Newsweek and The Daily Beast are holding the first-ever international edition of the Women in the World Summit on Dec. 4 in São Paulo, the nerve center of Brazil. Here, who's who at the event.
Marin Alsop, Music Director, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Chief Conductor, São Paulo Symphony Orchestra
Marin Alsop is the Music Director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, a position she’s held since 2009. She took the post of Chief Conductor of the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra at the start of the 2012 season, where she is currently responsible for steering the orchestra in its artistic and creative programming, recording ventures, and its education and outreach activities. Alsop has enjoyed ongoing success in the United Kingdom, where she was Principal Conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony from 2002-08 and is now Conductor Emeritus. She also continues to serve as Conductor Laureate of the Colorado Symphony following 12 years as Music Director, and since 1992 she has been Music Director of California's acclaimed Cabrillo Festival, which has won the coveted ASCAP award for Adventurous Programming of Contemporary Music every single year since her appointment.
Juliana Azevedo, Marketing Director, P&G BrazilJuliana Azevedo is the marketing director of Procter & Gamble Brazil, a position she assumed in 2005 when leading the integration process with Wella, one of several P&G beauty brands. Azevedo’s marketing career began with the sanitary protection lines, where she was directly involved in the launch of Always Basic, a marketing success that led the brand to achieve market leadership in sanitary protection in Brazil. Azevedo worked directly in the design and launch of the Pampers Basic in 2003 and 2004. Every year, she and P&G Brazil president, Tarek Farahat, take part in Harvard University’s SuperCorp, with the goal of showing students P&G’s marketing innovation. Azevedo lives in accordance with P&G’s mission to work constantly in search of the best solutions to touch peoples’ lives and make a difference.
Raquel Barros da Silva, Founder and President, Lua Nova AssociationRaquel Barros da Silva is a psychologist and the creator of Lua Nova in Sorocaba, Brazil, a non-governmental organization that welcomes women in situations of social risk in order to strengthen the relationship between mother and child, with a focus on generating income. The entrepreneurial association provides housing, food, and psychological care and education, as well as work and school for all residents. Some of the income generation projects include making dolls, gifts, jewelry, cookies, and even building houses in a collective effort. Lua Nova’s methodology has already become part of public policy in Sorocaba and 13 other cities in Brazil, and more than 3,500 people have benefited since its founding in 2000.
Tina Brown, Editor in Chief, Newsweek & The Daily BeastTina Brown, editor in chief of Newsweek & The Daily Beast, is one of the highest-profile, most talked-about magazine editors in the world. From a young writer for Punch magazine and The Sunday Times, she quickly rose through the ranks of the magazine industry on both sides of The Atlantic to become editor in chief of Tatler, Vanity Fair, the New Yorker, and Talk magazines and most recently, editor in chief of Newsweek & The Daily Beast. Tina hosted a well-received television program, Topic A With Tina Brown, on CNBC and in 2007 her biography, The Diana Chronicles, spent several weeks at the top of The New York Times best-seller list.
Claudia Patricia de Luna Silva Lago, Attorney and President, Elas por Elas Vozes e Ações das MulheresClaudia Patricia de Luna Silva Lago is a civil law attorney, consumer’s code specialist, and legal counselor to women victims of domestic violence and gender discrimination. She is the founder of the non-governmental organization Elas por Elas Vozes e Ações das Mulheres and the head counselor of the Agency for Black People Affairs Advisory Board in São Paulo. The vice president of the National Movement Against Human Trafficking, Claudia is also a former member of the State Board for the Prevention and Fighting of Human Trafficking in the São Paulo State Justice and Citizenship Department, and she is a former member of the São Paulo State Bar Association’s Women Lawyers Committee Executive Board. Claudia previously qualified to participate in the American Law College program to access the inter-American and international human rights courts systems. She currently serves as a board member on the Committee for Human Rights in Latin America.
