Accenture and Women.future Launch Global Gathering of Women Executives

Global Satellite Conference to Examine the State of Leadership and Lifestyle Issues for Business Women Around the World

NEW YORK, March 29, 2001 — In a move to unite and strengthen women’s leadership in business, Accenture and Women.future today announced they are working together to produce the world’s foremost global gathering of business women during MainEvent 2001 to be held April 5, 2001. Accenture is a leading global management and technology consultancy. Women.future’s MainEvent 2001 is a unique one-day gathering of top business leaders and visionaries, brought together to discuss women’s impact and growth in the corporate community.

MainEvent 2001 will bring together thousands of top women business leaders and visionaries to participate in interactive and compelling conversations about how motivated individuals can maximize their leadership skills in today’s corporate environment. The symposium will be telecast by satellite from Sony Recording Studios in New York City to corporate headquarters, movie theaters and university auditoriums in hundreds of global locations across North and South America, Europe and Asia.

"As an organization committed to innovation and women’s achievements, we are proud to join forces with Women.future during this historic global event," said Joe Forehand, Accenture managing partner and CEO. "The MainEvent shares our vision that together we can change the way the world works and lives. It will be an exciting and energizing event for all of us."

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau, women are expected to comprise 48 percent of the U.S. labor force by 2008. Accenture, an organization that actively addresses women’s issues by implementing programs as part of their "Great Place to Work" initiative, felt Women.future’s MainEvent 2001 shared their outlook on women’s impact and growth in the workplace.

Mary Tolan, managing partner for Accenture’s Resources Market Unit, will discuss "Using Power Responsibly." In addition, Accenture will also have speakers on panels at many of the MainEvent locations throughout the United States and in Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, Canada, Italy and England.

Keynote participants, including some of the most prominent women in business from Fortune 500 companies, will also discuss attracting and retaining employees in this era of rapid turnover, leadership qualities which will prove critical for future success, and understanding the gender differences in the leadership styles of men and women.

Some of the other featured speakers for MainEvent 2001 include: Merle Okawara, CEO of eBay Japan; Marjorie Scardino, CEO of The Pearson Group; Ellen Hancock, CEO of Exodus; Kathleen Sullivan, Dean of Stanford Law School; Tom Peters, author of "In Search of Excellence", and Laura Ziskin, film producer. For more information on the MainEvent, please log on at http://www.womenfuture.com.

About Women.future & MainEvent 2001
Women.future’s MainEvent 2001 is the world’s foremost gathering of top women business leaders and visionaries, brought together, for one day, to participate in lively, compelling conversations on maximizing women’s impact and growth in the corporate community. The objectives of Women.future are threefold: (1) to increase the number of women business leaders, worldwide; (2) to create a stronger, more inclusive workplace; and (3) to determine the role that women business leaders will play in the increasing shift to business enterprise of responsibility for the social/ecological welfare of the world.

About Accenture
Accenture "debuted" on January 1, 2001 as a $10 billion global management and technology consulting organization. The firm is reinventing itself to become the market maker, architect and builder of the new economy, bringing innovations to improve the way the world works and lives. More than 70,000 people in 46 countries deliver a wide range of specialized capabilities and solutions to clients across all industries. Under its strategy, the firm is building a network of businesses to meet the full range of client needs - consulting, technology, outsourcing, alliances and venture capital. http://www.accenture.com.

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Darienne L. Dennis

+44 (0) 776-433-9792
+1(917) 452 7760

darienne.l.dennis@accenture.com