Air Canada Partners With The Next Billion: Women & The Economy Of The Future Conference

Canada's largest domestic and international airline sponsors conference to focus on role of women in future of business

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 19, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The organizers of "The Next Billion: Women and the Economy of the Future" conference today announced they have partnered with Air Canada to bring senior corporate leaders together to discuss concrete, practical ways in which women – as consumers, employees, entrepreneurs and executives – can contribute to the continuing success of companies in the international economy. The Next Billion conference will take place May 7 at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

"Air Canada is very pleased to sponsor The Next Billion as we strongly endorse the organizers' goals. We have long prided ourselves on the diversity within our organization, including the prominent roles and contributions of women, who occupy many key decision-making positions at Air Canada. As a leading international carrier, we also whole-heartedly embrace the notion of acting and thinking globally and drawing upon the best in the world to meet modern business challenges," said Arielle Meloul-Wechsler, Vice President, Human Resources at Air Canada.

Through a series of moderated discussions with key corporate decision-makers from North America, Europe and Latin America, the conference will provide crucial insights into how and why women are key to the long-term profitability and growth of businesses in the banking, consumer product, technology, and manufacturing sectors, among others. An emphasis will be placed on sharing concrete actions and policies that leading companies in these sectors have successfully used to tap the business potential of women globally.

"Many conferences focus on health and social issues for women, but few if any deal with the role women can play in the future of global business," noted conference organizer, business owner and philanthropist Lisa Wolverton. "The Next Billion event will give senior leaders a forum to discuss how women can impact the bottom line and drive long-term economic growth in a results-oriented, practical way,"

In addition to IDB and its Multilateral Investment Fund, The Next Billion partners include BSR: Business for Social Responsibility, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, The United Nations Foundation and the World Bank Group/International Finance Corporation.

The Next Billion advisory board members include:

• Lord Mark Malloch-Brown, former UK government Minister and United Nations Deputy Secretary General and Current Chairman of Europe, Middle East and Africa, FTI Consulting;
• Maria Livanos Cattaui, former Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce;
• Laura Gitman, Vice President New York, BSR;
• Frank Giustra, President and Chief Executive Officer, Fiore Financial;
• Paul D. Reynolds, President, Canaccord Genuity Group Inc.;
• Melanne Verveer, former U.S. Ambassador for Global Women's Issues
• William Westeringh, Partner, Fasken Martineau

For more information about the conference, please visit www.thenextbillionconference.com.

About The Next Billion: Women & the Economy of the Future
The Next Billion: Women & The Economy of the Future conference will bring together key corporate decision-makers from North America, Europe and Latin America for a results-oriented, evidence-based dialogue on the topic of women in the global economy. Through a series of moderated discussions, the conference will provide crucial insights into how and why women are the key to the long-term profitability and growth of businesses in the banking, consumer product, technology, and manufacturing sectors, among others. The inaugural conference will be held Thursday, May 7, 2015, at the Vancouver Convention Centre in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

About Air Canada
Air Canada is Canada's largest domestic and international airline serving more than 185 destinations on five continents.  Canada's flag carrier is among the 20 largest airlines in the world and in 2014 served more than 38 million customers.  Air Canada provides scheduled passenger service directly to 61 Canadian cities, 50 destinations in the United States and 78 cities in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Mexico and South America. Air Canada is a founding member of Star Alliance, the world's most comprehensive air transportation network serving 1,321 airports in 193 countries.  Air Canada rewards its most loyal customers through its top tier recognition program, Altitude, that offers frequent flyers a range of priority travel services, lounge access and upgrades to Executive Class, complementing their membership in Aeroplan, Canada's premier loyalty program, which provides numerous ways to earn and redeem Aeroplan Miles with over 150 travel and retail partners.

Air Canada is the only international network carrier in North America to receive a Four-Star ranking according to independent U.K. research firm Skytrax.  In 2014, Air Canada was ranked for a fifth consecutive year "Best Airline in North America" in a worldwide survey of more than 18 million airline passengers conducted by Skytrax.  According to the 2014 Canadian Business Travel Survey conducted by Ipsos Reid, Air Canada was the preferred airline for more than 80 percent of frequent business travellers in Canada.  In 2014, readers of Global Traveler magazine again voted Air Canada "Best Airline in North America," the readers of Business Traveler voted Air Canada "Best North American Airline for International Travel" and "Best North America Airline Inflight Experience," and the readers of Premier Traveler voted Air Canada "Best Flight Attendants in North America."  For more information on Air Canada visit aircanada.com, follow @AirCanada on Twitter and join Air Canada on Facebook.

CONTACT: Brenda Patterson, 440-623-9581, [email protected]

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SOURCE The Next Billion