Major Priscilla de Oliveira Azevedo, Coordinator of Strategic Programs, Public Security Secretariat, Rio de JaneiroPriscilla de Oliveira Azevedo became a police officer in 1998. She demonstrated great bravery in 2007 when she investigated and arrested a gang that had previously kidnapped and beat her. In 2008, the first Pacifying Police Unit (UPP) was implemented in the Santa Marta slum in Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro. Azevedo was appointed the unit’s commander, and when she left the command of Santa Marta in 2011 to lead the UPP’s strategic social programs planning in the Public Security Secretary Department, the UPP was already a very successful project. In 2012, Azevedo was honored with the International Women of Courage Award in Washington D.C. Today, she continues her trajectory of innovation and courage by serving as the first female coordinator of Strategic Operational Planning in the Public Security Secretary.
Rear Admiral Dalva Maria Carvalho Mendes, Director, Our Lady of Glory Naval Clinic
Dalva Maria Carvalho Mendes was born in Rio do Janeiro in 1956 and joined the Navy in 1981 with the first class of the Navy’s Reserve Auxiliary Women’s Corps. From 1981 to 2009, the current Rear Admiral worked at the Marcilio Dias Hospital where she reached the post of Deputy Director. Currently she serves as Director of the Naval Clinic Our Lady of Glory. Dalva is a certified anaesthesiologist from the Brazilian Anaesthetics Society and has also been awarded the Naval Merit Order, the Tamandaré Merit Order, and the Military Medal Gold class.
Maria da Penha Maia Fernandes, Anti-Domestic Violence Advocate
In May 1983, Maria da Penha Maia Fernandes was the victim of two episodes of domestic violence that left her a paraplegic for life. The case that da Penha filed against her abusive husband languished in court for two decades, while her husband remained free. Years later, in a landmark ruling, the Court of Human Rights criticized the Brazilian government for not taking effective measures to prosecute and convict perpetrators of domestic violence and in response, the Brazilian government enacted a 2006 law under the symbolic name “The Maria da Penha Law on Domestic and Family Violence.” On the fifth anniversary of the Maria da Penha Law in August 2011, the National Council of Justice of Brazil collected data showing positive results: more than 331,000 prosecutions, 110,000 final judgments, and nearly two million calls to the Service Center for Women have occurred since the law was passed.
Christopher Dickey, Paris Bureau Chief and Middle East Regional Editor, Newsweek & The Daily BeastAward-winning author Christopher Dickey is the Paris bureau chief and Middle East regional editor for Newsweek & The Daily Beast. Dickey’s online columns, which draw on decades of experience as a war correspondent, focus on counterinsurgency, espionage, and the Muslim world. His books include Securing the City: Inside America’s Best Counterterror Force—the NYPD; With the Contras: A Reporter in the Wilds of Nicaragua; Expats; Travels from Tripoli to Tehran; Innocent Blood: A Novel; The Sleeper; and the acclaimed Summer of Deliverance: A Memoir of Father and Son, about his father, the late poet and novelist James Dickey.
Nizan Guanaes, Chairman and Founder, Grupo ABCNizan Guanaes is the Chairman and Founder of Grupo ABC, a Brazilian holding company that is comprised of 14 companies in the advertising, specialized marketing services, content, and entertainment sectors. In just ten years, it has already become the 18th largest marketing communications group in the world. Guanaes was named one of the five most influential Brazilians by the Financial Times and is one of the 21 global influencers on media and marketing according to Advertising Age; Fast Company magazine says he is one of "the 100 most creative people in business.” For more than 20 years, Guanaes has dedicated a great part of his time to social causes, primarily related to education, entrepreneurship, and the preservation of Brazil's cultural heritage. He has been appointed UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and is a member of UNAIDS High Level Commission on HIV Prevention. He is also an active member of the Clinton Global Initiative, World Economic Forum, Endeavor, and the Women in the World Foundation. Guanaes has been a key participant in the creation of Together for Girls, a worldwide collaboration between various U.N. entities, the U.S. Department of State, the Clinton Foundation, and Grupo ABC to focus on bringing attention to sexual violence against girls and women.
