15th APEC Women Leaders Network Meeting Speaker Profile

Keynote Session

Panel Discussion
"The role of WLN and the New Challenge"

Ms. Andrina Lever President and CEO of Lever Enterprises
Coordinator
Ms. Andrina Lever
President and CEO of Lever Enterprises

Lecturer brief history


Andrina Lever is the founder and President of Lever Enterprises, a consulting firm specialising in international trade, finance and commercial development. Based in Toronto, Canada, and Florence, Italy, the core business of Lever Enterprises is to assist companies to expand into international markets and to advise governments on trade policy and financial reform. Mrs. Lever acts as an advisor to major financial institutions, governments and multi-lateral international organizations with respect to small business, international trade and WTO membership. In addition, she is inhouse legal counsel for her family business, Balloon Express srl, Italy's largest party goods importer and distributor, based in Florence, Italy. Andrina is a Barrister in England and Wales and a Barrister and Solicitor in Victoria, Australia as well as a certified Board Director. Her company has worked on projects in more than 58 countries worldwide.

For nine years (between 1998 and 2007), Mrs. Lever represented three Prime Ministers of Canada on the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) where she chaired the Capacity Building Working Group, the ABAC SME Working Group and the Disaster Response Working Group. In 1999 she was presented with the Artemis Award in Greece for Leadership and Vision, the Canadian Women International Business Initiative Award and the Ontario Women's Directorate Partners for Change Award. In 2000 she was appointed the Honorary Consul for New Zealand to Toronto, a position she continues to hold. In 2002, Mrs. Lever was appointed by the Minister for International Trade to the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade SME Advisory Board. In 2003 she was honoured by The International Alliance of Women with their first World of Difference Life Time Achievement Award and in 2006 she was the recipient of the Organization of Women In International Trade Woman of the Year Award.

Mrs. Lever has sat on the Boards of Directors of York University, the Business Development Bank of Canada, the Canadian Youth Business Foundation, Canadian Stage Theatre Company, Women Entrepreneurs of Canada, the FCEM, as well as held advisory positions to Youth Business International, Mount Sinai Hospital Research Ethics Committee, Public Broadcasting Corporation (Canada) and various international government agencies.

In 1996, Andrina was a co-founder of the Women Leaders Network of APEC, a multi-sectoral network of women leaders from all 21 APEC economies which provides advice and recommendations annually to the 21 APEC Leaders and Ministers. Now in its 15th year, more than six thousand women have participated and the Network continues to act as the only women-led private sector advisor to any multi-lateral trade agreement in the world. She is a member of the International Women's Forum and is listed in Who's Who in Canadian Women, Who's Who in Canadian Business and the Women in the Lead Directory.

Ms. Elisabeth von Brand Associate Professor, Universidad Cato'lica del Norte
Panelist
Ms. Elisabeth von Brand
Associate Professor, Universidad Cato'lica del Norte

Lecturer brief history


Elisabeth von Brand is a senior scientist, working in Genetics of Marine Organisms. She got her PhD in Japan, at Tohoku University in Sendai in 1991. She works since 1986 as faculty member at the Universidad Cato'lica del Norte, in Coquimbo, Chile.

In 2004 she attended the 9th WLN during the APEC held in Chile. This meeting was an inspiration for several women to found the "Asociacio'n de Mujeres Li'deres -- Chile" (AML), the Chilean equivalent to WLN. This group has been organizing different workshops for women entrepreneurs, mainly about digital economy and export readiness. These different activities were often accompanied by WLN -- APEC experts. In 2005, Elisabeth was chosen to represent Chile at 10th WLN -- APEC in Korea, and during her talk she was able to show the first women organization in Chile (AML) inspired by the activities of WLN. Few years later she attended the 13th WLN- APEC in Arequipa, Peru'.

During her professional career, Dr. von Brand has been actively involved in research, publishing international papers, attending seminars, participating in various editorial boards and teaching courses on undergraduate and graduate level. One of her interests has been to encourage young female students to continue there careers in science, pursuing graduate studies in Chile or abroad.

With this in mind, she is now targeting the challenge in "How to increase the presence and participation of women in science in Northern Chile", with emphasis on Marine Science, Exact Science (Applied Physics, Mathematics, Astronomy) and Mining, important fields in Northern Chile, where women are still underrepresented.

Ms. Myrna T. Yao Chief Operating Officer Richwell Trading Corporation
Speaker
Ms. Myrna T. Yao
Chief Operating Officer
Richwell Trading Corporation

Lecturer brief history


EDUCATION

Master in Business Administration

University of the East, 1979

Bachelor in Business Administration

University of the East, 1972

TRAINING COURSES

The Executive Program on Corporate Management Tokyo, Japan

American Management Association Chicago, U.S.A.

