Legacies of Women Forum Participant Bios

Irene Natividad, President, Global Summit of Women Irene Natividad is President of the Global Summit of Women, a 22-year old annual gathering of women leaders in business and government who come together to share strategies for increasing women’s economic empowerment globally. She also serves as Co-Chair of Corporate Women Directors International, which conducts research and brings together women corporate directors from around the world on issues of . In 2004, she was selected by Women’s eNews as one of the “21 Leaders for the 21st Century.” She was named in 1997 as one of “25 Most Influential Working Mothers” by Working Mother Magazine, and was also named in 1988 as one of the “100 Most Powerful Women in America” by Ladies Home Journal.

Gay Gaddis, CEO, T-3 Communications (USA) Gay Gaddis is president and CEO of T3 (The Think Tank). She started her company in 1989 with a cashed-in IRA and two employees. Today, T3 is the largest independent advertising agency owned by a woman in the USA. Organized as a marketing and creative think tank, T3 works with clients including JCPenney, JPMorgan Chase, UPS, ConocoPhillips Lubricants, Intel, Universal, Microsoft, Ritz-Carlton Destination Club, and the U.S. Department of Education . She has been recognized as one of Fast Company's "Top 25 Women Business Builders," Inc. Magazine's "Top 10 Entrepreneurs of the Year", among others. T3's family-friendly workplace programs have been recognized by the White House.

Sung Joo Kim, Chair, CEO, and Chief Visionary Officer, MCM, Inc. (South Korea) Sung-Joo Kim is the Founder of Sungjoo Group, which consists of Sungjoo Merchandising Inc. (SMI) and Sungjoo Design Tech & Distribution Inc. (SDD) as well as the of MCM Group. She has been involved in the fashion industry for more than 20 years, beginning her career at Bloomingdale's in 1985. Since 1990, Sungjoo Group has successfully launched several globally renowned brands as an exclusive franchisee as Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Sonia Rykiel and Marks & Spencer, and has more than 100 direct-run stores in Korea. The company has also acquired MCM's global business, distributing to more than 150 retailers in 30 countries worldwide. She was nominated by CNN as one of the "New Century Leaders" for "The Best of Asia news feature" and she was ranked among the "Top 50 Women to Watch" by the Wall Street Journal (Global Edition, 2004).

Effie Karakitsou, CEO, Magnet Advertising (Greece) Effie Karakitsou, one of the leading advertising professionals in Greece, is the owner and CEO of Magnet, an independent advertising agency that she founded in 1988 and ranks among the top 15 agencies in Greece. She started her career in marketing as a Brand Manager for Carnation/Nestle in 1982 and also worked as Account Director at Adel Saatchi and Saatchi before starting Magnet Advertising. She is a graduate of PIERCE and DEREE (B.Sc in Business) of The American College of Greece and Pittsburgh University (MBA). She is also a Board Member of the Hellenic Association of Communications Agencies and also a Board Member of the Council for Communication Ethics. In 2012, she and seven distinguished women co-founded i-for-U, a non-profit organization that mentors and empowers young women entrepreneurs.

Yukako Uchinaga, Chairman, CEO and President, Berlitz International (Japan) Since 2008, Yukako Uchinaga has served as CEO and President of Berlitz International, as well as the Chairman of its . Prior to assuming this leadership role, Ms. Uchinaga was named in 2004 as IBM’s for the entire Asia Pacific region, a company which she joined in 1971 as a systems engineer within IBM Japan. One of few Japanese women corporate directors, Ms. Uchinaga was elected to IBM Japan’s Board in 1995 and is currently a Director on Sony Corporation’s Board, as well as serving as Vice Chairman of Benesse Holdings. To support women's pathways up the corporate ladder, she founded J- WIN, Japan Women's Innovative Network.