Gloria Kalil, Journalist, Businesswoman, and Fashion Consultant
Gloria Kalil is a journalist, businesswoman, and fashion consultant. She began her career as a journalist and went on to direct the creative department of a major Brazilian weaving company before becoming the owner and director of Fiorucci, one of the most famous fashion brands in Brazil in the 1980s. Kalil has since returned to journalism and consulting. She has written five best-selling books, founded the first Brazilian fashion website (www.chic.com.br), and travels regularly to deliver lectures on the direction of fashion trends in the textile industry, business etiquette, and other subjects. Kalil writes and works in order to share information about fashion labels as a means of democratizing fashion. She has a constant presence on the TV program Fantastic Globe, where she has the opportunity to address more than 30 million viewers
Anna Marcondes, Community Leader and Founder, The Community Center of St. Lidia (CEACA)Dona Anna is a leader in Brazil’s favela community. She is the founder of the Community Center of St. Lidia (CEACA), offering education and access to public services to youth at risk and underprivileged populations in the community.
Gloria Maria, JournalistGloria Maria has been a journalist for more than 30 years. For nearly 20 years, she was a reporter for the National Journal, covering areas such as justice, culture, economy, and politics. She has covered many international stories, from the Falkland Wars to the Olympics and the World Cup. She currently works as a reporter and presenter for Globo TV.
Marisela Morales Ibáñez, Former Attorney General, Mexico
Since 1988, Marisela Morales Ibañez has dedicated her professional career to the administration of justice in her roles as Public Defender, an agent of the Public Prosecutor's Office, Process Control Deputy, and Director of Investigation of Crimes Committed Against the Administration of Justice for the Attorney General's Office of the Federal District. In the Attorney General's Office of the Republic, she has held the positions of Head of the Special Tax Unit within the Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Health Crimes, General Investigation Coordinator for the Special Research Unit on Crimes Committed by Public Servants and Against the Administration of Justice, Head of the Special Investigation Unit on the Trafficking of Minors, Illegal Immigrants, and Organs, and Assistant District Attorney for Specialized Investigation of Organized Crime. On September 23, 2010, she was awarded the Latin American Prize “For the Lives and Security of Women and Girls in Latin America and the Caribbean” by the Regional Coalition Against the Trafficking of Women and Girls in Latin America. In March 2011, she received the International Women of Courage Award from the Government of the United States of America. On April 7, 2011, she was nominated to be the Head of the Federal Executive Branch with the Approval of the Senate of the Republic, and the Office of Attorney General of the Republic, the first woman in the history of this institution to hold this position.
Major Eliane Nikoluk Scachetti, Commander, 5th Military Police Battalion, Vale do Paraíba, São Paulo StateFor as long as she can remember, Eliane Nikoluk Scachetti wanted to follow in her father’s footsteps to become a police officer. Her parents were less enthusiastic, so she took the academy entrance exam on the hush, then got an earful when she told them she’d passed. Her determination only grew when the newly graduated cadet’s father was shot to death by thieves. Nikoluk, a sharpshooter, rose quickly through the ranks of the police force to the rank of major and last year earned a doctorate in social sciences at the São Paulo State Military Police Center for Advanced Studies (Centro de Altos Estudos Superiores da Polícia Militar do Estado de São Paulo), with a dissertation on the public perceptions of safety. She serves as acting commander of the 5th Military Police Battalion in the Vale do Paraíba, in São Paulo state.
Condoleezza Rice, Former U.S. Secretary of StateCondoleezza Rice is currently a Denning Professor in Global Business and the Economy at the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University and the Thomas and Barbara Stephenson Senior Fellow on Public Policy at the Hoover Institution. She is also a professor of Political Science and a founding partner of RiceHadleyGates. One of the most influential women in the world of global politics, Rice served as secretary of state and a national security adviser under President George W. Bush, and played a crucial role in developing U.S. foreign policy when America went to war. Rice served as Stanford University’s Provost from 1993-1999, during which she was the institution's chief budget and academic officer. She has authored several books, most recently No Higher Honor: A Memoir of My Years in Washington. She currently serves on the board of KiOR, the George W. Bush Institute, the Commonwealth Club, the Aspen Institute, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
Marcela Martínez Sempértegui, Bolivian Attorney and Executive Secretary, MNR Party Just a few months ago, Marcela Martínez Sempértegui led the sort of quiet, comfortable life that most women in Latin America dream of. The constitutional law scholar divided her time between her family, her law practice, and her work at the country’s leading opposition party, MNR, where she serves as Executive Secretary. She helped to turn gender equality into a national cause célèbre. But the world of the 39-year-old Bolivian attorney fell apart on June 4, when her 17-year-old daughter Zarlet was kidnapped on the streets of La Paz, apparently by human traffickers connected to an international drug cartel. Since then, Sempértegui has turned grief into action, suspending her legal practice and all her political commitments to launch a 24/7 search for her daughter. Speaking out against Bolivia’s failing public security and a faulty justice system, she soon became Bolivia’s leading advocate in the war on human trafficking, organizing vigils and rallying the families of loved ones who have gone missing to protest against human trafficking, one of Latin America’s most vicious crime syndicates.
