Ascend Convention 2009 - ascendconvention2009

New York, NY; September 2009. Nearly 1100 attendees were on hand for the Second Annual National Convention hosted by Ascend, a national organization dedicated to expanding the business potential of Pan-Asians. The convention took place at the Sheraton New York Hotel

and Towers in midtown Manhattan August 22-24. In keeping with the event's theme of "Leading and Inspiring," a positive spirit prevailed among convention goers, and more than one speaker remarked on the strong turnout despite the uncertain economy

A popular career fair, part of "Investing in You" day, took place as part of the convention on Sunday, August 23. Attendees were able to meet with numerous vendors exhibiting at the fair, and to participate in workshops and networking sessions to help them achieve greater

confidence and success in the workplace.

Among the many sessions designed to help employees gain better control of their careers was a plenary on Transitioning & Transforming, in which speakers Charlotte A. Lee, lead consultant at DBM, and V. Bunty Bohra, Managing Director, Fixed Income, Currency and Commodities, for Goldman Sachs, discussed ways to stay relevant during changing times through describing their own personal transformations. Another plenary session, the Executive Suite Panel, addressed leading and managing through a downturn, the U.S. and global economies and their impact on business, and the importance of ethics and corporate governance. Panelists Michael Fung, Senior Vice President of Finance for Wal-Mart U.S.A., and Thong Nguyen, Head of Fiduciary Solutions for Bank of America, shared their personal experiences and offered insights.

Leading off the Student Scholarship Luncheon on Saturday was keynote speaker Stephen R. Howe, Jr., Americas Area Managing Partner, Ernst & Young. The keynote speaker for the Leadership Luncheon, during which the Ascend awards were presented, was Niloufar K. Molavi, Chief Diversity Officer for PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. Other keynotes from industry leaders included William Wong, President and CEO of HSBC Markets (USA) and HSBC Securities (USA), who spoke about the value of diversity in the workplace; Barry Salzberg, CEO of Deloitte, who opened the Monday sessions with a talk about the importance of mentorship; and John B. Veihmeyer, CEO and Deputy Chairman for KPMG and Americas Chairman for KPMG International, whose gala dinner speech stressed that diversity is not only the right thing to do, but a business imperative.

Challenges

Highlights

1/30/2012 8:18:04 AM