We look ahead to the Cartier Women’s Initiative awards @cartierawards in Bangkok, following last year’s Impact awards recognising past fellows alongside the Women’s Pavilion in collaboration with @cartier in Osaka.
♦️Applications for the 2027 cycle are now open to women-run and women-owned businesses from any country and sector that aim to have a strong and sustainable social and/or environmental impact.
Having been involved as a judge and coach, I have seen the calibre of entrepreneurs this initiative brings together - founders building scalable solutions across sectors while gaining access to funding, global networks, and international visibility.
At a time when access to opportunity and financing remains uneven globally, initiatives that strengthen entrepreneurship and leadership pipelines play an important role in shaping more resilient and inclusive economies.
What continues to distinguish the Cartier Women’s Initiative now in its 20th year is its ability to convene ambitious founders, experienced leaders, and global perspectives within a highly credible platform.
Now in my seventh year contributing to the programme, I am delighted to continue supporting the initiative alongside my work with global leaders and institutions.
♦️To learn more see @cartierawards website
Deadline: June 16, 2026
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📸: At the Women’s Pavilion in collaboration with Cartier with Amal Clooney, a longstanding supporter of the initiative.
📸With impact awardees last year
Beautiful gala dinner ahead of @voguebusiness global summit- with industry CEOs, founders, brands, tech and finance executives.
Thank you Team Vogue Business for the wonderful hospitality!
📸: credit: Acielle/Style Du Monde, @jasonlloydevans & various
📍 Geneva Executive Salon
Private discussion with luxury leaders on trust, experience, and product integrity in luxury.
My take:
Luxury’s next demand engine is shifting: women’s wealth, technology, and legitimacy.
The future of luxury is no longer just about heritage, exclusivity, or craftsmanship.
It is about trust, relevance, experience, and who now controls wealth.
4 shifts are reshaping the industry:
🌟Geoeconomics: growth is shifting toward the Middle East, India, and globally mobile wealth, while aspirational consumers face increasing pressure.
🌟Women’s wealth: an estimated $30 trillion is expected to transfer into the hands of women by 2030 — reshaping how value, trust, and purpose are assessed.
🌟Desirability: luxury is moving from aspiration alone to justified value. Trust is becoming part of the product.
🌟Technology: AI, VR, and AR are transforming operations, storytelling, and the expectations of younger consumers.
🚀The strongest luxury houses of the next decade may be the those most aligned with changing wealth structures, evolving expectations, and cultural shifts.
@lvghub@luxuryinnovationsummit
Reflections from the @the_imf - @worldbankgroup Bank Spring Meetings
The Spring Meetings in Washington, a major seat of power, brought together global leaders to address some of the most pressing challenges in development and how to finance them.
For me, being back there felt like being “home”. I began my career in corporate banking, with a background in monetary economics and subsequently doctoral research in financing. The conversations -with central bankers, finance ministers, and heads of finance institutions economists -were ones I have been part of before.
The core question remains the same: how do we mobilise capital to drive growth?
But this time, it felt different.
The issues we are dealing with today- geopolitical instability, rising debt, climate finance, and AI-driven change - are often described as external pressures. In reality, they are the result of human decisions.
That matters. Because it means the problem is not only technical. It is also about leadership.
Across the meetings, this was the thread that stayed strongly with me. We can design better financial tools, frameworks and systems, but we also need to look at who is making the decisions.
Underrepresentation in leaders is a signal that we are not using the full range of available talent.
The world needs competent leadership. And competent leadership is representative.
I was pleased to contribute to several sessions during the week focused on advancing women’s leadership across business and economic systems.
Ensuring these voices are part of decision-making is not optional - it is necessary.
The world needs its fully complement of talent to tackle issues and drive solutions that benefit all.
It’s not just how we finance the future -but who is shaping it.
Proud to see members of 100 Women @ Davos participating in these conversations.
An uplifting evening joining Amal Clooney, in Milan to celebrating 20 years of the Cartier Women’s Initiative @cartierawards under the theme Women Lighting the Path - a tribute to women driving change with courage, creativity and conviction.
The Cartier Women’s Initiative continues to drive change by empowering women impact entrepreneurs through its annual program.
These women are shining examples, illuminating the path through uncertainty while laying the foundations for a more just and sustainable future.
Over the past 20 years, the initiative’s impact has been significant:
📍330 impact entrepreneurs from 66 countries
📍$14.1 million in financial support to fellows’ businesses
📍A strong network of 520+ active community members across 80 countries
Present at the event were threeremarkable fellows from the 2026 Europe cohort -Angela Ursem, Elise Thorel and Hahyeon Park -pictured alongside community activators Yvonne Brady and Cristina Martinez, and @kiyonam Kiyo Taga-Witkin, Director CWI.
The Cartier Dialogues were truly inspiring. Hearing Amal Clooney speak about her work as an international human rights lapsesm, particularly her focus on women and girls, was deeply moving. As she powerfully noted, holding women back is not only unjust - it is a loss of talent the world cannot afford.
Thank you to CWI and Cartier teams for such a thoughtful and beautifully curated evening.
Having been part of this community for the past seven years as a judge, mentor and coach, it remains a privilege to contribute to and witness the continued growth of this extraordinary global network advancing women’s leadership in business.
Applications for the 2027 edition will open shortly from April 16 to June 16.
