For the first session of 2025, we explored with Sylke how recognizing and embracing emotions can foster a more productive and supportive work environment. Through interactive exercises and real-world scenarios, we learnt strategies to acknowledge and manage our own emotions while responding to those of clients or colleagues with empathy.
Recent Publications:
In the age of ChatGPT are emotions the new human superpower?
https://www.imd.org/ibyimd/innovation/in-the-age-of-chatgpt-are-emotions-the-new-human-superpower/?
Emotional Intelligence may be the key to an agile organization
https://www.imd.org/ibyimd/videos/emotional-intelligence-may-be-the-key-to-an-agile-organization/
In February, Sarah encouraged us to get involved and be pro-active in assuring our financial independance. Nowadays, women have control over so many aspects of their lives. We’ve fought hard to effect meaningful changes: the right to own property, work, vote, divorce, and live independently. But there is something missing. Our independence and freedom are in part dependent on achieving financial control as well.
With this in mind, my experience and my values led me to write the book “Women are Worth It”, a practical, accessible and friendly guide to awaken women’s interest in finance and help them take charge of their investments.
sarah@cequevalentlesfemmes.ch
www.cequevalentlesfemmes.ch
Celebrating International Women's day
Candle lighting ceremony followed by dinner
As businesses navigate increasing polarization around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I), the path forward remains clear—organizations must embed inclusion into their core strategies, empower leaders to drive change, and safeguard the progress already made.
This theme set the stage for a panel discussion held on International Women’s Day, in collaboration with BPW Lake Geneva, part of a 95-year-old network advocating for women's equality.
Moderated by IMD’s Heather Cairns-Lee and Alexander Fleischmann, the panel featured ADM’s Mayka van Acht, IMD’s Sarah Toms, and Yulia Voronina, co-lead of the IMD Inclusive Leadership Alumni Community. Together, they addressed the tensions defining today's workplace landscape: polarization versus progress, inclusion versus division, and the role of leadership in shaping the future.
A key concern was whether strides are being made in the representation of women in executive roles—or whether ground is being lost. While European regulations signal advancement, the rollback of DE&I initiatives in major US companies presents an alarming contrast.
Sarah Toms, Chief Innovation Officer at IMD, highlighted the abrupt dismantling of programs at companies like Google, despite clear evidence of the link between diversity and innovation. She underscored the power of consumer choices in influencing corporate behavior, reminding the audience: “We all vote every time we take our credit card out.”
Yulia Voronina emphasized the importance of sustained engagement, warning that failing to participate in the conversation means forfeiting a voice in shaping the outcome. A live word cloud exercise captured prevailing sentiments among attendees, reflecting uncertainty, disappointment—but also hope.
Ultimately, the panelists agreed that businesses must go beyond symbolic commitments and embed inclusion into hiring, leadership development, and everyday operations. With workplaces at a defining moment, leaders and employees alike must take action to ensure progress is not quietly undone.
BPW Lake Geneva’s latest event featured Kayleigh Grieve, a footballer, UEFA marketeer, coach, and football mum, who shared insights on the evolving landscape of women’s football in Switzerland ahead of UEFA Women’s EURO 2025.
Key Takeaways:
Women’s Leadership & Mental Well-being: Sports build resilience, teamwork, and decision-making—critical for professional success. However, girls drop out at twice the rate of boys, often due to social pressures and lack of role models.
Women’s Football in Switzerland: Participation is growing, but investment and visibility remain low. More media coverage and role models are needed to inspire young players.
UEFA Women’s EURO 2025: Hosting the tournament presents a rare chance to boost women’s football, drive participation, and secure long-term investment.
Supporting Girls in Sport: Parents play a vital role in encouraging their daughters' participation. More inclusive spaces, better infrastructure, and female leadership in football are key to sustaining progress.
How to Take Action:
Enroll girls in football teams and challenge gender stereotypes.
Support women’s football by attending matches and advocating for equal media coverage.
Leverage UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 to spark conversations on gender equality in sports.
With collective effort, we can ensure that women’s football continues to thrive, empowering young girls on and off the pitch. Thank you for being part of this movement!
