Tickets are now on-sale for the IPWS Leadership Summit this Friday, May 27. Get your tickets online now.
The professional and entrepreneurial spirit is ever-growing in Shanghai, particular among women. WeChat groups, organizations and non-profits are popping up in support of women doing business and growing their networks in our grand city. Whether you are a working mom, young professional or a well-seasoned expert in your field there is room for you to grow in your profession. The International Professional Women’s Society (IPWS) is just one of these organizations working hard to keep this network alive and give fuel to these women who want to find success.
The International Professional Women’s Society (previously, the Expatriate Professional Women’s Society) is a professional women’s organization in Shanghai that supports female leaders and encourages a sense of community among these women. President of IPWS, Tiziana Figliolia, proudly explains, “IPWS is a very powerful vehicle with its vision to provide professional women with different platforms to connect, and foster personal and professional growth.” Founded in 1993, the Society was originally started by a group of 13 women who began meeting for coffee once a week. However, no one could have expected the exponential growth the organization experienced: in one year, the group had grown to 80 members. Today, the IPWS acts as the largest alliance of working women in Shanghai.
For the past ten years, IPWS has recognized the professional achievements of women in Shanghai with the Women Leadership Awards (WLA). As the longest running international award for women in Shanghai it rewards women for their roles as leaders in the Shanghai community.
This year’s awards will be presented at the inaugural IPWS Leadership Summit on May 27. Vice President Amanda Argentieri explains, “It’s important to continue to recognize professional women each year who have emerged as leaders in their field.” With six awards to be received, each will attempt to showcase the accomplishments of women across a range of professional fields and backgrounds. The categories this year will include Business Leader of the Year, Young Business Leader of the Year, Social Contributor of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year and Innovator of the Year. However, this year, the IPWS will also allow for more diversity: the HeForShe Man of the Year Award will recognize a man who has made a significant contribution to gender equality in Shanghai, or a “gender champion,” as Argentieri describes it.
In addition to the presentation of awards, the IPWS Leadership Summit will also feature a variety of speakers and panels, which will all be curated under the theme of the ‘Changing Nature of Leadership.’ Argentieri explains, “The Summit will provide opportunities for participants to learn about current leadership trends and best practices with other leaders and networks, and create lasting value.”
This year, the Society rebranded itself as the International Professional Women’s Society to reflect the way in which it has grown into an international organization and beyond the small group of expatriate women it once started with. “The realization of this vision started immediately and led to inspiring results: 30+ events each year, co-sponsoring the launch of MentorWalks Shanghai, and a community reach of more than 2,000 women,” says Figliolia. In 2015, the organization also established a chapter in India, which has further accentuated its global role as a community of professional women.
IPWS will be accepting nominations for the awards until Friday, 22 April. To nominate an exceptional woman, or man, for a leadership award, click here. To learn more about the Women’s Leadership Awards, head to the IPWS website.
Tickets are now on-sale for the IPWS Leadership Summit on May 27. Get your tickets online at Yoopay or at the IPWS official website.
This article originally appeared on Urban Family.
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