Top Female Executives, MBAs and Corporate Recruiters to Gather at University of Maryland for National Conference for Women in Business

College Park, Md. October 25, 2007 More than 1,000 women MBA students and executives will convene at the University of Marylands Robert H. Smith School of Business for the 25th Annual National Association of Women MBAs Conference and Career Fair, Nov. 2-3. The conference features panel discussions, workshops, a career fair and networking events all designed to advance women in their professional lives.

Now more than ever, women are taking the lead in business, said Christine LaCola, assistant dean and acting executive director of the Office of Professional Programs and Services at the Robert H. Smith School of Business. This conference gives MBAs a chance to hear from women who have started ventures or risen to the top of their organizations, and the opportunity to advance their own careers with companies committed to empowering women in business.

Companies have a financial stake in nurturing women business leaders. Women are now only 1 percent of the Fortune 500 CEOs, yet according to research from Catalyst, an organization that works to expand corporate opportunities for women, companies with the highest percentage of women at the top financially outperform those with the lowest number of women at the top.

This years conference, organized jointly by the Smith School and the National Association of Women MBAs, will feature keynote speakers Louise Francesconi, president of Raytheon Missile Systems; Irene Chang Britt, vice president and general manager, Sauces and Beverages division, Campbell Soup Co.; and Lisa Tondreau, partner, Healthcare Industry Leader, US -Public Sector, IBM Global Services. The two-day event will also include a career fair on Nov. 2 and networking events for student and professional women MBAs with more than 70 corporate sponsors.

For the first time, the annual conference will include a case competition, organized by partner school Thunderbird School of Management and sponsored by Hilti, a manufacturer of products for the construction industry and in building maintenance.

More information about the conference and career fair is available at www.mbawomen.org .

About the University of Marylands Robert H. Smith School of Business
The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 14 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and part-time MBA, executive MBA, executive MS, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations on three continents North America, Europe and Asia.