Global Women Making Leadership Strides

The following content is provided by Global Group Media. It does not reflect the work or opinions of NBC Washington's editorial staff. Click here to learn more about the work of Global Group Media.

[Introduction by Oni Aningo, Executive Director and Founder, Global Group Media and Creator, Rising Women & Global Women in Leadership Series.]

Women leaders around the world are making significant contributions to their fields, investing in their communities, and advancing equity. In Iceland, for example, women are leading in various sectors, from local and national politics to business, technology, media, and non-profits. This is reflected in Iceland's status as the country with the highest levels of gender equity, as per the Global Gender Gap Report 2022 by the World Economic Forum. 

Through opportunities such as the Women Political Leaders Conference and the International Women's Entrepreneurial Challenge Foundation Conference, women leaders support and nurture one another while also challenging conventional assumptions about what is possible. The upcoming Women Deliver Conference and Cartier Women's Initiative also celebrate and support women-led impact and social enterprises. 

The 23 women featured in these conferences are pioneers in their respective fields and are opening doors for women and girls worldwide. Their contributions are worth celebrating, and we must continue to support and recognize their efforts.

Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Prime Minister, Iceland

“It's important to implement policies that promote gender equality in the workplace. Legalized gender quotas and paternity leave legislation are examples of effective tools for achieving this. When fathers take paternity leave just as mothers take maternity leave, potential gender bias during the hiring process is reduced.”

Sheikha Moza Al-Missned, Co-founder and Chairperson, Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, Qatar

“The international community has to work together to deliver the best policies for women's empowerment. The issue for me is about choice and choosing the leadership role that suits women and how they contribute to society and the economy.” 

Dr. Njide Okonjo-Udochi, Founder & CEO, Summit Medical Group, USA

Guided by the work of writer and activist Eldridge Cleaver, Dr. Okonjo-Udochi uses technology to help minorities and immigrant populations in the US access quality healthcare. As the CEO of Summit Medical Group, making this a reality has led to the development of an integrated healthcare model that is patient-centered and holistic. This simplified care and delivery model has proven to be not only cost-effective but has led to improved patient satisfaction.

Helle Harder, Head of Science & Ethics Division, Danish National Center for Ethics, Denmark

In the age of transformative generative AI, approaching medical innovation with an ethical mindset is crucial. Working across clinical research ecosystems, including hospitals, multiple industries, government agencies, and ethical frameworks, Harder believes that collaboration among stakeholders is necessary to ensure that healthcare resources are utilized for research that truly benefits patients. She advocates for the development of a global medical research ethics framework for streamlined guidance in order to keep pace with a rapidly changing world.

Dr. Cara Antoine, Executive VP and Chief Technology, Innovation, and Portfolio Officer at Capgemini, Netherlands and France 

A global leader, technology expert and education advocate, Dr. Antoine advises global corporations on digital and cultural transformation. As an executive at Capgemini,  one of the World's Most Ethical Companies, she supports initiatives that make the firm more sustainable and inclusive; Capgemi brings the power of diverse teams operating in an inclusive culture to create distinctive value for clients and applies technology to bridge the gender and digital divide. Dr. Antoine is also a strong advocate for empowering women in science and technology, serving on several boards to promote digital literacy and gender equality. With her passion and expertise, she helps organizations achieve their full potential in the digital era and Dr. Antoine's commitment to innovation and inclusion has earned her a reputation as a force for progress in the tech industry.

Caroline Codsi, ICD.D. Founder & CEO, Women in Governance, Co-Founder, Synclusiv, Canada and USA

Growing up during the Lebanese civil war, Codsi became passionate about justice. Today, she leverages decades of executive experience to support the largest organizations in Canada and the USA to increase equity and inclusion through WiG’s acclaimed Parity Certification. 

A highly sought-after TEDx and LinkedIn Learning speaker, she has addressed audiences across the globe and conducted hundreds of fireside chats with preeminent CEOs and global public figures, including Hillary Clinton, Justin Trudeau, Princess Sarah Zeid of Jordan, Lord Mayor of the City of London, Tarana Burke, Randy Zuckerberg, Uzo Aduba, among many others.   

She is among the Top 75 Canadian Immigrants, the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada, and the Top 100 Entrepreneurs changing the world. Codsi was named Leader of the Decade for Diversity and Inclusion by WEF New Delhi and honored by the United Nations’ Women’s Committee. 

