#LWS2021 The True Power Of The Collective

Published 3 years ago
Business people having meeting in modern office

In her welcome address at the 2021 FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit held as a virtual event on March 8 and 9, FORBES AFRICA Managing Editor Renuka Methil, unraveled the theme of the 6th annual summit as ‘Africa Reloaded: The Power of The Collective’ and the need for everyone to come together to reset Africa on the path of recovery and progress.    

“This summit brings together a unique collection of individuals putting together an architecture for a new world order. These are the visionary thinkers, the doers and problem-solvers, some of them the greatest fighters of our times who have lived from despair to disaster, and yet succeeded. Because when they win, on an African countryside somewhere on the continent, as the sun goes down, little girls will dream of becoming the women they see on this stage,” she said. 

Turning adversity into advantage 

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In her role as Executive Vice Chair, Ann Cairns represents Mastercard around the world, focusing on inclusion, diversity and innovation. She plays the important role of senior ambassador and executive leader with a global remit and sits as part of the company’s global management committee. In this opening interview, titled ‘Turning adversity into advantage’, at the 6th FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit held as a virtual event on March 8 and 9, she tells CNBC Africa anchor Zinathi Gquma how Covid-19 has widened the gender gap, and how it’s affecting the global economy. She reveals more on financial solutions for female entrepreneurs in this interview.