I am delighted to announce that Aude Zieseniss de Thuin, founder and President of the Women's Forum for the Economy and Society has joined GBSN's Board of Directors.

A psychologist by training, she founded International Direct Marketing Week in 1981. It was sold in 1993, having become the No. 1 event of its kind in Europe. That same year she launched the garden show " l'Art du Jardin." By the time it was sold in 2003, it was the top garden event in France and the second-largest in Europe. In 2004, Ms. Zieseniss de Thuin created the WEFCOS company to manage the Women's Forum for the Economy and Society, whose inaugural session took place in Deauville in October 2005. Rated among the top five global forums in 2007 by the Financial Times, in just three years the Women's Forum has become a major event bringing together over one thousand key political, economic, scientific, artistic and media figures of 70 different nationalities. The Women's Forum is a place of debate, reflection and action. Representing and promoting the vision and impact of women on the major economic and societal issues of our time, the Forum's wish is to contribute to building a more balanced world for the future. The Women's Forum is now taking on an international dimension with Women's Forum Asia (Shanghai, May 15th-17th 2008), and the organization of one-day Forums through the Women's Forum Day in Madrid, Istanbul and other cities. Aude Zieseniss de Thuin is Honorary President of the non-profit organization Force Femmes and member of the Femmes Forum association. She has been awarded the Legion of Honor and the Agricultural Merit award.

Guy Pfeffermann, CEO