Looking forward to meeting all 2026 fellows at the Awards Ceremony in June in Bangkok.
Congratulations to the 2026 Fellows of the Cartier Women’s Initiative @cartierawards on this very special milestone - the Initiative’s 20th anniversary.🎉
♦️This year marks two decades of supporting and elevating women impact entrepreneurs who are driving meaningful change across the world.
♦️The 2026 cohort brings together 30 outstanding fellows representing nine regions and one thematic award, each leading ventures at the intersection of innovation, sustainability, and social impact. They will be celebrated at the awards ceremony in Bangkok on June 10th.
♦️Having been part of this incredible community for the past seven years - as a mentor, coach, and judge- I continue to be inspired by the vision, resilience, and ambition of each cohort. It is a privilege to contribute to and witness the growth of such a powerful global ecosystem.
♦️Female entrepreneurship is not only essential for inclusive economic growth, but also a critical driver of innovation, resilience, and long-term societal transformation.
♦️Looking forward to connecting with fellows and the community members this week as we gather to celebrate this 20th anniversary milestone at the Cartier Dialogues- Women Lighting the Path, exploring leadership, innovation, and cross-sector collaboration as we look ahead to the next chapter of impact.
I am especially delighted to see Celeste Tchetgen @100davoswomen among this group whose leadership is shaping a more inclusive and innovative future
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📸: Celebrating the 2025 Impact Awardees in Osaka
#throwback
Delighted to join the Market Open Ceremony at the @lse.plc Exchange with @100womeninfinance celebrating the organisation’s 25th anniversary and marking International Women’s Day
2026.
Trading was opened by Lisa Petrelli, Board Chair of
100 Women in Finance, alongside CEO Rehana Farrell and @masieghart journalist and author of The Authority Gap. The duo’s fireside chat explored the barriers many women still face in being heard, recognised and rewarded at senior levels.
While representation of women in leadership has improved, progress remains uneven and parity across the finance industry is not yet a reality.
The occasion was both a celebration and a reminder of the work still ahead.
A meaningful moment to reflect on how far we have come - and to renew the commitment to accelerate progress for women in leadership across global finance.
Delighted to meet powerhouse women leaders in finance including Carole K. Crawford, CFA, NACD.DC, Daouii Abouchere, Jacquline Alcindor and Amira Demming
The Honourable Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, FSI, will host the 2nd Edition of The Nigerian Women’s Day in New York.
As part of the conversations marking 31 years of progress, resilience, impact and renewed hope, we are proud to welcome Dr. Anino Emuwa as one of the distinguished speakers for this year’s gathering.
The event will bring together leaders, innovators, and advocates to highlight the achievements of Nigerian women and advance conversations on women’s empowerment, leadership, and inclusive development.
We look forward to the insights and contributions Dr. Anino Emuwa will bring to this important dialogue.
📍 New York, USA
📅 March 12, 2026
#NigerianWomensDay
#WomenLeadership
#WomenEmpowerment
#RenewedHopeAgenda
We look forward to seeing you tomorrow at 8:30am on the sidelines of CSW! 💫
Want to request an invite? Send us a dm or reach out via [email protected]!
🌎Happy International Women’s Day from New York!
🇺🇳 I am here with @100davoswomen at the UN for Commission on the Status of Women hosted by @unwomen as an official delegate participating not simply to celebrate IWD but to take collective global action towards driving change in laws, policies, justice, and rights for women and girls to create more inclusive workplaces, economies and society.
So, yes let’s celebrate progress but also take action to accelerate impact. Inclusive laws, rights, and leadership are foundational for inclusive economic empowerment, societal and economic progress.
More during the week on what I’ll be doing.
Geneva AI Trade Forum: Moving from Davos Dialogues to Real-World Action
Fresh from Davos, and drawing on their leadership in tech innovation and governance, members of @100davoswomen were invited as expert speakers at the Geneva AI Trade Forum, organised by Geneva AI Governance Institute around a common objective:
➡️ How to build an interoperable, operational and inclusive governance framework for artificial intelligence, for the benefit of government and business alike.
Moderated by veteran journalist Nik Gowing and hosted by Dr. Axel Madolo, brought together representatives from the World Trade Organization, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, CAICT, the private sector and diplomats.
➡️The Road to WTO’s 14th Ministerial Conference
This privately organised initiative confirmed the urgency of moving to concrete mechanisms: 📌Tools that help companies comply across multiple countries
📌Regulatory “crosswalks” that map how different AI rules align
📌Agreements to recognise where each others systems as equivalent
📌Stronger coordination ahead of MC14 at the World Trade Organisation
With a focus on smaller businesses, startups and emerging countries, we brought to the table the importance of coordination to support inclusive trade mechanisms for sustainable growth.
@prof.salmaabbasi@christinentim@globalstartupecosystem
Delighted to join the Geneva AI Forum by Geneva AI Governance Institute to give a keynote on
on the key issues of AI governance, international trade and responsible technologies ahead of the @worldtradeorganization ‘s ministerial meeting next month. Delighted to be joined by tech leaders @prof.salmaabbasi and @christinentim
With the GDP of the continent projected to be powering ahead at over 4% this year and next, trade is essential to help drive that growth.
The conference will shed light on how to ensure AI interoperability supports trade
