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Photo from the Lead On women in communication leadership forum
Center for Public Relations

USC Annenberg’s Lead On! forum set for Sept. 26-27, 2019

August 2, 2019
CPR Staff
Updated August 6, 2019 9:29 a.m.

Early Bird Registration is now available for the USC Center for Public Relations’ second annual Lead On! Women in Communication Leadership Forum, held at USC Annenberg on Sept. 26-27, 2019.

Lead On! is an immersive, two-day workshop that offers unique, hands-on courses on communication skills and tools for women who will be the future leaders of the PR industry. This executive education program from the Center for Public Relations was created to provide innovative solutions to address the gender disparity found in C-suite positions in public relations. Presently, it is estimated that over 70% of executive positions in agencies and corporate communications departments are held by men.

Scheduled speakers and workshops include:

  • Good Girls Aren’t CEOs, a discussion and workshop about confidence and untapped potential, led by Groundlings alums Holly Mandel and Brian Palermo.
  • How Female Leaders Can Effectively Harness Emotions at Work, presented by No Hard Feelings author Liz Fosslien, content director of Humu.
  • Know Your Value, led by Cathy Calhoun, chief client officer, Weber Shandwick.
  • Mind the Gap: Women in Leadership, discussion about a new study led by Tina McCorkindale, PhD, APR, of the Institute for Public Relations.
  • Negotiate What You Deserve, led by Lisa Gates, founder, Story Happens Here, and co-founder of She Negotiates.
  • The Business Behind the Business, a financial overview led by Cynthia Kalk, regional CFO, Weber Shandwick, and Jonathan Adelman, global director of client finance, Edelman.
  • What’s Your Legacy?, led by Blythe Yee, vice president, employee communications, LinkedIn.
  • 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.
  • Women on Boards, led by Betsy Berkhemer-Credaire, CEO, 2020 Women on Boards, and author, The Board Game — How Smart Women Become Corporate Directors.

This event is limited to 40 participants to help ensure they get meaningful networking and training time with industry leaders and trainers. For registration information, please visit https://annenberg.usc.edu/leadon. Registration pricing is $1,200; Early Bird pricing is $999 through Aug. 17.

For corporate sponsorship opportunities and group pricing, please contact Ron Antonette, chief program officer, at ron.antonette@usc.edu.