Irshad Manji to Address Attendees at Simmons School of Management Leadership Conference May 3 in Boston

The Simmons School of Management today announced that senior executives from EMC Corporation, HP and KPMG will address the attendees at its annual Leadership Conference May 3 in Boston.

Joe Tucci, chairman, president and chief executive officer, EMC Corporation; Cathie Lesjak, chief financial officer, HP; and Kathy Hopinkah Hannan, midwest area managing partner, Tax, KPMG LLP, made introductory remarks at the event, which was held at Boston's Seaport World Trade Center.

The conference, established in 1979, is the preeminent women's leadership event in the country and attracts a global audience of 3,000 business and professional women. This year's conference continues the Simmons School of Management tradition of providing a forum where some of the world's most accomplished women can share insights and connect with their peers.

"EMC is committed to building a workforce that reflects the diversity of the marketplace and ensures a constant flow of the best available talent," said Joe Tucci, EMC chairman, president and chief executive officer. "This conference supports our dedication to women's development and greatly complements our EMC Women's Leadership Forum, established eight years ago to enable the women of EMC to meet, network and develop their careers. We're very proud of our participation and sponsorship of this event."

"HP has a long-held commitment to fostering diversity, leadership and business excellence, and I am honored to be part of an event that shares those same values," said Cathie Lesjak, chief financial officer, HP.

"KPMG has been at the forefront of advancing and retaining our women professionals," said Kathy Hopinkah Hannan, midwest area managing partner, Tax, KPMG LLP. "Our sponsorship of the Simmons Leadership Conference is consistent with our mission to make KPMG a great place to work and build a career for women."

Conference Executive Director Joyce Kolligian said, "The goals of these corporations are closely aligned with those of the conference - to provide guidance and tools that will help women achieve greater career success and satisfaction. We highly value the support of these visionary corporations, which are making a real commitment to the advancement of women in the workplace."

Conference Highlights
The conference features keynote addresses by four accomplished women:

• Gloria Estefan, one of the top-selling singer/songwriters of all time
• Mireille Guiliano, former president and CEO of Clicquot, Inc. and best-selling author
• Louise Leakey, Ph.D., world-renowned paleoanthropologist
• Dr. Nancy Snyderman, surgeon and chief medical editor for NBC News

Additional speakers include:

• Cherie Booth Blair, human rights attorney and activist
• Raghida Dergham, senior diplomatic correspondent and columnist, Al Hayat
• Margaret Heffernan, visiting professor of entrepreneurship at the Simmons School of Management and author of How She Does It: How Female Entrepreneurs Are Changing the Rules of Business Success
• Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Ph.D., founder and chair, Center for Work-Life Policy, and author of Off-Ramps and On-Ramps: Keeping Talented Women on the Road to Success
• Peggy Klaus, a top communication and leadership coach, and author of Brag! The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It
• Deborah Kolb, Ph.D., Deloitte Ellen Gabriel Professor for Women and Leadership and co-founder of the Center for Gender in Organizations, Simmons School of Management
• Irshad Manji, senior fellow, European Foundation for Democracy and author of The Trouble with Islam Today: A Muslim's Call for Reform in Her Faith
• Lisa Price, founder of Carol's Daughter, a multimillion-dollar skin and hair care products firm
• Deborah Rodriguez, author of Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil
• Taryn Rose, M.D., CEO of Taryn Rose International, orthopedic surgeon and shoe designer
• Leslie Sanchez, founder and CEO, Impacto Group LLC, a strategic communications and market research firm
• Bonnie St. John, paralympic medalist skier, career coach and author of Succeeding Sane: Making Room for Joy in a Crazy World
• Barbara Stanny, financial coach and author of Secrets of Six-Figure Women: Surprising Strategies to Up Your Earnings and Change Your Life
• Jeannette Walls, journalist, television personality and author of the New York Times best seller The Glass Castle

For a complete conference agenda and schedule, visit:
http://www.simmons.edu/leadership.

About the Conference

The Simmons School of Management Leadership Conference is one of the
oldest and best-known women's leadership events in the country. The
conference has included notable speakers such as Oprah Winfrey, Jehan
Sadat, Madeleine Albright and Barbara Walters. All conference proceeds will
support scholarships to the Simmons School of Management, which offers the
only MBA program in the nation designed specifically for women.

Conference corporate sponsors for 2008 include EMC Corporation, HP,
KPMG, Pfizer, Deloitte, Goldman Sachs, Novartis, State Street Corporation,
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, American Tower Corporation,
Ameriprise Financial Services, Ford Motor Company, Paralelles, and PINK
magazine.

SOURCE Simmons School of Management