FORTUNE is expanding its Most Powerful Women series with the launch of the Most Powerful Women International Summit in Montréal, Canada. FORTUNE Senior Editor at Large and co-chair of the Summit Leigh Gallagher made the announcement today at the Most Powerful Women dinner in New York City. The event will take place on November 5-6, 2018. Canada is the presenting partner of the Summit.
The FORTUNE Most Powerful Women International Summit in Montréal will bring together women CEOs, entrepreneurs, innovators, and leaders from around the world. The theme of this year’s conference, “Redefining Power: Seizing the $12 Trillion Opportunity,” will address the potential economic impact of gender equality on a global scale and how gender equality can play a key role in solutions to global challenges.
Gender equality is at the core of Canada’s 2018 federal budget and a key theme in its G7 presidency. At the Most Powerful Women International Summit, Canada will work with FORTUNE to advance gender equality and promote economic growth that works for everyone.
The new event is an extension of FORTUNE’s fast-growing Most Powerful Women lineup, which began in 1998 as an annual ranking of top women business leaders in the magazine, and is now a global community that features events and programs in London, Hong Kong, New York, Washington, D.C. and Laguna Niguel, CA for the most prominent women leaders in business, philanthropy, government, education, and the arts. The principal event, FORTUNE’s Most Powerful Women Summit, will take place in Laguna Niguel, CA on October 1-3, 2018.
“We’re thrilled to be expanding the FORTUNE Most Powerful Women Summit to Canada, particularly given the country’s commitment to women’s leadership and gender equality,” said Gallagher. “We look forward to welcoming a distinguished group of female leaders from around the world to talk about the most pressing business and leadership issues of the day—and to address the global economic potential of gender equality.”
“Canada knows women’s leadership is key to growing strong economies that work for everyone,” said the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau. “We’re working hard to make sure everyone, no matter their gender identity, can participate freely, fully, and equally in our society and our economy – because none of us can move forward when half of us are held back. At the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit in Montréal, we’ll build on that progress, and work together with global women leaders to address the challenges we face as a world.”
Speakers and programming for the invitation-only conference will be announced in the coming weeks.
The Most Powerful Women Summit International in Montréal is one of more than a dozen live events produced annually by FORTUNE Live Media—including FORTUNE Brainstorm Tech, FORTUNE Brainstorm Health, FORTUNE Brainstorm Design and the FORTUNE Global Forum.
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