Speaker: Nicky Nargues Adle

It starts with Brigitte Bardot, Catherine Deneuve, Vanessa Paradis, Marion Cotillard, and continues through the countless women you’ve seen in the streets of France.

How do these women master style? How do they combine effortless chic with their high sense of fashion? Trust us, it’s not that difficult. If 31 Million French women do it, so can you. That’s our promise to you.

French style is based on a number of rules and we will teach you everything you need to know about them in this 1h30 workshop. Bring your notebooks if you want, but remember, our lessons are fun!

In this workshop, you will learn how to:
- Find your style
- Know the clothes that fit you
- Mix and Match your clothes
- Accessorize
- Learn to watch others
- Shop smart
- Relax with your looks!

31 Million is a personal style consultancy that trains women on the ins and outs of French fashion whilst exposing them to the secrets of French style and nutrition. Our focus is to offer women in their 20’s to 50’s French style and nutrition lessons, organize for personal wardrobe consultations, arrange exclusive and fun Paris shopping trips, as well as provide a rental platform where women can gain access to French-styled clothing and accessories for any occasion.

31 Million started as a fun venture in Amsterdam, where Franco-Iranian Nicky Adle was missing the action of Paris shopping and decided to spread the word that French women don’t have more taste than others but simply dress and eat according to implicit rules that together constitute the French Touch. Raised in Paris, Nicky has been living in and out of France for the past 15 years, has never (ever!) shopped outside her hometown, or given up on her French eating habits. Like most Parisians, she knows the capital’s shops, current styles and future trends.

On weekdays Nicky is an INSEAD MBA graduate and internet entrepreneur, currently launching wondersale.nl, a promotions and discounts webshop that activates on key calendar dates such as Sinterklaas, Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day.

Website: www.31million.net
Weblog: http://31million.blogspot.com/
Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/31-Million-The-French-Touch/279785544491

Enjoy the class!

**SEATING IS LIMITED**
Be sure to register by clicking the register “as a guest” or “as a member” link above this post.
Participants are welcome to network from 19:00 to 20:00. The program begins at 20:00.

Registration and Guest Policy: Registration is required for members (no charge) and guests (guests are welcome at a cost of 25 Euro which includes snacks and drinks). Guests are allowed to attend two EuropeanPWN-Amsterdam functions per year. Please contact Caroline van Leuven, our VP Membership.

From Left to Right: Patty Kruiswijk, Manuela Roth (RSM ’10), Dianne Bevelander, Camilla Bjorkqvist (RSM ’10), Eleonore Breukel, Saskia Trurniet, and Ursula van Rozemeijer.

Women comprise about 30% of the students in the OneMBA and the percentage of women faculty is even less. While there are complex factors that might explain this, members of the 2010 and 2011 classes have decided to put women on the agenda.

The effort lead in large part by Camilla Björkqvist and Manuela Roth has focused on securing eminent business women to speak at OneMBA residencies. By connecting with women across the OneMBA community as well as the European Professional Women’s Network( EPWN), the kick-off on during the Spring 2009 RSM Residency featured Mirella Visser, Owner of the Center for Inclusive Leadership and the EuropeanPWN President. This conversation was continued when the class went to Istanbul and met with local women business leaders.

In September 2009 another panel took place with a group of Dutch women executives on the topics of “Women – the saviors of our economy?” With several courageous men participating in the audience, there was a lively and honest discussion.

At the EGADE Residency in November 2009, a Cemex executive, Irma Gomez shared her perspective on women, employment, and the economy in Mexico.

Events are in the works for Hong Kong and the the U.S. All alumni are invited to attend a session at the RSM Residency on April 8 2010 with Carien van der Laan, co-owner of Women Capital, and executive search firm specialized in women and placing them on top level positions. Van der Laan will address what to do with once you get an MBA and the value that women add in the executive ranks.

Some interesting statistics from the United States are worth sharing. According to the report The Economic Impact of Women-Owned Businesses in the United States by the American Center for Women’s Business Research and funded by the National Women’s Business Council and Wal-Mart, women-owned businesses contribute nearly $3 trillion to the U.S. economy and create or maintain 23 million jobs. If women-owned businesses were their own country, they would have the 5th largest GDP in the world, ahead of countries including France, the United Kingdom, and Italy. Anecdotally, many women say that they start their own business because they want to balance work and family and that they cannot break into the traditional male-dominated positions—or do not want to.

