The MPW Summit: The editors' picks

The women behind Fortune's annual power women powwow offer their
suggestions on what to watch.

By Nina Easton, Stephanie N. Mehta and Patricia Sellers

Nina (in green) and Pattie (in pink) with Arianna Huffington, Mary Fallin, Gloria Steinem, and Chelsea Handler at the 2011 MPW Summit. Photo: Asa Mathat

FORTUNE -- As the co-chairs of the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit, which takes place Oct. 1-3 in Laguna Niguel, Calif., we are unabashedly biased: We helped develop the program, and we think everything -- every interview, panel and roundtable -- will be thought-provoking, enlightening and entertaining. We encourage everyone to tune into the proceedings via our "Virtual Summit," an online tool that lets anyone view the sessions in real-time or at your convenience, for free, simply by registering here.

The program is amazingly diverse. You'll hear from Fortune 500 CEOs such as DuPont's (DD) Ellen Kullman and Kraft's (KFT) Irene Rosenfeld, who are in the middle of major business transformations. You'll also glean leadership lessons from Laura Richardson, deputy commanding general in the U.S. Army, and Edna Adan, founder of the Edna Adan Maternity Hospital in Somaliland, whose story is featured in the documentary Half the Sky.

Here are some the sessions we recommend:

Nina

Never heard of "financial diplomacy?" You will now as you go behind the scenes of the financial crisis in Europe, America's competition with China, and the workings of the G-20 with Undersecretary of the Treasury Lael Brainard. She's at the center of delicate discussions on how to keep the global economy not only afloat, but moving forward. October 2, 11:50 am PT

At MPW, we famously don't like to let our entertainers get off the hook after a night of song. So don't miss Suzanne Vega's insights into her life and her eclectic brand of folk singing on Tuesday afternoon. October 2, 3:05 pm PT

Our Wednesday morning closer this year is especially exciting: Prominent PIMCO CEO Mohamed A. El-Erian will take us on a tour of what's around the corner for financial markets, what are the realistic prospects are for global growth, and what he means by living with the "New Normal." October 3, 11:10 am PT

Stephanie

I can't wait to see Sam's Club (WMT) CEO Rosalind Brewer and Michelle Gass, EMEA president at Starbucks (SBUX) interviewed by Fortune's Jennifer Reingold. Brewer and Gass are retail all-stars. They'll talk about--among other things--operating stand-alone businesses within a big corporation. (Sam's Club is owned by Wal-Mart; Gass used to run Seattle's Best for Starbucks.) October 2, 2:45 pm PT

Stephanie smiles with PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi at the 2011 MPW Summit. Photo: Asa Mathat

Ginni Rometty is making her first public appearance as IBM's (IBM) newly appointed Chairman at the MPW Summit, and she'll be interviewed by senior writer Jessi Hempel. Rometty,  No. 1 on this year's Fortune MPW list, has a real passion for IBM's technology, and I hope she'll explain to us how a Jeopardy-playing supercomputer can improve health care, education and more. October 2, 9:15 am PT

Lena Dunham, creator of the HBO series Girls, will be at the Summit, and I look forward to hearing her thoughts on women, power and Hollywood. October 2, 12:35 pm PT

Pattie

The world hasn't heard from Carol Bartz since the Yahoo (YHOO) board booted her from the CEO post last year. (Well, she spoke once, to Fortune, the night after her firing.) Having gained perspective since then Bartz -- who is also lead director at Cisco (CSCO) -- will take the Summit stage to share "Lessons from the Boardroom". October 2, 11:40 am PT

I can hardly wait for my Summit conversation with former Sara Lee (HSH) CEO Brenda Barnes and her daughter, Erin Barnes. Barnes had a career-ending stroke in 2010—but she recovered and rediscovered a better life. She shares her story in Fortune's MPW issue and talks with me on stage on Tuesday. October 2, 2:20 pm PT

Striving to build a mega-presence in social media? There is no bigger consumer good brand on Facebook (FB) than Coke (CCE). The woman who oversees Coca-Cola's social media strategy, SVP Wendy Clark, will deliver brand-building tips. October 2, 3:25 pm PT

For more updates on the Fortune Most Powerful Women community, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Posted in: Coca-Cola, fortune mpw, IBM, Most Powerful Women, Most Powerful Women Summit, Starbucks, Wal-Mart, Yahoo

• Update: Fortune 500 Women CEOs hits a record 20

  FORTUNE -- As we noted yesterday, Yahoo's new chief Marissa Mayer is the youngest CEO in the Fortune 500. Mayer's appointment means that the Fortune 500 now has 20 female CEOs, a new record. Here's the list:

  10. Meg Whitman - Hewlett-Packard (HPQ)

  19. Ginni Rometty - IBM (IBM)

  28. Patricia Woertz - Archer Daniels Midland (ADM)

  41. Indra Nooyi - PepsiCo (PEP)

  45. Angela Braly - WellPoint (WLP)

  50. Irene Rosenfeld - Kraft Foods (KFT)

  72. MORE

  Colleen Leahey, Reporter - Jul 18, 2012 9:30 AM ET
  Posted in: fortune 500 women ceos, Google, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Marissa Mayer, Xerox, Yahoo

• New IBM CEO means two top tech chiefs are women

  Ginni Rometty is the next CEO of IBM, the company announced this afternoon.

  With that news comes a stunning stat: America's two largest tech companies will be headed by women.

  Meg Whitman, who built eBay (EBAY), became CEO of Hewlett-Packard last month.

  H-P (HPQ) is No. 11 on the Fortune 500. IBM (IBM) is No. 18.

