CIPE Names Kerrigan as New Chairman

In previous posts on the Business Trends blog I have touted my involvement -- and respect for -- the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE). I have participated in progamming with CIPE, hosted the first Mideast North Africa (MENA) Women's Business Summit in Tunisia with the organization, and then accepted a board position in 2007. Now, I am honored to be serving as Chair of CIPE, being named as such at the April 12 Board meeting.

Here is an excerpt from the CIPE media release about my new chairmanship:

The Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) today announced that entrepreneurship and small business expert Karen Kerrigan is the new Chairperson of the Board. Ms. Kerrigan, a member of the CIPE Board of Directors since 2007, will begin her term today, with an immediate focus on CIPE’s upcoming Democracy that Delivers for Women conference on June 20-21 in Washington, DC.

Ms. Kerrigan said, “It is an honor to serve in this capacity for CIPE, and especially at a time when its expertise remains in high demand. CIPE is respected globally, with an extraordinary staff that is connected and trusted in critical areas of the globe where business leaders and reform-minded individuals desire tools and approaches to help foster economic growth and strengthen the private sector. At this key moment in time, the capacity-building expertise of CIPE is assisting reformers to construct organically-developed strategies and initiatives to shape economic reforms to help encourage investment, entrepreneurship and job creation. Finally, CIPE’s work in helping to foster the economic, political, and civic empowerment of women is of special importance to me. ‘Democracy that Delivers for Women’ will bring international leaders together to share success, challenges, and best practices. My hope is that the conference serves as a platform to determine how we best focus our resources to be more effective in our capacity-building work.”

For most of her career, Ms. Kerrigan has been at the forefront of leading key initiatives to help foster entrepreneurship domestically and around the world. Since 1994, she has served as president and CEO of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, a prominent and respected advocacy and research organization, and is the founder of Women Entrepreneurs Inc., an organization dedicated to helping women business owners succeed through education, networking and advocacy.

"Karen Kerrigan brings significant expertise to CIPE and has already contributed a great deal through regular visits to our programs and partners, especially in Palestine. She combines the ideal mix of a comprehensive understanding of the public policy process integral to democratic development and extensive experience in the entrepreneurial sector essential to economic growth,” said CIPE Executive Director John D. Sullivan.

In addition to its headquarters in Washington, DC, CIPE maintains field offices in Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq, Pakistan, Russia, Ukraine, and a regional office in Romania. CIPE programs are supported by the National Endowment for Democracy, the U.S. Agency for International Development and the U.S. Department of State, the Middle East Partnership Initiative, and the U.S. Embassy in Iraq Office for Private Sector Development. Ms. Kerrigan is the sixth Chairperson of the CIPE Board of Directors since the organization was founded in 1983.

It is an exciting time to be involved with an organization like CIPE. I will regularly post updates about the Democracy that Delivers for Women conference, as well as other exciting events and activities that CIPE will be hosting.

Karen Kerrigan, President & CEO