

About the Inter-American Development Bank
Established in 1959, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is the leading source of development financing for Latin America and the Caribbean, with a strong commitment to achieve measurable results, increased integrity, transparency and accountability. It has an evolving reform agenda that seeks to increase our development impact in the region. For more information, visit www.iadb.org.

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SOURCE The Next Billion: Women & The Economy of the Future

Brenda Patterson, 440-623-9581, [email protected], http://www.thenextbillionconference.com