The Association for Overseas Technical Scholarship Tokyo, Japan

BUSINESS AFFILIATIONS

Richwell Philippines, Inc.Vice President 1991-Present

Richphil House, Inc.Vice President 1992-present

LRT Development Corporation Vice President 1994-Present

Europlay Distributor Co.Executive Vice President 1995-Present

Megarich Properties, Inc.Vice President 1995-Present

Richphil Advertising President 1995-present

Kiddo Pacific Ltd. Thailand President 2002-present

GOVERNMENT POSITIONS

Philippine Commission on Women Chairperson 2004-2010

Board Member TESDA Women Center Women Advisory 2001-2006

Philippine Representative, Korea APEC ABAC 2005

Technological Education Skills Dev't. Authority Board Member 2002-2004

National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women Commissioner 2000-2004

NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS

Philippine Federation of Local Council of Women Founding Chairperson 2002-present

Philippine Green Army Foundation Director 2006-present

Fil-Chi Business & Professional Women of the Phils. Founder and President 1999-present

Pearl Buck Foundation Philippines, Inc. Chairperson 2005-2008

The International Alliance of Women Chairperson for Asia 2002-2006

AWARDS RECEIVED

Lifetime Achievement Award Filipino Chinese Federation of Businesswomen 2010

National Award on Volunteerism Search for Outstanding Volunteers 2007

Presidential Merit Award Office of the President Gloria Macapagal

Arroyo, Republic of the Philippines 2006

Gold Prize Award Women's World Excellence (Beijing) 2006

Global Entrepreneur of the Year Global Summit 2006 (Cairo Egypt) 2006

Gold Awardee, Women's World World Federation of Overseas 2006

Excellence Awards (Beijing China) Chinese Associations

Women Advocating Peace Award Women's Federation for World Peace 2003

Entrepreneur of the Year-Finalist Search for Entrepreneur of the Year 2003

sponsored by Ernst & Young Global

together with SGV Foundation

Presidential Citation Phil. Chamber of Commerce & Industry 2003

Asian Award Nominee Women Inspire of Asia 2002

Ms. Soo-Hai, Jun Chairperson, Korea Women Entrepreneurs Association
Panelist
Ms. Soo-Hai, Jun
Chairperson, Korea Women Entrepreneurs Association

Lecturer brief history


Present

-Chairperson of Korean Women Entrepreneurs Association

-Chairperson of the board of Korean Enterprise Supporting Center

-Committeeperson of Money Supporting Commission Committee, Small and Medium Business Administration

-Committeeperson of the Presidential Council on National Competitiveness

- Advisor, Economic Advisory Council of the Fair Trade Commission

- Committeeperson, National Tax Council Committee, National Tax Service

Personal History

-2006~ President of Orient Heavy Industries Co., Ltd

-1996~ President of Orient Shipyard Co., Ltd

-1987~ President of Orient Marine Co., Ltd

Educational Background

-2008 completed SB-CEO School Korea Small Business Institute, Seoul (Korea)

-2004 completed Advanced Management Program(AMP) Silla University, Pusan (Korea)

-2002 completed Advanced Leadership Program Society(ALPS) Ewha Women University, Seoul (Korea)

-1997 completed Advanced Management Program(AMP) Graduated from Korea Maritime University, Pusan (Korea)

-1969~1972 graduated from Dong A University, Pusan (Korea)

Ms. Yukako Uchinaga Chairperson, 2010 APEC WLN Organizing Committee Director and Executive Vice President , Benesse Holdings Inc. Chairman of the Board, CEO & President of Berlitz International, Inc. Board Chair, J-Win (Japan Women's Innovative Network)
Panelist
Ms. Yukako Uchinaga
Chairperson, 2010 APEC WLN Organizing Committee
Director and Executive Vice President , Benesse Holdings Inc.
Chairman of the Board, CEO & President of Berlitz International, Inc.
Board Chair, J-Win (Japan Women's Innovative Network)

Lecturer brief history


Yukako Uchinaga has been Chairman of the Board, CEO & President of Berlitz International, Inc., and Director and Executive Vice President of Benesse Holdings, Inc. since 2008. Under her leadership, Berlitz is a global leadership training and education company which has been expanding its services to deliver greater value to more clients around the world.

Ms. Uchinaga brings to Berlitz extensive experience in global business and technology management. She began her career in 1971 at IBM Japan, where she held several positions in development, marketing and management. She was elected to the board of directors of IBM Japan in 1995.

In 1999, Ms. Uchinaga was named vice president of Yamato Software Development Laboratory, where she focused on the worldwide development of pervasive computing software, web tooling and solution technologies. In 2004, she was named general manager for Asia Pacific technical operations, a position she held until 2007.

She was named a member of board of directors at Benesse Corporation after she retired from IBM Japan in March 2007.

In 1999, Ms. Uchinaga became the first woman from outside the United States to be inducted into the Women in Technology International (WITI) Hall of Fame. She was awarded Business Stateswoman of the Year from Harvard Business School Club of Japan in 2002 and was awarded Upward Mobility Award from Sosciety of Women Engineers of U.S.

She has served as an advisor to the Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Prime Minister's Council for Gender Equality, and has been a member of the Japanese Ministry of Education and Science's Council for Education. Ms. Uchinaga is Board Chair of J-WIN , a non-profit organization that promotes diversity in Japanese business. She also serves on the boards of Sony Corp. and Sompo Japan Insurance Inc.

She holds a degree in physics from the University of Tokyo.