  Both women spoke at the recent Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit. Rometty's main message (and one that Whitman MORE

  Patricia Sellers - Oct 25, 2011 5:41 PM ET
  Posted in: CEOs, Ginni Rometty, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Meg Whitman, Most Powerful Women, Postcards, technology

• IBM exec: Growth and comfort do not coexist

  IBM's Ginni Rometty

  Ginni Rometty, the woman who may well be the next CEO of IBM (IBM), dodged the question about her next career turn in this morning's interview at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit. But no matter, she eagerly tossed out tips that she has used to get very, very close to the top. Here's Rometty's best advice:

  1. "Growth and comfort do not coexist," says SVP Rometty, who is No. 7 MORE

  Patricia Sellers - Oct 5, 2011 12:30 PM ET
  Posted in: CEOs, Ginni Rometty, IBM, Most Powerful Women, Postcards

• Corporate boards earn a "D" for diversity

  By Patricia Sellers


  When I started my career at Fortune in 1984, corporate America was a land of white men. As I say in my talks about women and power, bosses back then were white men without facial hair.

  We've come a long way—just look at Fortune's Most Powerful Women list.

  But a new report on Fortune 500 board composition, released by the Alliance for Board Diversity this morning, should make diversity champions weep.

  The MORE

  Patricia Sellers - May 2, 2011 7:37 AM ET
  Posted in: boards, Citigroup, Heidrick & Struggles, IBM, Postcards, Procter & Gamble

• IBM exec: Culture is your company's No. 1 asset

  by Patricia Sellers

  Culture.

  Now that's a subject that most leaders would be wise to pay more attention to.

  One boss who does: Ginny Rometty at IBM (IBM).

  And to her benefit. Currently in charge of sales and marketing and strategy at Big Blue--and No. 8 on Fortune's Most Powerful Women list--Rometty is mentioned in Fortune's current cover story about IBM as a possible successor to CEO Sam Palmisano.

  Recently Rometty spoke about culture at the Yale CEO MORE

  Patricia Sellers - Mar 10, 2011 11:11 AM ET
  Posted in: CEOs, FORTUNE MPWomen, Ginni Rometty, IBM, Most Powerful Women, Postcards, technology

• 10 surprising stats from the Summit

  Last week's Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit was teeming with experts. They offered points and opinions on so many topics, with data to back it all up. Here, some of our favorite stats:

  1. The No. 1 quality that successful business leaders have in common is that they started a business at a young age. --Warren Buffett, Chairman and CEO, Berkshire Hathaway (BRKB) (Click for video of Summit interview with Buffett.)

  2. MORE

  Jessica Shambora, Writer-Reporter - Sep 25, 2009 1:01 PM ET
  Posted in: berkshire hathaway, eBay, ExxonMobil, Facebook, FORTUNE Most Powerful Women Summit, Ginni Rometty, Google, IBM, Karen Mills, Larry Summers, Laura Ziskin, Meg Whitman, Most Powerful Women, Postcards, Sheryl Sandberg, Stand Up To Cancer, Susan Chambers, Top 10, Wal-Mart, Warren Buffett

• Ex-Microsoft exec lands a big gig at Juniper

  Gerri Elliott, one of Microsoft's (MSFT) star execs, left the company early this year to spend more time with her family. Yes, seriously to spend time with her family. As I wrote in January, her departure was a major loss for Microsoft, according to senior executives there, and it was also a case of a powerful woman asking, "Why kill myself and miss my kids growing up?"

  Now Elliott, who spent 22 years MORE

  Patricia Sellers - Jun 23, 2009 3:38 PM ET
  Posted in: FORTUNE Most Powerful Women Summit, FORTUNE MPWomen, FORTUNE-U.S. State Department Global Women Leaders Ment, Gerri Elliott, headhunters, IBM, Juniper Networks, Leadership by Geoff Colvin, management, Mentoring, Microsoft, Most Powerful Women, MPWomen Go Global, Personal Power, Postcards, Power Shift, Silicon Valley, technology

• Most Admired Companies know their values

  by Jessica Shambora

  For Fortune's Most Admired Companies issue, released this week, I interviewed the CEOs of two top performers: Bill Weldon at Johnson & Johnson (No. 5 on the list) and Jim Skinner at McDonald's (No. 16). Fortune ranks companies based on survey results from more than 4,000 executives, directors and securities analysts.

  My interviews with these chiefs covered a range of topics, from cosmetic surgery to the Dollar Menu. But MORE

  Jessica Shambora, Writer-Reporter - Mar 5, 2009 3:02 PM ET
  Posted in: Bill Weldon, Brands, CEOs, General Electric, IBM, Jim Collins, Jim Skinner, Johnson & Johnson, Leadership by Geoff Colvin, management, McDonald's, Most Admired Companies, Postcards, Procter & Gamble, Values, Warren Buffett

• Reinvent your firm, not your values

  Reinvent!

  Every manager is supposed be doing that these days. You know, there's a lot more risk in reinvention than just the uncertainty of your fancy new business model. In your rush to reinvent, you could well leave your core values behind.

  I've been contemplating this lately for several reasons. For one, I'm sold on the wisdom of Jim Collins, the management guru who was part of a recent Fortune cover package MORE

  Patricia Sellers - Feb 23, 2009 2:38 PM ET
  Posted in: airlines, Brands, CEOs, consumer goods, eBay, Howard Schultz, IBM, Jim Collins, Leadership by Geoff Colvin, management, Meg Whitman, Postcards, Procter & Gamble, restaurants, retail, Roy Spence, Sam Walton, Silicon Valley, Southwest, Starbucks, technology, Wal-Mart