Academics

2017 Powerful Women conference features multiple accomplished female leaders

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The 2017 Powerful Women Paving the Way Conference, which is hosted by the Penn State Smeal College of Business and its student-run Women in Business organization, will feature a trio of dynamic speakers.

The conference provides alumni, staff and faculty an opportunity to join fellow professionals, students and high-profile keynote speakers in a celebration of women in business.

Registration is open for the April 20-21 event at the Penn Stater Conference Center and Hotel on the University Park Campus.

Susan Schandel, senior vice president and chief financial officer of NASCAR; Allison Baver, Olympic bronze medal-winning speedskater and business woman; and Cathy Engelbert, CEO of Deloitte, will speak.

Schandel was previously CFO of International Speedway Corporation; prior to that she worked at EY. She holds a bachelor’s in accounting degree from Penn State. She will serve as the keynote speaker for the dinner on Thursday, April 20.

Friday morning’s keynote speaker will be Baver, a former speedskater who is now owner of Allison Baver New York LLC, founder of the Off the Ice Foundation, and a real estate investor with High Rise Realty LLC.

Engelbert became CEO of the 80,000-employee professional services organization in March 2015. She is the first female CEO of a large professional services firm and is listed as one of Fortune’s Most Powerful Women for 2016 and 2015. Engelbert backed up talk about work-life balance by implementing a policy that allows employees, both men and women, up to 16 weeks of fully paid family leave to support a range of life events impacting them and their families — including the birth or placement of a child and taking care of a parent, spouse, partner, parent, child or sibling with a serious health condition. In addition, two-thirds of Deloitte’s hires last year were women and minorities.

Companies sponsoring the 2017 Powerful Women Paving the Way conference include: Altria, Deloitte, Kohl’s, EY, BP, Pennsylvania Business Central, Dick’s, and TEKsystems.

Last Updated April 5, 2017

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