Marketing Exec to Headline Women Leading Women

The Women Leading Women event scheduled for Thursday, March 5, has been postponed due to a forecast of inclement weather. *The event has been rescheduled for Monday, March 23*. Those who preregistered for the March 5 event will automatically be registered for March 23 unless you email the Office of Smith Programs and Events at smithevents@rhsmith.umd.edu, indicating you will no longer be able to attend. Women Leading Women is an annual event that celebrates our fearless female Terps and other businesswomen, empowering them to reach their full potential. This complimentary event is open to all women, including Smith and University of Maryland alumnae, faculty, staff and students, as well as guests and friends.

University of Maryland alumna Andrea Brody will share insights from her global career in marketing and sales during the fourth annual Women Leading Women forum March 5, 2015, at the Robert H. Smith School of Business.

“This event is all about sharing lessons learned so women do not limit themselves,” said Brody, Senior Vice President of Global Marketing at BravoSolution. The company, which offers software and services to support supply management organizations worldwide, operates in 13 countries with headquarters in Milan, Italy.

Brody’s career, which has spanned a wide range of marketing disciplines, has taken her to Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Poland, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Along the way, she has learned to thrive as a working mother and executive.

“I tell women to speak up,” Brody said. “Don’t wait to be asked. Don’t wait to be recognized for your achievements. Speak up so you get credit where credit is due.”

Brody also tells women to put off their feelings of guilt when conflicts arise between their work and personal obligations. “If you’re committed to the job and show results, it shouldn’t matter where and when you work,” said Brody, who earned a marketing degree from the Smith School in 1987. “If you’ve got to leave the office, you leave. And then you get back online when the kids go to bed.”

She has more than 25 years of marketing experience working for small and large national and  global  high-tech companies. Prior to joining BravoSolution, she worked for OpenText GXS, MERANT, GE Information Services and Cybercash.  She also has a Master of Science in Information Systems from American University in Washington, D.C.

Women Leading Women, developed by Sharon Strange Lewis from the Smith School’s Office of Development and Alumni Relations, is a free event for Smith alumnae and other women. “Women need advocacy and support at each stage of their careers,” Lewis said. “While the number of females in management positions is growing, women still have fewer role models and mentors than men.”

Seating for the keynote presentation will be limited. To reserve your space, please visit rhsmith.umd.edu/womenleaders and click “Register Now.”