In May Kerry gave us an amazing talk about collaboration and how women naturally excel in the skills that make partnerships thrive - relationship-building, active listening and inclusive leadership.
We discovered how leveraging our collaborative strengths can unlock new opportunities, learning from real-life examples of how collaboration drives growth and innovation. We walked away with actionable strategies to integrate collaboration into our professional journey—whether you run a business or work within an organisation
Let’s reimagine success — not as a individual competition, but as a collaborative effort that creates greater impact for everyone.
We kicked off our autumn programme with an inspiring session from Helen von Dadelszen on How to Speak with Purpose and Clarity.
Her message came through with connection, clarity, and humour.
The demonstrations and exercises brought to life how varying the four vocal dials — Pitch, Pace, Power, and Pause — can change both the impact and the perceived intent of our message.
Helen ended with a powerful question: What’s one way I’ll speak with more clarity or purpose this week?
Thank you to all our members and guests who joined us on Tuesday for an engaging and thought-provoking evening on The Life of a T-Shirt with Laura Scorza Wade.
The discussion shed light on the environmental impact of something as ordinary as a T-shirt — and how challenging it can feel to make a difference in the face of global issues.
Laura reminded us of the hummingbird story, shared by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Wangari Maathai:
“I will be a hummingbird, I will do the best I can.”
If each of us acts within our circle of influence, together we can create meaningful change.
From our post-event poll, here are the top actions our members plan to take:
On a personal note, some of us are already putting these lessons into practice — from family discussions about mindful consumption to using the Good On You app to check the sustainability of favourite brands.
Thank you again, Laura, for inspiring us to reflect, act, and share these insights with others.
Together, we make a difference !
Our annual Members’ Showcase took place on Tuesday evening and brought together members for an inspiring evening of stories, insights, and connection.
Three remarkable speakers shared their personal journeys — each one a testament to reinvention, purpose, and resilience.
Rachael Remaly Franco – Redefining success through reinvention
Rachael took us on a journey from chemical engineering to corporate leadership, from the USA to Europe, and ultimately from pharmaceuticals to purpose. As the founder of En Tête Coaching, she invited us to reflect: If you could reinvent yourself, what would it look like?
Lucia Italiano – From Classics to corporate boardrooms
Lucia illustrated how ancient wisdom can inform modern transformation. From coding her Atari as a child to navigating complex organisational change, she reminded us of the importance of staying anchored in purpose and leading as “translators” in times of uncertainty.
Ksenia Lagunovskaya – A journey through change and opportunity
Ksenia shared her path from India to Russia to a career in executive search and HR consulting. As her startup faces new challenges, she offered a powerful reminder that opportunities often come disguised as obstacles — and that passion and purpose help us stay the course.
Three distinct stories, woven together by common threads: resilience, self-leadership, and purpose in our professional and personal growth.
We extend our warmest thanks to Rachael, Lucia, and Ksenia for sharing so generously, and to Maureen Steele for her coaching support and contribution to making the evening a success.
Michelle’s clear and informative presentation last Tuesday helped us understand how hormones influence brain chemistry and mental well-being.
Oestrogen, in particular, plays a key role in regulating serotonin, dopamine and GABA — our “happy hormones.” It also buffers the stress response and supports memory, neuroplasticity, and sharper thinking.
When hormone levels fluctuate — during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, postpartum, or perimenopause — our mood, energy and cognition can shift too.
Michelle encouraged us to track our symptoms and patterns, not to pathologise them, but to better understand ourselves, make informed choices, and communicate clearly with healthcare providers when symptoms become unmanageable.
The lively discussion over dinner showed just how relevant and needed this conversation is in our community. We heard a strong desire for:
Connecting with others facing similar challenges
Sharing practical solutions
Exploring how to navigate mental health and life-transition conversations at work
On the board, we will look at how to weave more conversations like this into next year’s programme.
A heartfelt thank you to Michelle for bringing her expertise to BPW, and for helping us open up a topic that is too often treated as taboo.
With better information comes better understanding — and more empowered choices.