Over 220 women from all across the agriculture value chain attended the inaugural Women in Agribusiness event in New Orleans from Sept 16-17^th 2012. The speakers’ presentations and the networking opportunities at the event received rave reviews. Here is more information following from the event:

• The proceedings are now available: The 2012 event included sessions on Navigating the Global Agro-Economy, Developing Leadership through Coaching, Transportation and Infrastructure, Managing Volatility, and break-out sessions on Career Opportunities and Building an Effective Network, among others!
• Check out the media coverage: Read the post-release. And RFD-TV reported on the Women in Agribusiness Summit, interviewing Mary Shelman of Harvard Business School, Vicky Saye of Kellogg, and student attendee Megan Davis on their thoughts regarding the event, Elizabeth Hund of U.S. Bank Food Industries on risk management, and Pamela Moses of Transcoastal Supply, and Vanessa Kummer of U.S. Soybean Council on transportation.
• Become involved in the first comprehensive study of women in agribusiness: The Changing Demographics and Experience of Women in Agribusiness, please read about the study and contact Sarah Clark at (978) 887-8800 Ext. 125 or sclark@highquestpartners.com
• Participate in the new women in agribusiness mentorship program: Please read about the program, complete the survey, and contact Sarah Clark at (978) 887-8800 Ext. 125 or sclark@highquestpartners.com
   with any questions.

The Women in Agribusiness Summit was created out of a recognized industry need for a forum to address the challenges and opportunities for women in the agribusiness and food sector.

This thought-provoking summit series brings together a powerful group of global leaders in the agribusiness and food production industries to facilitate networking, professional development, and mentoring in a fresh and innovative format. Key women representing many functional areas provide participants with pertinent information about their unique challenges and experiences and enable attendees to intimately engage in conversations that are important to them. 

Participants can anticipate a program of collegial discussions in a comfortable setting with women representing myriad roles in companies across the agribusiness and food production value chain. Women in Agribusiness attendees enjoy presentations and discussions with fellow professionals along with “town hall” gatherings that open the floor to casual conversations addressing important peer-to-peer topics. The carefully designed format of this summit series fosters participation from international delegates through substantive and candid discussions on best practices and helping create more productive and positive environments for professional women in agribusiness. 

Delegates are able to continue their networking and professional development by participating in the co-located event: Soy & Grain Trade Summit.