Event commemorates organization’s accomplishments in promoting gender diversity on corporate boards
Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – Women Executive Leadership (WEL) held its anniversary event celebrating twenty years of promoting gender diversity on corporate boards and in the executive suite. WEL was founded by Cindy Kushner, who had the vision to create an organization that advocates, educates, and connects accomplished leaders. The event was held on July 17 at the Tower Club in Fort Lauderdale where over one hundred corporate and community leaders attended.
The event honored Kushner, who gave an inspiring speech about WEL’s humble beginnings, how through their programs and relationships formed have been successful in helping women secure positions on boards and in the executive suite. Kushner expressed WEL’s commitment to continue on its mission.
“I’m very touched and deeply honored with the Board and all of you here tonight that you wanted to celebrate twenty years of WEL,” said Kushner. “It’s because of each and every one of you during the last twenty years, whether you were a speaker at one of our events, a committee member, a sponsor, a board member, a mentor or a member, has led us to where WEL is today, so I want to thank all of you and celebrate you.”
One of WEL’s original members and past board member, Michele Haas, presented Kushner with WEL’s Trailblazer Award for her contributions and the tremendous work she’s accomplished for the organization.
Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, President and CEO of Celebrity Cruises, gave the keynote address for the evening. As the first female CEO and President of a Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd brand and the first female in the C-suite at RCL, Lutoff-Perlo spoke about her own trailblazing of the cruise line industry as she took us through her professional timeline climbing the corporate ladder, described the adversity she faced and illustrated why diversity and having women in leadership roles is instrumental to business success.
“When I see what you do here at WEL for women, it’s heartwarming. Although we’ve come very far, we still have a long way to go but with the women and men in this room, I know that we are going to get there,” said Lutoff-Perlo as she addressed the audience about employing more women in leadership positions.
Premiering a video about Celebrity Cruises efforts around gender diversity, Lutoff-Perlo declared, “We need to teach our daughters less about fitting into the glass slipper and more about shattering the glass ceiling.”
WEL is holding signature events in partnership with 2020Women on Boards, a National Conversation on Board Diversity, on November 21 in Ft. Lauderdale and Tampa, Fla. The Ft. Lauderdale event will feature XPRIZE Foundation CEO and first astronaut of Iranian decent, Anousheh Ansari, who will speak about her personal experiences and rise to the top. For more information on this event and WEL, please visit welflorida.org.
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About Women Executive Leadership
Women Executive Leadership (WEL) is a not-for-profit organization located in Florida, whose primary purpose is to promote gender diversity on corporate boards and in the executive suite through advocating, educating and connecting accomplished leaders.
Media Contact
Todd Templin or Mara Gordon of BoardroomPR at (954) 370-8999, ttemplin@boardroompr.com or mgordon@boardroompr.com