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World Renowned Businesswoman Meg Whitman Named Keynote Speaker at GBTA Convention 2011

Dépèche transmise le 21 mars 2011 par Business Wire

World Renowned Businesswoman Meg Whitman Named Keynote Speaker at GBTA Convention 2011

ALEXANDRIA, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the voice of the business travel industry, today announced Meg Whitman, one of the most well-known corporate CEOs, will be a keynote speaker at the 2011 GBTA Convention in Denver, Colorado, August 21 – 24, 2011. Whitman, past president and CEO of eBay, grew the company from 30 employees and roughly $4 million in revenue, to more than 15,000 employees and $7.7 billion in revenue. Whitman directed a global expansion that turned eBay into a worldwide household name, and the company revolutionized the way goods are bought, sold and paid for online. In the process, Whitman created a vibrant online economy where individuals could pursue their entrepreneurial dreams, leading to more than one million people making all or part of their living selling on eBay. Ms. Whitman’s appearance is made possible by Orbitz for Business.

“Meg Whitman exemplifies the very best in corporate leadership. She is an innovative and forward-thinking leader who transformed eBay into a global trendsetter, said Craig Banikowski, CCTE, C.P.M, CMM, GBTA President & CEO. “I am so happy that our members will have the chance to hear a speaker whose experiences we can all learn from.”

Before joining eBay, Whitman was general manager of Hasbro Inc.’s Preschool Division, responsible for global management and marketing of two of the world’s best-known children’s brands, Playskool and Mr. Potato Head. From 1995 to 1997, Whitman was president and CEO of Florists Transworld Delivery or FTD, the world’s largest floral products company. Prior to FTD, Whitman served as president of the Stride-Rite Corporation’s Stride Rite Division, and she also was a senior vice president of marketing for the Disney Consumer Products Division at the Walt Disney Co. From 1981 to 1989, she spent eight years as a vice president at Bain & Co., following a two-year stint at Procter & Gamble in brand management.

Whitman is one of only seven women to have repeatedly been ranked among the world’s most successful people by Time magazine; Fortune ranked her the “most powerful woman in business” in 2004 and 2005. Business Week listed Whitman on its list of the most powerful business managers every year from 2000-2008.

In June 2010 Whitman became the Republican nominee for Governor of California. Her spirited campaign against Jerry Brown focused on job creation and the potential of California's economy. Today Whitman sits on the boards of Hewlett Packard and Procter & Gamble.

Whitman received her bachelor’s degree in economics from Princeton University and a Masters of Business Administration from Harvard Business School. She is married to Dr. Griffith R. Harsh and has two sons, Griff and Will, and lives in the San Francisco Bay area.

The GBTA Convention, with more than 6,000 attendees, is the largest, most comprehensive annual gathering of business travel and meetings managers, meeting planners, procurement professionals and suppliers in the world. For more information about the 2011 GBTA Convention, visit gbta.org/convention.

About the Global Business Travel Association

The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) is the world’s premier business travel and meetings organization. Collectively, GBTA’s 5,000-plus members manage over $340 billion of global business travel and meetings expenditures annually. GBTA provides its network of 17,000 business and government travel and meetings managers, as well as travel service providers, with networking events, news, education & professional development, research, and advocacy. For more information, visit gbta.org.