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Board members & volunteers 2022-2023

BOARD MEMBERS

President

With more than 10 year experience in the private sector in Switzerland (corporate and entrepreneurial), Iulia is an active project manager looking for new challenges.

The versatility and agility she have shown in her various positions has allowed her to put into practice her sense of organization and communication, while respecting a quality objective.

Dynamic, flexible and autonomous, she does not lack rigor and she adapts very easily.

She joined OWIT Lake Geneva in 2017 and after her role as VP Events during 2017-2019, she took over the Executive Vice President position working mainly on the organisation's strategy on how to bring value to our members and community.

Katarzyna Grzesik-Harz

Executive Vice President

Katarzyna Grzesik-Harz has been working as an Intercultural Communications Trainer since 2017 and as a Project Management and Business Process Trainer since 2001.

In her workshops she meets the needs of already well-established professionals coming from the corporate world as well as those of students preparing to work successfully across borders.

She is a double master’s degree holder – in Intercultural Communication (MIC) at the USI Lugano and in European Studies (European Law, Economics and Culture) at the University to Poznan.

VACANT

VP Events

The Vice Presidents, Events leads the development and presentation of the OWIT events series and

any future activities.

Key Responsibilities:

Identify professional topics of interest to OWIT members
Create pipeline of future events ranging up to 6 months
Events shall be covering the focus area topics that have been identified
Identify appropriate guest speakers and venues
Make sure that events are profitable or equal the cost invested, therefore works closely with the Treasurer to analyze costs
Organize the Annual General Meeting each year in Feb
Suggest and propose to the board different type of events such as Annual Summer Reception/ Gala dinner and organizes the same
Work closely with VP Marcom to provide all necessary information so events can be advertised in a timely manner
Respond in a reasonable and timely manner to e-mail or other inquiries in relation to responsibilities.
Attends at least once a year the International Board meeting, which is held every month at 6 PM Geneva time and makes sure to write up the meeting minutes and share with the wider audience immediately.


Aditi Varma	VP Marketing Communications

Aditi is a sustainability and international development professional. She has an MSc. in Sustainability Management from Columbia University in the city of New York.

She has lived and worked in Asia, Africa and the USA on development and sustainability issues including girls education, youth unemployment, sustainable supply chain, waste and recycling and sustainable coffee production.

She is fluent in English, Hindi and has conversational knowledge of Bhasa Indonesia and is learning French. She is delighted to be a part of the OWIT community and network.


	VP Digital (vacant)
	Temporarily covered by OWIT Lake Geneva Team.

Jenitha Jacob	VP Membership (acting)

Jenitha Jacob has a bachelor degree in International Economics and Trade fromWenzhou University, Zhejiang, China and master’s degree in International Relations and Diplomacy from International University in Geneva, Switzerland.

Before volunteering at Organization ofWomen in International Trade (OWIT), Jenitha worked at Bugando Medical Hospital as a counselor and Nono Tanzania Limited as an accountant and supervisor.

Jenitha is interested and motivated to work in the economic empowerment of Women in all spheres and is currently enrolled in a postgraduate diploma in Women’s Leadership Development from Said Business School at theUniversity of Oxford.


	VP Partnership (vacant)

Temporarily covered by OWIT Lake Geneva Team.

	Treasurer (vacant)
	Temporarily covered by OWIT Lake Geneva Team.

Administrator (vacant)

More information about this specific role on demand, by email at president@owit-lakegeneva.org or e-vicepresident@owit-lakegeneva.org.

Ruxandra Grigorita

Volunteer (MarCom, e-bulletin & Events, Geneva)

Ruxandra is an experienced learning professional with a passion for adult learning and human resources. She is also focused on increasing the women's role and presence in all business areas and the technology sector in particular. Passionate self-starter, she believes in achieving excellence only through hard work, integrity and full commitment to one's responsibilities.

