Public Relations is a $15 billion global industry with a workforce that is approximately 70% female (Holmes Report). Yet, about 70% of C-suite and executive positions in agencies and corporate communications departments are held by men.

Lead On! 2019 is our second annual leadership forum created to equip future women leaders with real-world skills, insight and practical tools to succeed. Lead On! moves beyond the talk. Speakers, panelists and industry executives will roll up their sleeves to train, mentor and guide future female leaders.

Only 40 participant spots are available. The small group environment ensures participants get meaningful networking and training time with industry leaders and trainers.

Continental breakfasts, catered lunches and Thursday evening networking dinner will be provided.

Real-World Solutions

• Hands-on training in negotiation
• Meet and network with executive speakers and trainers
• Practical business skills and leadership solutions
• One-on-one mentoring to fine-tune career goals

Here is the agenda of speakers and workshops scheduled for the two-day event:

Thursday, September 26

• Prepare to Lead On!, hosted by Melissa Robinson, adjunct professor, USC Annenberg; vice president of marketing & communication, Boingo Wireless.
• Mind the Gap: Women in Leadership, discussion about a new study led by Tina McCorkindale, PhD, APR, of the Institute for Public Relations.
• Suite Success: Women in the C-Suite, panel including Judy Brown, senior vice president, corporate affairs, Amgen, Amy Kavanaugh Mason, chief marketing officer and senior vice president global communications and public affairs, Dine Brands, and Heather Rim, senior vice president and chief marketing and communications officer, AECOM. Women on Boards, led by Betsy Berkhemer-Credaire, CEO, 2020 Women on Boards, and author, The Board Game - How Smart Women Become Corporate Directors.
• Understanding The Business Behind the Business, a financial overview led by Cynthia Kalk, regional chief financial officer, Weber Shandwick, and Jonathan Adelman, global director of client finance, Edelman.
• Know Your Value, led by Cathy Calhoun, chief client officer, Weber Shandwick.
• Good Girls Aren’t CEOs, a discussion and workshop about confidence and untapped potential, led by Groundlings alums Holly Mandel and Brian Palermo.
• Group networking dinner at USC

Friday, September 27

• What Women Have Learned About What It Takes to Lead, led by Kristin Gilger, author, and Reynolds Professor in Business Journalism, ASU Walter Cronkite School. Based on her new book, There’s No Crying in Newsrooms, co-authored with Julia Wallace.
• Negotiate What You Deserve, led by Lisa Gates, founder, Story Happens Here, and co-founder of She Negotiates.
• Paving the Way for Future Leaders, panel including Heather Wilson, managing director, SKDKnickerbocker.
• Career Planning Fireside Chat, a lunch talk with Seema Kathuria, managing director, Russell Reynolds Associates and Cheryl Cook, USC Center for Public Relations.
• How Female Leaders Can Effectively Harness Emotions at Work, presented by No Hard Feelings author Liz Fosslien, content director of Humu.
• Wrap-Up, thoughts on Improvisational Leadership with Fred Cook, chairman, Golin, and director, USC Annenberg Center for Public Relations.

For more information, please contact Ron Antonette, Chief Program Officer, USC Center for Public Relations at (213) 740-3864 or ron.antonette@usc.edu.

RSVP