Members of the 2011 class are taking leadership to continue the discussion of the women in the OneMBA. Anyone in the OneMBA community can join the events organized by Women@OneMBA, men included. If you would like to know more about this initiative, please contact Manuela Roth or Camilla Bjorkqvist in the OneMBA2010 class.

For more news about the one MBA programs and to see the full newsletter click through to the one MBA website.

Speaker: Richard Kwakernaak

Richard Kwakernaak, founder Institute for Communication Psychology and Transformation (ICPT);

Thursday, February 4^th, 2010

Location: Amsterdam Renaissance Hotel

Why is it sometimes a challenge to enjoy working together with others, men in particular, while it seems so easy at many other occasions? What role do emotions play? How do we recognize each other’s and our own emotions? And how do we consciously as well as unconsciously focus our attention, depending on how we feel?

During this interactive event Richard Kwakernaak will guide us to reveal our inner resources to communicate and cooperate as effectively as possible, even under difficult circumstances.

Richard graduated from Naval Academy with a specialization in Human Resources Management and founded the Institute for Communication Psychology and Transformation (ICPT) after fourteen years in active service of the Royal Netherlands Navy. During that time Richard acquired a vast amount of experience of communication in male dominated environments which he now also passes on in his work with various national and international companies and a number of seminars that he teaches for the military, especially at NATO’s Civil-Military Cooperation Centre of Excellence.

Discover how to benefit from the latest insights in social neurosciences, practically applied in the fields of Mindfulness, NeuroLeadership and Neuro-Linguistic Programming. Learn what all people have in common and yet how different individuals interpret experiences, including specific characteristics of male and female information processing.

Afterwards you will have a thorough understanding why men sometimes act in a neglecting way, how emotions arise and impact your communication. During entertaining exercises you will practice how to maintain focus in order to communicate how and what you want.

Participants are welcome to network from 19:00 to 20:00. The program begins at 20:00.

Registration and Guest Policy: Registration is required for members (no charge) and guests (guests are welcome at a cost of 25 Euro which includes snacks and drinks). Guests are allowed to attend two EuropeanPWN-Amsterdam functions per year. Please contact Caroline van Leuven, our VP Membership.

Our summer program was packed with fun out-of-door terraces and the ever popular St. Nik boat club canal trip. In September Paula O’Connell introduced us to strategies on how to make ourselves relevant in a recession and to develop a personal career plan. Together with the Rotterdam School of Management EPWN Amsterdam also organized the panel ‘Female entrepreneurs – the saviors of our economy!?’ during which successful female entrepreneurs including Eleonore Breukel shared their visions on their contributions to our economy. In October Michelle Brailsford, president of our EuropeanPWN chapter in London and founding partner of Jupiter Consulting Group, codified for us the rules of the political game in organizations and Andrea Martins, director and co-founder of ExpatWomen.com, shared with us inspirational stories of a variety of (hugely successful) expat women. Stephanie Ward ignited the Wisdom Wildfire during our annual Speed Networking session in November. During our December event ‘DSM: Passion for People, Commitment to Diversity’ we welcomed Jackie Cuthbert, Senior Vice President Global Recruitment and Learning and Xander Wessels, President DSM Food Specialties at Royal DSM N.V.

On January 11th we are going to kick off the New Year with a genuine highlight: Fons Trompenaars, one of the most influential management thinkers and true guru on culture and business, will share his views on ‘Riding the Whirlwind: Culture & Innovation’. Please register for the event as seats are limited.

We would like to thank all of you – also in the name of the entire board of EuropeanPWN Amsterdam – for your interest in our events, your active participation, your inspiration and support. We are looking forward to see you at many events in 2010; you are welcome to spread the word about our network amongst your colleagues and friends. If there is anything that you missed in our programming or if you would like to suggest speakers, topics or themes, please get in touch with one of us. The folks in The Hague will welcome you on January 5th for a new year’s borrel and the Amsterdam board welcomes you January 27th in Amsterdam.
Mentors/mentees, don’t forget to fill in your online “matching” applications as promised.

Wishing you a very Happy New Year and all the best in 2010!

On behalf of the board of EuropeanPWN Amsterdam,
Anna Farrenkopf & Katharina Pohl