Sarah Jessica Parker to Host Celebration Honoring Working Women and &irls

A FEW GOOD BUSINESS WOMEN OFFER INSPIRATION TO YOUNG GIRLS
Sarah Jessica Parker to Host Celebration Honoring Working Women & Girls

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 22, 2001

NEW YORK, NY, March 22, 2001- The image seems clich': one generation of successful, professional women shepherding the next generation through the trials and tribulations of attaining, then managing, a thriving and rewarding career.

But it is far from clich' for a majority of girls across the country. In fact, according to a Harris Interactive, Inc. survey, commissioned by Girls Incorporated, 60 percent of girls said they experience stereotypes that limit their right to be themselves and resist gender stereotypes.

There are adults, however, who are not only listening to what girls are saying but are trying to make a difference for them.

Three women, in particular, are hoping to inspire all girls to be strong, smart, and bold by sharing their stories. They will come together with actress, Sarah Jessica Parker - who through personal hardship became a savvy financial planner - to take part in the 17th annual Girls Incorporated Celebration Luncheon on March 22 at the New York Hilton. The event honors individuals and corporations who strive to change the workplace for women while inspiring girls to succeed.

The three women and this year's honorees are; Rosalind Resnick, CEO of NetCreations - an Internet company she co-founded on a shoestring that is today a $58 million enterprise; President of Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Group, Karen Katen who is considered by industry watchers as a top pick to head one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies; and Paula Banks, who as Vice President of Global Social Investment for BP, directs philanthropic projects in 33 countries with a $100 million budget. Deloitte & Touche/ Deloitte Consulting will be honored with the organization's Corporate Vision Award for its Initiative for the Retention & Advancement of Women.

Parker, who will host the event, says she hopes girls realize that "there is no one way to anything because there could be six different roads to any goal."

As a little girl, what inspired Parker was a desire "to be successful and provide for my family and give my children different experiences than my own." Today, she is inspired to "create opportunities for others so they can provide for their families."

Girls Incorporated President & CEO, Joyce Roché said the statistics and stories of girls paint a clear picture of what is still missing for them. "While women are seeing more doors opening up to them, there is still a lot of work to be done before there is true equity in the work world."

Roché added, "All of our honorees and Deloitte's effort to improve the workplace environment for women are inspiring, novel role models for girls across the country."

All of the honorees have had their own inspirations to guide their path to success.

From business journalist to business tycoon, Resnick's winding career path led her to become an Internet icon - pioneering the concept of opt-in marketing, in which everyone on an e-mail list has given permission to receive messages about a specific interest. Oddly, she says, it was the outdated employment practices of the Miami Herald, that didn't allow for her to telecommute - to make time for raising a family - that led her into "the wild and woolly world" of entrepreneurship. Her motto? "If you don't know where you're going, it's impossible to get lost."

Katen began her career 25 years ago with Pfizer. When she graduated from business school she thought she'd work at Pfizer for two years or "until I got bored - whichever came first." But "it's never gotten boring," she explains. She said attending college in the late 1960's - a time of continuous change - helped her adapt to the vast changes in the health care industry. She capped off 2000 by successfully managing the pharmaceutical industries fifth largest deal ever - Pfizer's merger with Warner-Lambert.

Banks, a native of the Chicago's South Side, says her experiences growing up in the 1960's influenced her zeal for social change. Today, Banks combines that passion for social justice with her keen math skills to enjoy success while giving back to the community. She says education is key and should not be limited to what's learned in the classroom, adding it's about "taking every opportunity to learn something new, and then applying it, and never stopping."

In 1991, Deloitte & Touche came to grips with the fact that only four of its 50 candidates for partner were women, and that women were leaving the firm at a significantly greater rate than men. Shortly after an internal review of company policies, the company launched the Initiative for the Retention and Advancement of Women - designed to address perceived obstacles to the advancement of women, gender-based stereotypes and behaviors that can make women feel limited in the workplace. Today, 14 percent of Deloitte's partners and directors are women, the highest percentage among the Big Five professional services accounting firms. The number of women managing partners has increased dramatically, and the gender gap in turnover has been eliminated.

"It took a cultural revolution but Deloitte now has a radically different approach to retaining talented women," said Douglas M. McCracken, Chairman of Deloitte & Touche and Chief Executive Officer of Deloitte Consulting. "The Women's Initiative made our firm a better place for both women and men to work, and helped us earn recognition as an employer of choice."

The event will be co-chaired by:

• Susie Buffet, National Board Member, Girls Incorporated

• Richard S. Fuld, Jr. Chairman and CEO, Lehman Brothers