DUBLIN: The Bank of Ireland has hosted an International Women of Excellence (IWE) event in Bristol facilitated by Rebecca Stephens MBE, the first British woman to climb Everest and the Seven Summits. The event, ‘The Foundations of Leadership: Integrity and Trust’, focused on how leadership lessons can be learnt from Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, and marked 100 years since the completion of his 1914-17 expedition. Stephens herself has followed in Shackleton’s footsteps, crossing the island of South Georgia and twice sailing to Antarctica to visit Shackleton sites.
The IWE itself is a non-profit organisation committed to helping professional women realise their full potential in the corporate world. This is the first event of its kind that the organisation has held in the South West. Senior business leaders from Bank of Ireland UK and surrounding companies heard from Stephens that Shackleton had shown that teamwork is of greater importance than overall success. Although the 1914-17 expedition did not reach the intended destination, Shackleton’s reputation is based on a far greater success: the safe return of his entire team.
