A veteran ambassador, diplomat and artist, Naela Chohan proves that everything you dream of is worth giving a try. A former Ambassador of Pakistan to Australia and Argentina, Naela Chohan speaks seven languages, including Spanish, which she learned at 51 years old. A strong proponent of women's rights, she has had a permanent painting exhibit "Souffrance" at the Paris UNESCO headquarters since 2012. One of her paintings, called "Encaged," is about women limiting themselves. And according to Ambassador Chohan, that's one of the major barriers on anyone's path to success.

Marcin Czyczerski, CEO of Polish shoe and bag retailer CCC Group, talks to Acuris Capital Intelligence about cost discipline and the pandemic’s impact on future strategy.

Jedną z branż, która najmocniej ucierpiała z powodu pandemii, jest gastronomia. Wiele restauracji, kawiarni i barów nie przetrwało lockdownu, choć są też wyjątki. Wśród nich jest polska firma All Good, właściciel marki Coffeedesk, która postawiła na dywersyfikację źródeł przychodów i wielokanałowe podejście do sprzedaży.

Rozmowa z Helen Sydorenko, współzałożycielką i dyrektorką operacyjną startupu GreenBin umożliwiającego konsumentom wymianę plastikowych butelek na punkty, które następnie można wydać na nagrody.

W czasie pandemii doceniliśmy odpowiedzialne podejście do zakupów, troskę o środowisko i wzmocnienie pozycji zawodowej tych, którym grozi wykluczenie. Jak odpowiedzialnie podejść do świata mody – tłumaczy Rupa Ganguli, założycielka platformy e-commerce InclusiveTrade.com, na której sprzedawane są ubrania lokalnych marek z całego świata. Rozmawiała Joanna Socha.

Ewa Dudzic is the co-founder of the makeup remover brand GLOV. About ten years ago, she and her business partner came up with the idea of creating special gloves that could remove makeup with just water. Today the brand sells in about 60 countries around the world through such retailers as Douglas, Sephora and Monoprix, among others.

Przemyslaw Lutkiewicz, vice president of clothing retailer LPP, speaks with Acuris Capital Intelligence about the sudden shift to digital during COVID-19 and finding the best deals.

Globalna pandemia spowodowała, że cały świat zaczął mówić o higienie, zwłaszcza o konieczności częstego mycia rąk ciepłą wodą i mydłem. Jednak według Światowej Organizacji Zdrowia i UNICEF aż 4,5 mld ludzi na świecie nie ma w domach toalet, które spełniałyby warunki bezpieczne dla zdrowia (dane z raportu 2017). Około 2 mld ludzi nie ma w domu dostępu do bezpiecznego źródła wody.

W Insight partnered with Girls Future Ready Foundation to execute the HerStory mentorship program. Joanna Socha, W Insight’s Editor-in-Chief was a mentor for 15-year-old Maja Golebiewska for about three months. Throughout the mentorship program, Maja had the opportunity to learn the basics of interviewing and even share a byline on one of the W Insight stories, available here.

Zofia Kierner is only 16, but can already count launching a foundation as one of her achievements. Zofia started Girls Future Ready to support education and growth of other teenagers like her. We sat with Zofia to ask about her motivation behind the project and finding a balance between work, school, and being a teenager.

This is a list of companies to follow throughout the EMEA region and their response to the COVID-19 crisis. It has been compiled from local press reports and original reporting.

Magda Wierzycka is one of the wealthiest women in South Africa. The CEO of Sygnia Limited, a publicly listed financial services company, has spent more than 20 years managing money and building companies. Recently she sat down with W Insight's Joanna Socha to discuss the breakthrough moments in her career, as well as share her advice for women who want to have a perfect work-life balance. "That's ridiculous!" she reacts. Main takeaway? Don’t live a life other people want you to live and don’t feel guilty about things you don’t do.

Nina Kowalewska-Motlik launched and managed Harlequin Books in Poland in the early 90s. This turned out to be such a successful venture that the Harvard Business School published a case study about the company. After publishing Harlequin novels, Nina managed the Young & Rubicam Poland ad agency. Since 2001, she has been running the marketing firm New Communications, which represents such media as the Financial Times, the Gruener + Jahr Group, CNN and The Economist. W Insight sat down with Nina, as she explained why not planning too much is the way to go. She also talked about Harlequin. Well, mainly about Harlequin.

After the earthquake in Haiti in 2010, Zofia Pinchinat-Witucka decided to coordinate the building of a new school in Jacmel. She organized a public collection of funds in Poland and engaged Caritas Poland in starting this project. Construction of the school began in 2012. Currently, the building is in the raw condition. In a conversation with W Insight, Zofia shares her ups and downs when building the school and what she has learned on the way.

If you’ve been following W Insight, you know that investing in women pays off. Which is why Kathryn Kaufman, managing director at the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), decided to “double down” on women-focused initiatives by launching 2X, a $1 billon dollar commitment to women in emerging markets.

Many of us tend to believe that the “planning” stages of our professional lives reach a ceiling, be it after a certain academic degree, or a dream job, or a promotion. However, consciously and continuously checking in on our own progress and development can have surprising benefits. Read this interview with Mekala Krishnan, a senior fellow at McKinsey Global Institute, McKinsey & Company’s business and economics research arm.

Recognized Swedish designer and author of the book Factfullness, Anna talks about sharing a business with loved ones.

She broke stories on female genital mutilation and virginity tests in Egypt, leading to the criminalization of those practices. Shahira Amin has been recognized by UNICEF for her efforts to improve the status of women and children in her home country Egypt. She says no story is worth risking your life, despite doing just that multiple times herself. Shahira sat down with W Insight to talk about her 30-year career of reporting in at-risk regions.

Starting out as a microlender, over the decades Pro Mujer has grown to become much more than your typical financial institution. In addition to providing small-dollar loans to women, the company offers healthcare services, education and support groups to its customers, all in a bid to empower underserved women in Latin America to realize their full potential. W Insight chatted with Maria Cavalcanti, CEO of Pro Mujer, about the company’s mission and long-term vision.

Katja Iversen is the President and CEO of Women Deliver – a global organization promoting investment in gender equality and the health and rights of girls and women. Iversen, an internationally recognized expert, has worked in global development for more than 20 years and has counseled and trained multiple Fortune 500 executives on cross-cultural management and communication. W Insight spoke with Katja Iversen in the context of the Women Deliver 2019 Conference in Vancouver.