World Renowned Businesswoman Meg Whitman Named Keynote Speaker at GBTA Convention 2011
The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the voice of the business travel industry, today announced Meg Whitman, one of the most well-known corporate CEOs, will be a keynote speaker at the 2011 GBTA Convention in Denver, Colorado, August 21 – 24, 2011. Whitman, past president and CEO of eBay, grew the company from 30 employees and roughly $4 million in revenue, to more than 15,000 employees and $7.7 billion in revenue.
"Meg Whitman exemplifies the very best in corporate leadership. She is an innovative and forward-thinking leader who transformed eBay into a global trendsetter, said Craig Banikowski, CCTE, C.P.M, CMM, GBTA President & CEO. "I am so happy that our members will have the chance to hear a speaker whose experiences we can all learn from."
Before joining eBay, Whitman was general manager of Hasbro Inc.'s Preschool Division, responsible for global management and marketing of two of the world's best-known children's brands, Playskool and Mr. Potato Head. From 1995 to 1997, Whitman was president and CEO of Florists Transworld Delivery or FTD, the world's largest floral products company. Prior to FTD, Whitman served as president of the Stride-Rite Corporation's Stride Rite Division, and she also was a senior vice president of marketing for the Disney Consumer Products Division at the Walt Disney Co. From 1981 to 1989, she spent eight years as a vice president at Bain & Co., following a two-year stint at Procter & Gamble in brand management.
Whitman is one of only seven women to have repeatedly been ranked among the world's most successful people by Time magazine; Fortune ranked her the "most powerful woman in business" in 2004 and 2005. Business Week listed Whitman on its list of the most powerful business managers every year from 2000-2008.
In June 2010 Whitman became the Republican nominee for Governor of California. Her spirited campaign against Jerry Brown focused on job creation and the potential of California's economy. Today Whitman sits on the boards of Hewlett Packard and Procter & Gamble.
Whitman received her bachelor's degree in economics from Princeton University and a Masters of Business Administration from Harvard Business School. She is married to Dr. Griffith R. Harsh and has two sons, Griff and Will, and lives in the San Francisco Bay area.
The GBTA Convention, with more than 6,000 attendees, is the largest, most comprehensive annual gathering of business travel and meetings managers, meeting planners, procurement professionals and suppliers in the world. For more information about the 2011 GBTA Convention, visit gbta.org/convention.
About GBTA
The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) is the world's premier business travel and meetings trade organization serving stakeholders across six continents. GBTA and its 9,000+ members represent and advocate for the $1.57 trillion global business travel and meetings industry. GBTA and the GBTA Foundation deliver world-class education, events, research, advocacy, and media to a growing global network of more than 28,000 travel professionals and 125,000 active contacts. For more information, visit GBTA.org and GBTAFoundation.org.