On 50th Anniversary, NOW NYC Honors Breaking Women's Barriers

On June 22 at Three Sixty� New York, The National Organization for Women-NYC will honor announce its 2016 Women of Power & Influence Award honorees. This year's honorees are remarkable women who have, among other achievements, defended J.K. Rowling from copycats, led changes in medical research and signed a contract with the Vatican to promote them, represented one of the world's largest banks, managed a global insurance and investment organization, executed numerous complex billion-dollar business projects, and built the largest private services language translation company in the world.

"We are proud to award these women's outstanding achievements and their leadership at our 50th anniversary. They represent the leaders that the founders of our movement envisioned women could be," said NOW-NYC president Sonia Ossorio.

These exemplary women, with their talents, visions and boldness, have worked their way to the top of their industries and broken barriers along the way. They are inspirations to every New Yorker. For 28 years through our Women of Power & Influence Awards, NOW has celebrated outstanding women leaders who are dedicated to improving their communities, and who not only excel within their own industry but actively pave the way for other women to succeed.

Since NOW was founded in 1966, they have pioneered advances in women's rights through their relentless fight for justice and equal opportunities. Despite all these changes and a record number of women in the workforce, women are not represented equally in boardrooms, and are still being paid less than men for the same jobs.

"Our honorees stand as undeniable proof of the barriers that women have broken and of what women's leadership brings to the table," said Ossorio. "They are an inspiration for young women and girls, and it is their example and mentorship that will make the difference for women attaining equity in the workforce."

The 2016 honorees are:

Stacey Antar is Vice President and General Counsel at Ferring Pharmaceuticals. An accomplished Corporate Counsel, Stacey has earned her reputation as a strong and dynamic leader experienced in providing top-level legal advice to global businesses in the highly regulated pharmaceutical industry. Stacey has a demonstrated track record of deftly navigating highly challenging business environments, such as reorganizations, creating new business entities, and leading mature businesses through major transformations. Prior to joining Ferring, Stacey rose through the ranks at Johnson & Johnson, advising senior leaders on a variety of legal matters, including the $4.15 billion dollar sale of Johnson and Johnson's Diagnostic Unit to the Carlyle Group.

Leilani Brown is the Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Starr Companies, a global insurance and investments organization. In her role, Leilani leads the company's strategic marketing, brand management, advertising, corporate communications, and digital strategy. Prior to joining Starr, Leilani served in marketing leadership positions at The Economist Group, MetLife, and American International Group, Inc. She has been recognized by Black Enterprise's Top Women in Marketing & Advertising, and Savoy Magazine's Top 100 Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America, and sits on the board of the Executive Leadership Council, a national membership organization for top African-American executives.

Dale Cendali, Partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, heads Kirkland's Copyright, Trademark, Internet and Advertising practice group. She is a nationally recognized leader in the field of intellectual property litigation, having successfully litigated and tried numerous high-profile cases and having argued before the U.S. Supreme Court. In 2016, IP 360 named Dale one of the 25 "Icons of IP," who have "made an indelible mark in the IP area." Dale teaches copyright and trademark litigation at Harvard Law School, and she is a prolific writer and an active member of the bar.

Liz Elting is Co-Founder and Co-CEO of TransPerfect, the world's largest privately owned language services and technology solutions company. Living, studying and working in five countries by the age of 25, Liz identified a need in the translation industry to provide a service-focused enterprise that could tackle complex projects quickly and accurately. Today, TransPerfect has been recognized for developing the industry standard for linguist certification. Liz has been recognized as "Woman of the Year" by American Express-Entrepreneur Magazine and as an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

Jennifer Kennedy Park, Partner at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, became the first Cleary lawyer ever to be named a "Rising Star" by the New York Law Journal in 2015. She was recognized for her work on behalf of clients, including serving as lead counsel to HSBC in criminal and regulatory investigations, and is noted for her commitment to social, civic and charitable initiatives. Jennifer is very active in the firm's pro bono practice and is a frequent speaker on issues related to the retention and promotion of women in the law

Dr. Robin L. Smith is recognized as a global thought leader in the regenerative medicine industry. During her tenure as CEO of the NeoStem family of companies (2006 to 2015), she pioneered the company's innovative business model and raised over $200 million, completing six acquisitions and one divestiture while the company earned a #1 ranking in the Tri-State region and #11 nationally, on Deloitte's Technology Fast 500�. She is currently the Chairman & President of the Stem for Life Foundation, an educational organization she founded in 2008, devoted to fostering global awareness of the potential for regenerative medicine to treat and cure a range of deadly diseases and debilitating medical conditions.

The National Organization for Women is the nation's largest organization working to advance women's rights and improve women's lives. The New York City Chapter of NOW, founded in 1966, is the largest chapter in the country with 5,000 members locally and 35,000 statewide. NOW-NYC works to promote women's reproductive rights, secure women's economic empowerment, and end violence and discrimination against women.

For more information, visit http://nownyc.org/building-womens-leadership/women-of-power-influence-awards/