"You Are the CEO of You": Interactive Seminar Series Lights Pathway to Executive Office for Asian Pacific American Women in Business

SAN FRANCISCO — The Asian Business League of San Francisco (ABL-SF) is now taking applications for a leadership program uniquely developed for Asian Pacific American (APA) women in business to address issues and challenges they face in today’s business environment. "You are the CEO of You!" is a six-part series covering topics such as making it into the executive suite, establishing assertiveness in a competitive business landscape and increasing political and corporate worth.

"The program addresses the key challenge that Asian Pacific American women face: lack of access to corporate decision makers who identify and groom senior managers, non-existent executive mentor relationships and insufficient knowledge to successfully navigate into the executive suite," said Mable Yee, Founder & President of Engage Her.org, who as CEO has co-founded three companies and spent 15 years at major corporations. "These challenges have perpetuated disadvantages for Asian Pacific American women who are unaware of the unspoken rules on marketing assets and leadership skills to senior corporate management."

While Asians represent 5.3 percent — and a rapidly growing proportion — of the U.S. workforce, Asian women account for less than one half of a percent of executive positions (Vice President and above), according to a 2004 study by the Harvard School of Business.

"Helping APA women to reach the C-suite is a win-win proposition not only for the individual woman being promoted, but also for global companies who are growing their business presence in Asia." said Karen Kang, CEO and Principal of Karen Kang Consulting, which provides positioning and brand strategies for high-tech and consumer clients. A 25-year veteran in marketing and communications, Kang joins a venerable group of speakers presenting at "You are the CEO of You!" seminar series, including:

• Syndi Seid, a professional trainer, speaker, and founder of Advanced Etiquette, a leading training and consulting resource center in the areas of international business, social etiquette and protocol;
• Aileen Ichikawa, a 20-year veteran in the technology sector (IBM and Motorola Asia Pacific) and former Vice President of Corporate Accountability Services for the Future 500, a not-for-profit environmental consultancy;
• Shari Fujii, an award-winning marketing expert who has previously worked with Fortune 100 companies, Kraft, Nestle, Dreyer’s, Starbucks, Disney and start-ups like Google, Yodlee and BabyCenter; and
• Joy Boatwright, a Certified Financial Manager at Merrill Lynch — where she serves as co-chair of the Women’s Leadership Council — and Partner at The JG/JB Group, a wealth management team focusing on affluent individuals and families.

The program draws from the knowledge and real-life experiences of the 25 founding members of ABL-SF, which has successfully nurtured and launched careers of many Asian Pacific Americans in the San Francisco Bay Area over the past 28 years. One of those who have benefited from ABL-SF is State Assemblymember Fiona Ma, whose tireless advocacy for women and minority business owners has led to responsible public contracting in San Francisco.

"We’ve come a long way since ABL-SF’s founding, when our biggest task at hand was to figure out how to help minorities merely break into the corporate sector," said Ma. "We now have a small but growing cadre of executive leaders in ABL-SF, and it is their shoulders that will carry the next generation of APA women breaking the bamboo ceiling."

Planned sessions include a crash course on effective networking presented by Seid, and a workshop on lifestyle choices and balancing work, family and life. One session is specifically devoted to help APA women defy cultural stereotypes through effective communications, such as body language and tone of voice.

"In most Asian cultures, we’re taught to excel by working hard and not bring attention to ourselves," said Yee. "We need to reverse that thinking and show these women that to be successful in business, you must be assertive in communicating your goals and ambitions to your company. You need to show them that you have what it takes to be a strong, visionary leader."

In addition to presentations from experts, the program will include interactive break-out sessions for individuals to develop specific action plans. Training begins on September 4 and concludes November 20 with a special dinner and fashion show.

Source: ABL-SF
Written by Claire Chang