Samantha Tauber [VNCCII], Founder, Artist, and Chief Metaverse Officer, United Kingdom 

Samantha Tauber is a creative technologist and musician that adopts the fictional SuperHeroine Super Sentient A.I. avatar character, VNCCII, who has been recognized for her disruptive contributions to the music industry. She has been named a Top 10 Personality disrupting the music industry, a Global Icon by Passion Vista, a Top 100 Women Thought Leader of the Future, and a MetaStar by IPSOS 2022. VNCCII has been nominated for a Music Metaverse Award and has received praise from Tony Hollingsworth, a renowned broadcast producer, for her leadership in the Web3 and Metaverse space. VNCCII aims to inspire creative thinking for the benefit of culture and humanity's future. VNCCII recently won the Music Metaverse Award at Metaverse Entertainment World Summit that took place on May 3-5, 2023.

Daniela Schackis, Deputy Director General of General SSM Governance & Operations, European Central Bank, Germany

Schackis has been part of the European Central Bank since 1998, where she strongly advocates for women's leadership and empowerment in the workplace. She is guided by her favorite poem, Burn by Miguel Gane, which quotes: “No, you’re not prettier when you’re quiet. You’re beautiful when you fight, When you claim what’s yours.”  

Dr. Ruth Pauline Plummer, CEO & Founder, Covenant Daughter’s Ministry International, Covenant Daughter’s Television Network & Ruth Beauty Cosmetics, First Lady of COGIC, Israel and USA

In addition to her leadership role in the renowned Church of God in Christ, Dr. Plummer is CEO and Founder of Covenant Daughters International Ministries, a non-profit organization through which she developed the Covenant Daughters Television Network. The organization aims to increase women’s visibility in Christian media, provide media training, and bridge relations between the USA and Israel. Through her organization, Dr. Plummer has provided support to families in need, including providing groceries for 1,600 families every month.

A true multi-hyphenate, the actress, author, and singer established Ruth Beauty Cosmetics and Ruth Beauty Finishing School, a mentorship program for girls and women in leadership. She has also co-created Ebony-Opoly, an innovative board game that promotes family bonding while teaching Black American history.  

Dr. Cynthia Eguridu, General Manager and COO, Free Zones Global Investments Limited, Nigeria

Dr. Eguridu is the Technical Adviser to Nigeria’s Minister for the Niger Delta and COO at Free Zones Global Investment Limited, the commercial subsidiary of the Oil & Gas Free Zones Authority. Free zones are economic vehicles for delivering foreign direct investments and industrialization. In 2022, the investments into free trade zones hit a milestone of $56 billion, a significant contribution to Nigeria’s GDP. Dr. Eguridu oversees operations and works with managers to strengthen investor confidence through partnerships and corporate programs.  

A fierce advocate that supports inclusion in free zones communities, Dr. Eguridu is dedicated to advancing sustainable oil-producing communities and gender equality in the African energy sector. 

 Anu Bhardwaj, Founder & CTO, SHEQONOMI, USA

SHEQONOMI is the world's first suite of mobile apps focusing on women-led podcasts targeting the bottom billion. Among its many accolades, it’s one of seven female-led startups selected for Reliance JiO’s 2022 “Build for Bharat” Cohort featuring 50 of India’s leading mobile startups. Today, SHEQONOMI operates in 195 countries with over 250,000 downloads on KaiOS and is expected to reach over 150,000,000 mobile devices on JioStores across India.

Dr. Ingrid Vasiliu-Feltes, Founder & CEO, Institute for Science, Entrepreneurship and Investments, USA

Dr. Vasiliu-Feltes is a tech executive, futurist, and globalist passionate about sustainability and diversity. A Forbes Business Council member digital strategist, she is an international keynote speaker, board adviser, and author. A global thought leader that received numerous recognitions for excellence in research, academia, and leadership, she holds executive certifications from Harvard, MIT, and Stanford Universities. Dr. Vasiliu-Feltes has served in corporate and academic positions and dedicates her expertise to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Ruth Davis, Founder, International Women’s Entrepreneurial Challenge (IWEC), USA

Davis made history as the first African American Director of the US foreign service and continued to trailblaze in her 40-year career. She has received multiple awards for her exceptional leadership and contributions, including two Presidential Distinguished Service Awards and the Arnold L. Raphel Memorial Award for mentoring. Her work fostering diversity within foreign affairs has also received recognition.

Marion van den Boer, Founder and CEO, M. International, & Ambassador, Women of the World, The Netherlands

Throughout her life, van den Boer straddled cultures between rice fields and bustling European capitals, which fostered versatility for both the corporate world and a natural strength to connect people and empower women worldwide. Van den Boer continues striving to bridge the gap between the corporate and social worlds, especially when addressing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Her Dutch roots, global expertise, and being open to new challenges take her from local field projects to the world stage. 

