CBW INTRODUCTION SLIDES - FEB 2015

Commonwealth Businesswomen’s Network

Strengthening the Commonwealth. Building Businesses. Advancing Women. 53 Countries. One Platform

www.cwbusinesswomen.org

The MissionTo provide the tools, opportunities and support necessary to ensure the growth and global reach of women. Whether as entrepreneurs, in corporate life, or in government our focus is on shaping women’s economic empowerment through: Trade – provision of a trading platform providing opportunities for women

entrepreneurs to connect, collaborate and do business across all 53 countries of the Commonwealth. In addition linking tenders in emerging markets and developing countries through collaboration with UN Development Business and BusinessXchange

Talent - the 2015 Commonwealth Women in Business Awards in London and CBW’s collaboration with the global professional body for headhunters

Training - the CBW Academy with its modules on procurement, entrepreneurship, business and financial intelligence and women on boards all delivered by leading global providers


Why the Commonwealth?• Includes a billion women across 5 continents with 60% under the age of 30, but

with 43% of the world’s poorest women

• Commonality of language, education, professional training and legal and financial institutions – a 15% cost advantage over business outside of the Commonwealth

• Several Commonwealth members are in most major trading blocs ie EU, NAFTA, CARICOM,SADEC, COMESA, ASEAN, APEC and SAARC and includes 5 of the G20 providing a bridge to the non-Commonwealth

• 53 Heads of Government meet every two years and also hold a critical dialogue during these Commonwealth Summits (CHOGM) and other meetings with key stakeholders ie the business community; young people; NGOS and from 2015 with women in business via the first ever Commonwealth Women’s Forum alongside Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), Malta


The TeamExecutive Board Operational Team

Co ChairsDeborah Leary, OBE, FRSA, CCMI Freda Mirkilis

Executive DirectorArif Zaman

Chief Operating OfficerLizze Leary

Director of Online MediaKimberley Leary

Head of Strategic Partnerships & Business DevelopmentSharon Jandu

Advisor, Media and Asia Erum Masood

Adviser, Trade, Entrepreneurship and Small StatesMayeesha Jamil

Advisor, Governments and Finance for Women EntrepreneursMargot Thomas

Advisor, CommunicationsAisha Sarwari


The 3 T’s

TTradeTalent

Training


CBW BusinessXchange T no:1TRADE

A trading platform providing opportunities for women entrepreneurs to connect, collaborate and do business across 53 countries of the Commonwealth

Provide an overarching international strategy for women in business

Provide a toolkit for growth, providing opportunities for trade, form strategic partnerships, drive innovation

Target and communicate key messages to policy makers , and lobby via consultation/media

Acting as a beacon for global business excellence

BusinessXchange Benefits

• B2B and trade opportunities with businesswomen across 53 Commonwealth States

• Business collaboration on joint projects/tenders• Peer group support• Benefit from Group Buying offers• Promote business through Case Studies, short videos and elevator pitches• Advertising & Editorials• Attend events and promote events

• Promote special offers to other businesses registered on the site

• Promote good news stories• Feedback based rating system so businesses can

relate experiences about suppliers enabling others to collaborate / buy in confidence

• Utilise a direct link to social media including LinkedIn, Twitter etc and additional information via blogs and knowledge sharing


Working with key strategic partners in order to identify women from both the entrepreneurial and corporate sectors with boardroom aspiration and to work through the CBW Academy to develop skills and knowledge to ensure board readiness. Feeding into a database of board ready talent which can be matched with board opportunities.

Working with ITC and others to bring Commonwealth Corporates and Governments as buyers and women from Commonwealth developing countries as suppliers to the ITC Global Platform for Action on Sourcing from Women Vendors`

Talent T no:2TALENT

Celebration of Commonwealth Business Talent via the Annual Commonwealth Businesswomens’ Award


T no:2TALENT

The AcademyWhat does it represent?

• An academy of peers• A global network that challenges and supports• A peer group designed to create the business and thought leaders of

tomorrow.• Working with leading international service partners

In addition through its online ‘Business Exchange’ trading platform it provides the opportunity for businesswomen to trade across the Commonwealth, to seek partnerships and collaborations and promote their businesses globally at the same time having the opportunity to learn and share experiences.


T no 3Training

T no:2TALENT

The Academy T no 3Training

The Aim

Provide an environment that supports women at all stages of their business journey and business growth and celebrates the economic impact businesswomen have throughout the Commonwealth via annual Commonwealth Businesswomen Awards

Recognise the need to support, train and mentor women from start-up through to mid term, through to exit and thereby create a cyclical pattern whereby those who have been invested in, invest back into the business community.

Initially concentrating on 3 key areas:Entrepreneurship – Strategic Partner – School for Start Ups Procurement – Strategic Partner – Chartered Institute of Procurement and SupplyWomen on Boards – Strategic Partner Boardwalk (UK), Lead Women (Malaysia) and Women on Boards Network (Kenya)

Additional courses will focus on: Business & Financial Intelligence, International Trade, E-Commerce

70%-100% will be delivered online

Strategic Partners• Sri Lankan Government (Commonwealth Chair in Office)• Commonwealth Secretariat• Commonwealth Enterprise & Investment Council (CWEIC)• Commonwealth Fashion Council• Birmingham Commonwealth District Association/Commonwealth

Local Government Forum• UN (UN Development Business, UN Women and UN Global Compact)• World Bank Group and IFC• Association of Executive Search Consultants and Global Board

Ready Women• BusinessXchange• School for Start Ups• Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS)• Royal Society of Arts (RSA)• ACCA


Business Model

• Annual membership : Gold (£50 per month), Silver (£20 per month), Bronze (£8 per month)

• Corporate Rate: £799 +VAT• Invited organisations/Regional Partners single annual membership

£499 + VAT• Sponsorship/advertising• Foundations & Philanthropists• Flagship events (Commonwealth Businesswomen Awards, London

and in country of Commonwealth Chair in Office in the following year


www.cwbusinesswomen.org@CWealthBizwWomen

Strengthening the Commonwealth. Building Businesses. Advancing Women. 53 Countries. One Platform

Documents

CBW INTRODUCTION SLIDES - FEB 2015