Empowering women as agents of change, driving national growth
- GE holds Annual Women's Network Summit with the theme 'We Connect, Act and Inspire' for its women workforce
- The summit includes talks by prominent women leaders such as Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz, Chairman of AirAsia X and Former Minister of International Trade and Industry
KUALA LUMPUR, October 14, 2012 -- (NYSE: GE) -- General Electric ("GE") held its annual Women's Network Summit at the Ritz Carlton, Kuala Lumpur recently. This year's summit reaffirms GE's commitment to supporting the professional development of its women workforce and includes a full day program of educational forums and capability building workshops.
Themed "We Connect, Act and Inspire", the event provides a platform for discussions around the topics of "Women in Leadership, a Powerhouse for National Growth" and "Empowering Women as Agents of Change". Mr. Harjeet Singh, Deputy Secretary General, Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development launched the summit.
The event also saw the participation of prominent women leaders as guest speakers that include Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz, Chairman of AirAsia X, Former Minister of International Trade and Industry; Low Ngai Yuen, Producer, Director, Actor, Women's Activist, Marketing & Communications Director for Carrefour Malaysia, Head of Kakiseni; Asha Gill, Model, International Television Host, Deejay, Writer, Producer, Film Director, and Women's Rights Activist and Jocelyn Liipfert, Head of Social Media of TBWA Hong Kong, Founding member of HKSocial. The line-up of speakers also includes Dr. Amir Farid Ishak, Senior Medical Consultant specializing in anti-aging, nutritional and holistic integrated medicine, Founding President of Guolin Qigong Association Malaysia.
"GE is committed to the development of women professionals and leaders. In Malaysia, we have worked with Talent Corporation Malaysia, Jabatan Pembangunan Wanita and McKinsey amongst others, to champion the advancement of women leaders in the workplace. Through initiatives such as the GE's Women's Network Summit, we hope to develop, retain and advance the professional growth of women in GE that will in return, contribute to national growth," said Sugunah Verumandy, Human Resource Director and GE's Women's Network Hub Leader, Malaysia.
Our mission is to foster the development of women within GE so as to grow, attract and retain the best talent. The network is supportive of the Government's aim to increase the rate of women participation in the Malaysian workforce to 55% by year 2015. GE is a company that already has a workforce of which women employees account for close to 50%.
In addition to providing leadership, advancement, and career-broadening opportunities within GE, the network also looks at influencing human resource frameworks and policies to support women employees as they balance their roles inside and outside of the workplace. In addition to implementing training development programs tailored for the women workforce, the company has extended maternity leave to 3 months from 2 previously, and encourages an environment with flexible working hours.
Photo 1: Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz speaking at the GE's Women's Network Summit.
Photo 2: (Left to Right) At the GE's Women's Network Summit -
Zatalini Zulkiply (second from left), Communications Manager, GE Malaysia, Mr. Harjeet Singh, Deputy Secretary General, Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development. Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz, Chairman of AirAsia X, Former Minister of International Trade and Industry, Sugunah Verumandy, Human Resource Director and GE's Women's Network Hub Leader, Malaysia
Photo 3: Panel session on "A Successful You: Empowering Women as Agents of Change" at the GE's Women's Network Summit -
(Left to Right) Low Ngai Yuen, Producer, Director, Actor, Women's Activist, Marketing & Communications Director for Carrefour Malaysia, Head of Kakiseni, Sugunah Verumandy, Human Resource Director and GE's Women's Network Hub Leader, Malaysia, Asha Gill, Model, International Television Host, Deejay, Writer, Producer, Film Director, and Women's Rights Activist
About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) is an advanced technology, services and finance company taking on the world's toughest challenges. Dedicated to innovation in energy, health, transportation and infrastructure, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs about 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.ge.com.
About GE's Women's Network
GE's Women's Network was established in 1997 to help women working in GE accelerate their careers and in turn, help drive the company's success. This effort includes sharing the experience, best-practices, and knowledge of successful women role models, drawing on the know-how of an executive team representing a diverse group of women from each of GE's businesses and critical corporate functions.
Currently, the network is a global network with over 150 Hubs in 43 countries helping more than 100,000 women who work at GE around the world.
For more information, contact:
Zatalini Zulkiply
Communications Manager
GE Corporate
+603 2267 1892
[email protected]
Zatalini - Zulkiply
[email protected]