Betsy Myers – Keynote Speaker

Betsy Myers is currently speaking and leading workshops around the world on the changing nature of leadership. In addition, she is on a nation-wide book tour to promote her book, Take the Lead: Motivate, Inspire, and Bring Out the Best in Yourself and Everyone Around You, which was released September 2011.

In May 2011, Betsy was appointed Founding Director of the Center for Women & Business at Bentley University. Officially opening this fall, the center will focus on educating students about their leadership potential while conducting research about how and why companies should promote and retain women. Betsy will work to build relationships with corporations and share information about putting these practices into place.

With deep experience in the corporate, political and higher education arena, Betsy served as a senior adviser to Barack Obama’s Presidential Campaign. She joined the campaign in January 2007 as the Chief Operating Officer tasked with the challenge of building a $100,000,000 organization and established the campaign with a business operational model and customer service mentality. Ms. Myers also represented the campaign as a senior adviser and as Chair, Women for Obama. She travelled extensively in 2008 speaking to undecided voters and particularly on women’s outreach. These efforts included a working partnership with Women for Obama and the DNC’s Women’s Leadership Forum. She spent significant time working on unity efforts — meeting with Clinton supporters across the country hearing their concerns and inviting them to join the Obama efforts.

Prior to this appointment, Betsy Myers was the Executive Director of the Center for Public Leadership (CPL) at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. She came to CPL in 2003, with a track record of strategically building and realigning organizations. Betsy focused the Center’s teaching and research around personal leadership and the fully integrated person. This centered on her strong belief and conviction that the hardest person we will ever manage is ourselves. This culminated in a partnership with CPL and The Hoffman Institute. The results and impact were immediate and staggering. She also increased the Center’s efforts around women and leadership while working closely with the Harvard’s Women’s Leadership Board (2000-2007).

A senior official in the Clinton Administration, Betsy was the President’s senior adviser on women’s issues. As Deputy Assistant to the President, she launched and was the first Director of the White House Office for Women’s Initiatives and Outreach. She played a critical role in Clinton’s re-election effort in 1996 and figured prominently in shaping the Administration’s legislative agenda on issues such as domestic violence, reproductive choice, breast cancer, and women in business.Ms. Myers also served as the Associate Deputy Administrator for Entrepreneurial Development in the U.S. Small Business Administration. She implemented the SBA’s national requirements under President Clinton’s Welfare to Work Initiative and was responsible for the agency’s technical assistance, management, and distance learning programs. In a previous post, Myers was the Director of the Office of Women’s Business Ownership at the SBA. She served as an advocate for the 7.8 million women entrepreneurs in the US.

Currently, Betsy Myers serves on the Council of National Advisors of Springboard Enterprises. Springboard is a national, not-for-profit organization that educates, coaches, showcases and supports high growth women-led businesses that are seeking venture capital for expansion. Prior to joining the Clinton Administration, Betsy spent six years building Myers Insurance and Financial
Services based in Los Angeles. She specialized in the small business and women’s market providing insurance and retirement planning.

A Public Service Fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School, she graduated with a M.P.A. in 2000, and then served as the School’s Director of Alumni Programs and External Relations before directing the Center for Public Leadership.