Whitney Johnson leads Women in Leadership Conference

by Shay Carroll

Whitney Johnson, recognized as one of the 50 leading business thinkers in the world, will discuss advancement strategies for women at the sold-out Women in Leadership Conference on October 20. The conference, at Hilton Garden Inn in Perrysburg, is co-hosted by BGSU’s College of Business and the University of Toledo’s College of Business and Innovation.

Johnson’s work has been recognized for driving corporate innovation through personal disruption of the self. “Disruptive companies and ideas upend markets by doing something truly different,” she said. “They see a need and create something for a market which may not yet exist.”

The concept of disruption as a technique for success is the theme of Johnson’s book, Disrupt Yourself: Putting the Power of Disruptive Innovation to Work. “We are living in an era of accelerating disruption,” she explained. “Managing new learning curves is a vital skill.”

This is the sixth Women in Leadership conference, connecting women leaders from college and professional environments to enhance students’ leadership skills and foster a culture of achievement and impact. Longtime media personality Chrys Peterson will serve as master of ceremonies.

Additional presenters represent a rich cross-section of sports, marketing, philanthropy, industry and insurance. These include Kelly Hyne, Ladies Professional Golf Association; Maryrose T. Sylvester, Current, powered by GE; Abha Bhandair, Brown & Brown Insurance; Debby Peters, Connext Nation; and Aly Sterling, Aly Sterling Philanthropy.