Dr. Corine Karema, Interim CEO, RBM Partnership to End Malaria, Rwanda

Dr. Karema was appointed Interim CEO of RBM Partnership to End Malaria in 2022. Previously, the Rwandan native held numerous leadership roles, including Director of the National Malaria and NTDs Control Programme in Rwanda for ten years, ALMA Senior Malaria Program officer, and Special Advisor to the Board Chair of the Global Fund. Dr. Karema emphasizes the importance of applying a gender lens to malaria work by empowering women and girls in the fight against this disease. World Malaria Day, on April 25th, is a reminder for malaria-affected countries, partners, and all stakeholders to invest, innovate, and work together towards a zero-malaria world, as espoused by the RBM Partnership to End Malaria.

Melissa Saoudy, Founder of The Why Impact Consulting, UAE

Saoudy is an impact-driven advisor with extensive experience in purpose-driven strategy and innovation. In her work across the Middle East, she collaborates with private, public, and social enterprise clients in the environmental, health, and digital industries to solve some of their biggest problems. Today, as a founder of The Why Impact Consulting, a new mission-oriented consulting practice, she remains laser-focused on achieving purpose-driven outcomes.

Abiola Babatunde-Ojo, Executive Director, Prudent Group, Nigeria

Babatunde-Ojo is an accomplished senior executive with a proven track record of driving success and revenue growth. With over 20 years of experience in banking and Oil & Gas, she is recognized for her versatility and commercial acumen. Babatunde-Ojo has demonstrated exceptional leadership by proactively taking charge of the financial management and oil trading portfolio at Prudent Energy. Her contributions played a pivotal role in building the powerhouse that Prudent Energy is today. Today, Babatunde-Ojo continues her outstanding results by overseeing the company's integrated commercial success and market expansion.

Cany Jobe, Director of Exploration and Production, Gambia National Petroleum Corporation, Gambia

Jobe, a Gambian native with over 15 years of experience in the energy sector, is a leading petroleum engineer and energy executive. She’s a strong advocate for research and development to drive innovation across Africa. As the Director of Exploration at GNPC, she advises the Gambian government on oil and gas exploration projects, structuring, negotiating, and overseeing engagements in the sector. Her contributions to the industry have earned her several industry awards and a place in the 2021 Power List of 50 Inspiring Pan-African Female Leaders by Lean In Equity & Africa Oil Week.

Nancy Ploeger, Executive Vice President and Secretary Board of Directors, International Women’s Entrepreneurial Challenge (IWEC), USA

As Executive Vice President of IWEC, a global organization, Ploeger brings together women entrepreneurs from 47 countries to connect and collaborate. Her focus is on four key pillars that aim to empower and equip women with the tools they need to succeed: market intelligence, educational resources, networking, and visibility. Previously, she was the President of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce.

Margrét Anna Einarsdóttir, Founder & CEO, Justikal, Iceland

[See photo, top of page]:

Justikal is an innovative eCourt System enabling parties in legal proceedings to submit and manage court documents electronically. With the growth of electronic documents, Justikal resolves the issue of compromising signature validity by ensuring efficient and secure handling of electronic documents. The eCourt system aims to raise the standard for legal proceedings by making them secure, faster, and more convenient in today's digital era.

Wingee Sampaio, Global Program Director, Cartier Women's Initiative, France and USA

Sampaio leads the Cartier Women's Initiative, a program that provides grants to women impact entrepreneurs worldwide, awarding over $7 million since 2006. The program has expanded its global reach with awards for Francophone Africa, Oceania, and a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award for all genders.

Jeanette Gitobu, Director of Women in Wind Global Leadership Program & Policy Advisor, GWEC and Founder & CEO, Prestonwook Capital Advisors, Kenya 

Gitobu, an established leader in the renewable energy industry, focuses on sustainability, economic development, and gender equality. As the Founder and CEO of Prestonwook Capital Advisors, she drives diversity and inclusion in sustainability-focused companies in the global south. Gitobu is a World Economic Forum Global Shaper and a passionate paraglider.          

Growing up as a missionary child in Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Cambodia, she learned the importance of collective responsibility. She continues to protect human rights and promote sustainable management of natural resources, especially for women in marginalized and vulnerable communities.

Carolin Zeitler, Founder, The Impact Collective & Women Who Impact, Citizen of the world

Zeitler aims to change how we work by motorbiking across Africa to meet and document Women Who impACT. She plans to create a documentary film series that will celebrate women entrepreneurs who use their businesses to solve problems for tomorrow's society rather than creating them.

Click here to learn more about the work of Global Group Media.