Bank of America | Global Ambassadors

Helping Empower Women Leaders

With offices throughout the world, we fully realize our responsibilities as a global citizen. Our partnerships and programs are in place to serve our customers, clients and businesses. Regardless of their location, we're focused on helping make communities better places to live and do business.

SUPER: Kaku Nakhate – President and Country Head, BANK OF AMERICA MERRILL LYNCH-INDIA

Kaku Nakhate: We are very keen to bring this program to India because women in India typically come from age-old thinking where the woman stays at home.

SUPER: Archana Surana – Founder and Director, ARCH ACADEMY OF DESIGN

Archana Surana: I faced quite a challenge in terms of my family; making them understand that I would follow my passion.

SUPER: Smita Mankad – Managing Director, ARTISANS MICRO FINANCE PVT. LTD.

Smita Mankad: At the lower-income level, all the girls don’t get to go to school, or they don’t end up finishing school and we need more women coming into the workforce.

SUPER: Dr. Rashmi Tiwari – Chief Operating Officer, CEO CLUBS OF INDIA

Dr. Rashmi Tiwari: Women are around 35% of the labor force. India cannot become a superpower unless and until they reduce the gender disparities.

SUPER: Sarika Gupta Battacharyya – Founder and Director, ALTAVIS CONSULTING SERVICES PVT. LTD.

Sarika Gupta Battacharyya: A woman who has financial independence has a voice. She has options. She has choices.

SUPER: Akanksha Hazari – Founder and Chief Executive Officer, M.PAANI

Akanksha Hazari: We are definitely seeing a rise in female entrepreneurs, but we need to find ways to harness that collective force.

SUPER: Alyse Nelson – President and Chief Executive Officer, VITAL VOICES GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP

Alyse Nelson: The Global Ambassador’s Program here in India is based on the realization that mentorship leads to leadership. And so we brought together women who we believe are poised to have tremendous impact. Together with mentors and top women leaders and executives from around the world.

SUPER: Janie Wanless – Managing Director and Head of Corporate Banking, BANK OF AMERICA MERRILL LYNCH, AUSTRALIA
Global Ambassador

Janie Wanless: Mentoring programs are really, really important. Here in India we also have conferences with some keynote speakers and panel discussions.

Kaku Nakhate: You have different industries there - business people and NGOs. So, it also throws open what different things one can do.

SUPER: Donna Orender – Chief Executive Officer, ORENDER UNLIMITED, Global Ambassador

Donna Orender: There’s this incredible instantaneous magic that gets ignited because it’s oh my goodness, here’s somebody who has similar experiences. We will connect and from that great things happen.

SUPER: Julie Fasone Holder – Founder and Principle, JFH INSIGHTS, Global Ambassador

Julie Fasone Holder: You know it’s an incredible group of mentees here in the Global Ambassadors Program - women that have so much persistence and determination.

Janie Wanless: The mentees are taking us for site visits; going out and seeing what the working conditions are like.

SUPER: Geraldine B. Laybourne – Founder and Former Chairman and CEO, OXYGEN MEDIA, Global Ambassador

Geraldine B. Laybourne: The range of things that they’re working on from mobile applications for the poorest of the poor to microfinance for design businesses. It’s fantastic.

Akanksha Hazari: I’ve actually never had a female mentor so that for me was very exciting.

Dr. Rashmi Tiwari: Janie Wanless is my mentor. She is the head of Bank of America Australia. And the way she makes everything look very simple for me is amazing.

Janie Wanless: At the start of the week it was very much, this is what I’d love to do. And by the end of the week she’s like “Actually, you know what, I can do it.”

Dr. Rashmi Tiwari: With this program I have got that confidence. I am going to start an organization for the development of tribal women in India.

SUPER: Sohini Chakraborty – Founder, KOLKATA SANVED

Sohini Chakraborty: This mentorship – it’s the starting point to move forward.

Akanksha Hazari: We wrapped up with a mentoring walk. Women from across this city have been paired together – one as a mentor and one as a mentee.

Janie Wanless: Our mentees walk as mentors. It’s a great way to ensure that we pass the baton over so they can then take it to women here in India.

Sarika Gupta Battacharyya: I think mentoring is the biggest tool which we can have to bring in a change in the lives of the women in India.

Dr. Rashmi Tiwari: In India Mahatma Gandhi said that if you teach a man, you teach a man. But if you educate a woman, you educate a family.

Alyse Nelson: Think about hundreds, thousands of women who have been empowered. There is a light that goes on that says “Actually, I’m the solution.”

Dr. Rashmi Tiwari: It’s our responsibility to create more programs. Reach out to those women and create a better world.

Partnering with Vital Voices

We believe strong leaders can be drivers of economic opportunities and that women are a force to drive economic, political and social change. This is the reason why we partnered with Vital Voices and developed our Global Ambassadors Program. Vital Voices is the preeminent, non-governmental organization that empowers emerging women leaders. Global Ambassadors invests in the potential of emerging women leaders around the world, by matching them with mentors who are established leaders. Mentorship is critical to accelerating women's leadership paths and to closing the gap that currently exists in many countries. These mentorships help build critical communication, advocacy and business skills; provide essential connections; strengthen existing networks; and help women leaders create measurable impact in their communities. It's all part of our efforts to help create a sustainable future for our customers and communities worldwide.

Our recent events: Singapore 2013 | India 2012 | South Africa 2012 | Haiti 2012