Fund Leadership
The OneWoman Initiative was launched on May 12, at an event hosted by Secretary of State Condaleezza Rice at the U. S. State Department. Initiative Chair Carly Fiorina briefed members of the diplomatic corps, NGO leaders and media on the pragmatic vision of OneWoman. She was joined by founding co-chairs Farooq Kathwari, CEO Ethan Allen Interiors, Inc. and Chairman of Refugees International; Shiela Johnson, CEO of Salamander Hospitality and global ambassador for CARE; then State Department Senior Advisor, Shirin Tahir-Kheli.
Chair, Carly Fiorina
Carly Fiorina is a best-selling author, sought-after speaker, business commentator, and strategic advisor. As Chairman and CEO of Carly Fiorina Enterprises she is bringing her unique perspective and experience to bear on the challenging issues of our world championing economic growth and empowerment for amore prosperous and secure world. Carly Fiorina was the first and, to date, only woman to lead a Fortune 20 company, serving as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Hewlett-Packard Company from 1999 to 2005. Today, Fiorina advises government, business and non-profit organizations. She currently sits on the boards of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Group, Inc., and Revolution Health. She also serves as a trustee for MIT, and a board member of Freedom House, Vital Voices, Business Executives for National Security, Initiative for Global Development, the National Symphony Orchestra and Ford’s Theatre. She serves as the Chairman of the Fiorina Foundation, a philanthropic organization and is a founding partner of The African Leadership Academy. She also serves as a member of the Defense Business Board. She has served on the Advisory Group for Transformational Diplomacy for the Department of State.
Co-Chair, Sheila Johnson
Sheila C. Johnson, an impassioned philanthropist with a unique talent for creating successful businesses, is CEO of Salamander Hospitality, LLC, President & Managing Partner of the WNBA’s Washington Mystics, and a partner in Lincoln Holdings, LLC. She also serves as a Global Ambassador for CARE, a humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. Ms. Johnson was named ambassador for CARE in 2006. As CEO of Salamander Hospitality, a company she founded in 2005, Ms. Johnson oversees a growing portfolio of luxury properties, including: Market Salamander, a European-style chef’s market with locations in Middleburg, VA and Palm Beach, FL, and the Woodlands Resort & Inn, in Summerville, SC. As President & Managing Partner of the WNBA’s Washington Mystics, and a partner in Lincoln Holdings, Ms. Johnson is the only woman in history to have a stake in three professional sports teams, including the NBA’s Washington Wizards and the NHL’s Washington Capitals. A founding partner of Black Entertainment Television (BET), Ms. Johnson’s crowning achievement was the award-winning Teen Summit, a weekly program giving teens a chance to talk frankly about critical issues.
Co-Chair, Farooq Kathwari
Farooq Kathwari is the chairman and CEO of Ethan Allen Interiors Inc., a position he has held since 1988. Mr. Kathwari serves in numerous capacities at several nonprofit organizations, including as chairman of Refugees International, chairman of the Kashmir Study Group, a member of CFR, a trustee of Freedom House, a director at the Henry L. Stimson Center, a director of the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, and a director and former chairman of the National Retail Federation. He has received several recognitions, including the Outstanding American by Choice award from the U.S. government; the Eleanor Roosevelt Val-Kill Medal; the National Human Relations Award by the American Jewish Committee; the Gold medal from the National Retail Federation; the International First Freedom Award from the Council for America’s First Freedom; Ernst & Young’s entrepreneur of the Year Award; and the Anti-Defamation League’s Humanitarian Award. He was also recognized by Worth magazine as one of 50 Best CEOs in the United States.
Co-Chair, Pat Mitchell
Since assuming her current role as president and chief executive officer of The Paley Center for Media (formerly The Museum of Television & Radio) in March 2006, Pat Mitchell has guided the thirty-four-year old institution through an exciting rebranding effort and strengthened its public and industry programs by analyzing and interpreting the immense changes in the media landscape. Ms. Mitchell came to The Paley Center for Media from the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), where she was named president and chief executive officer in March 2000, the first woman and first producer and journalist to hold the position. In addition to her accomplishments both on and off the screen, Ms. Mitchell is also known for her humanitarian efforts and her work as a dedicated member of numerous nonprofit boards. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations; the vice chair of the Sundance Institute board; a founding member of Mikhail Gorbachev’s global environmental organization, Global Green USA; a member of the V-Day board, a global movement to end violence against women and girls; a member of the Human Rights Watch board of directors; an adviser to the Center for Public Leadership at the Kennedy School of Harvard University; a member of the Mayo Clinic’s board of trustees; and on the corporate boards of Bank of America, Participant Productions, and Sun Microsystems, Inc.