Currently an International Learning&Development Manager with L’Occitane Group as well as External Instructor with IATA, Ruxandra worked in the past 10 years as a learning professional, with companies like Expedia Lodging Partners, Thomson Reuters, HSBC and Caterpillar. She holds an MBA from Solvay Business School in Brussels, with a focus on European Management.

She joined OWIT Lake Geneva in 2018 and after being an active Volunteer, she took over the VP Marketing Communication position and is committed to supporting the organization in the events and communications area.


	Volunteer (Geneva or Lausanne, Database - OWIT International)
	Interested in joining our Volunteer Team ? Send your application at president@owit-lakegeneva.org

Mahathi Nemallapudi	Volunteer (Events & Afterworks, Lausanne)
	Mahathi has multi-disciplinary experience, in corporate and entrepreneurial environments. She worked as a recruiter at Sapient and founded her own food company called Maa Vantillu, both in India. Now in Switzerland, she has further diversified, and works as a social media manager in an academic and humanitarian environment, at EssentialTech Center, EPFL. She joined OWIT as a volunteer in Jan 2020, and, as a firm believer in women empowerment, is excited to get to know the Swiss ecosystem for new opportunities. Mahathi holds an MBA in HR from Amity University, New Delhi India. Before that she completed her B.Pharm at JNTU. Hyderabad India.

Juliette Bigot

Volunteer (Geneva)

Born in Saigon, raised in Cairo then in Paris, “a traveller”, Juliette has always evolved in an international environment.

She has a strong expertise in the Luxury and Fashion business, gained in prestigious Maisons. She has a passion for heritage, craftsmanship and would love to contribute to a more sustainable world in her industry.

She holds a Postgraduate degree in International trade and Economics from Paris 1 Sorbonne University.

She joined OWIT in 2018 to share ideas with inspiring women from all horizons and cultures. She is happy to help OWIT to grow in Geneva, the international city par excellence.

Avinder Laroya

Volunteer (Events & Afterworks, Lausanne)

to be updated

Birgitte Voilquin

Volunteer (Events & Afterworks, Lausanne)

to be updated

Sara Quijano

Volunteer (Events & Afterworks, Geneva)

to be updated

Volunteer (Geneva or Lausanne, Partnerships)

Interested in joining our Volunteer Team ? Send your application at president@owit-lakegeneva.org

Sanaz Javadi Farahzadi

Volunteer

An international lawyer, trainer, mentor and adviser to international organizations, local governments, academia, private sector, United Nations and European Union on IP technical assistance, trade development projects and gender equality in Europe, Middle East, Africa and South East Asia.

Master in Intellectual Property Law, LLM in International Trade Law, Doctoral Researcher in Intellectual Property, Based in Geneva, Switzerland.

She has been lecturing in ETH Zurich, Graduate Institute Geneva and University of Cambridge.
Teaching experience in more than 12 countries from developed and developing world.
Work experience with World Intellectual Property Organization, International Trade Center, Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property, South Center, INTA & UNCTAD.

Project Consultant, European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), (ARISE+ IPR)
Mentor, women in International Affairs Network, London, UK
Member of the Gender, Social Inclusion and Trade (GST) Working Group

Immediate Past President

Hulya Kurt

President 2018-2021

I spent 30 years in the corporate world, where I held many different roles, ranging from Business Admin Manager to Global Customer Experience Lead, Business Strategy Manager and Process Design Lead.

I was part of the Diversity and Inclusion global steering committees, led the local Business Resource Groups and now I am the President of OWIT (Organization of Women in International Trade) Lake Geneva, as well as VP Chapter Support, for OWIT International.

With a wide experience in managing large, remote and on-site teams, creating strategies, and assessing solutions, I am passionate about helping others to succeed and holding multiple workshops around Career development and Innovation methodologies globally as well a professional business coach.

I have taken currently a new position on as President of Noble Manhattan Coaching Geneva, which is an International Organization, uniting existing coaches, new and student coaches, creating a platform where coaches can practise, learn and upskill themselves in a trust environment, expanding their network and business.