Vania Lucia Chave Somavilla, Executive Director of Human Resources, Health and Safety, Sustainability and Energy Vania Lucia Chaves Somavilla was appointed executive director of Human Resources, Health and Safety, Sustainability and Energy in November 2011. She is also the head of Corporate Affairs, Institutional Relations, Business Security, and Communications areas. Vania has headed Human Resources and Corporate Services, in addition to the Vale Foundation. She shaped her professional career at Vale, joining the company in 2001 as general manager for Energy Planning and Commercialization, and has occupied several other management posts. She is a civil engineering graduate from Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, and obtained a post-graduate degree in dam engineering from Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, in addition to an MBA in business finances at the IBMEC Business School in Brazil. Vania also participated in the MIT Transformational Leadership Program, USA, and the Mastering Leadership Program at IMD, Switzerland.
Diane von Furstenberg, Co-Chairman and Founder, Diane von Furstenberg Studio L.P.Diane von Furstenberg first entered the fashion world in 1972 with her iconic wrap dress, the seed of what is today a global fashion lifestyle brand. By 1976, von Furstenberg had sold millions of her dresses, introducing female power and freedom to an entire generation. In 1997, she re-emerged on the New York fashion scene and began rebuilding her company. In 2005, von Furstenberg was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America and has been president of the CFDA since 2006. Von Furstenberg is also on the board of Vital Voices, and in 2010 established The DVF Awards to honor the courage of female social activists around the world. In 2012, von Furstenberg was named the most powerful woman in fashion by Forbes Magazine, coming in at #33 on their list of The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women.
Monica Waldvogel, JournalistMonica Waldvogel studied Journalism at São Paulo State University and for the past 30 years has covered Brazilian politics and economy as a reporter and news anchor for Brazil’s main national television networks. Today, Waldvogel hosts Entre Aspas on Globo News, where she dives deep into the main news of the day along with two other renowned news specialists. She also hosts the weekly talk show Saia Justa, which debates hot topics on the contemporary women's agenda on GNT: Globosat News Television.
Xuxa, TV Host After beginning her career as a model, Xuxa became one of Brazil’s most recognized TV personalities when she made her debut as a TV host. On the air continuously for more than 29 years, Xuxa has headed various Brazilian and international programs and musical projects, in addition to having an extensive filmography, as she is the Brazilian artist with the highest grossing consolidated box-office receipts since the resumption of Brazilian cinema. As a businesswoman, Xuxa manages her projects and businesses through Xuxa Promoções e Produções Ltda. and has been active for 23 years in the non-profit sector as the President of the Xuxa Meneghel Foundation, leading national campaigns in Brazil for the rights of children and adolescents.
Dalia Ziada, Award-winning Egyptian Liberal Human Rights Activist and Executive Director, Ibn Khaldun Center for Development Studies Dalia Ziada is an award-winning Egyptian liberal human rights activist, socio-political analyst, public speaker, and executive director of the Cairo-based Ibn Khaldun Center for Development Studies, one of the oldest and biggest non-governmental organizations advocating human rights and civil freedoms in Egypt and the Arab World since the 1980s. Ziada is dedicated to promoting women’s rights, freedom of expression, and non-violent action in Egypt. She has been honored by Newsweek as one of the 150 Women Who Shake the World, by The Daily Beast as one of the world’s 17 Bravest Bloggers, and by Time as a women’s rights champion. She is a frequent guest lecturer and has spoken in front of the U.S. Congress, as well as at major universities, on panels all over the world, and in the international media. Ziada has received the Anna Lindh Award for Online Journalism and the Tufts University Presidential Award for Making a Difference in the World. She was an on-the-ground player in the Arab Spring.