DONNA AVELLANA KÜNZLER RECOGNIZED MOST INFLUENTIAL FILIPINA WOMAN IN THE WORLD

 

Zurich, October 19, 2023

Donna Avellana Künzler, award-winning author and Head of Procurement Process Excellence and Digital Transformation for ABB’s Robotics and Discrete Automation business is to receive the prestigious “Most Influential Filipina Woman in the World” award from the Foundation for Filipina Women’s Network. She will receive her award at a Gala Dinner Ceremony on November 1, 2023 at the Lobkowicz Palace, a 16th-century palace, one of the most significant cultural sites in the Czech Republic in the Prague Castle complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Learn more about Donna here.

The Foundation for Filipina Women’s Network recognizes women of Philippine ancestry who are changing the face of leadership in the global workplace. They have reached outstanding work in their respective fields and are acknowledged for their contributions to society, femtorship, and legacy. Künzler was selected from an outstanding field of nominees from 10 countries this year.  

FWN is honoring Künzler with the BUILDER award category:

Builders have demonstrated exceptional organizational impact in a large workplace environment, displaying a deep passion for a cause through collaborative initiatives or alliances with institutions, corporations, or nonprofit organizations on behalf of her own company. Builders demonstrate high potential and skill with measurable results at government agencies, higher education institutions, nonprofits, or corporations in the public and private sectors. “Buildership” is about developing better organizations, leading broken organizations to adjust, repair, and re-align, including journalistic views redefining traditional methods.

FWN launched the Most Influential Filipina Woman in the World Award (Global FWN100™) in 2006 in the United States and expanded its search globally in 2013. Awardees have reached the pinnacle of their careers, breaking “glass ceilings” in the public and private sectors –

• First Filipino appointed by Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau to his cabinet, MP Rechie Valdez

• Former California Chief Justice Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye,

• First Filipino to become CEO of a Fortune100 company, HealthNet CEO and now Sterling CEO Cora Manase Tellez,

• Charles Schwab Investments CEO and now Commonwealth Club Board Chair Evelyn Dilsaver,

• Mayor Bill de Blasio appointed Minerva Tantoco as New York City’s first-ever Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

• Philippines former Vice President Leni Robredo,

• First Filipina woman elected Mayor of Manila, Dr. Honey Lacuna-Pangan

• Cebu Governor and former Philippines House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Gwen Garcia,

• Utah Valley University President Astrid S. Tuminez,

• Country Head of Legato Philippines and former Undersecretary of the Philippines Department of Trade Nora Terrado,

• Millennial CEO and co-founder of MFT Group, a private equity firm, Mica F. Tan,

• Teresita Batayola, Commissioner appointed by President Joe Biden to the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI), President and CEO Emerita, International Community Health Services,

• First woman White House Executive Chef, Cristeta Comerford

• First Filipina elected President of the Oakland, California Board of Supervisors, Nikki Fortunato Bas,

• and four Admirals in the U.S. Navy:

o First woman White House physician to two U.S. Presidents (GHW Bush and Clinton), Connie Mariano,

o Vice Admiral Raquel Cruz Bono,

o Rear Admiral Eleanor Valentin and

o Rear Admiral Babette Bolivar

Not everyone is at the C-Suite level – Jessica Cox, the world’s first licensed armless pilot and Taekwondo black-belt, and Rowena Romulo, UK Restaurateur  

“The Global FWN100™ awardees are innovators and thought leaders, dynamic entrepreneurs, rising stars under age 30, practitioners, and public service advocates, who have moved through the ranks in the public and private sectors. They are magnificent women doing extraordinary work trailblazing for the next generation leaders,” said Marily Mondejar, Founder and CEO of the Foundation for Filipina Women’s Network.

“Each nominee goes through a rigorous multi-stage vetting process by the Global FWN100™ Awards Selection Committee composed of global awardees,” explained Teresita Batayola, appointed by President Joe Biden to the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI), a selection committee member. The awardees are selected based on the size and scope of their influence in their industries, communities, board affiliations, and other leadership roles.”

The Global FWN100™ Award is a “working award” with a meaningful purpose: A Filipina woman leader in every sector of the global economy. The awardees re-invent themselves, pay forward, and develop their global imprint with their Global Pitch. This two-year short-term project benefits Filipina women where they live. They “pay forward” by femtoring (female mentoring) next-generation leaders and women re-entering the global workplace and sponsoring their attendance at the Filipina Summit.

“DONNA AVELLANA KÜNZLER is now a valued partner helping FWN increase the Filipina community’s pipeline of qualified leaders. Her involvement will increase the odds that some will rise to the “president” position in all sectors of the economy,” added Benel Se Liban, FWN vice president for membership. “The summit is where smart women share challenges and secrets to success. The 2007-2023 awardees’ leadership stories have become part of the largest recorded history of Filipina women in diaspora in modern times.”

‘Intersectionality: Filipina Women Changemakers’ is the theme of #FWNSummit 2023. Seeing all the awardees on stage at the awards ceremony assures me that the future of our young Filipina sisters is solid,” said Marla Rausch, Founder and CEO of Animation Vertigo, a motion-capture animation company. “Awardees share this inspiring evening with their moms, grandmothers, daughters, sons, spouses, partners, young women and men, co-workers, mentors, and bosses from their extended families and organizations. They all come on stage to celebrate her, which is a glorious sight.”

“I am truly honored to be recognized by FWN and would like to thank everyone who has supported me. I’m very much looking forward to the summit in Prague to meet my fellow awardees and develop collaborations  that will open more doors to empower and elevate the Filipinas in diaspora, “ says Donna Avellana Künzler.

 

###

 

About ABB

ABB is a technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. The company’s solutions connect engineering know-how and software to optimize how things are manufactured, moved, powered and operated. Building on more than 130 years of excellence, ABB’s 105,000 employees are committed to driving innovations that accelerate industrial transformation.  More at abb.com

About Foundation for Filipina Women’s Network (FWN)

FWN is a non-partisan, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to advancing women of Philippine heritage and representation at all levels in the political process, from community service to elected office. It is the organization for Filipina women leaders in the public and private sectors in 34 countries selected every year by their peers from a worldwide search for Filipina women with a track record of accomplishments with a lasting global imprint through their work in their professional fields, industry sectors, and local communities. FWN seeks to increase the influence of Filipina women as leaders and policymakers to increase the odds that more Filipina women advance to the C-suite influential positions in the private and public sectors. More at: www.FilipinaWomensNetwork.org

 

About the Filipina Leadership Global Summit

The Filipina Leadership Global Summit convenes a select group of Filipina women global leaders, influencers, and public figures from the 34 FWN member countries to participate in business meetings, educational sessions, and learning journeys with corporate and community leaders, elected and appointed officials. The Filipina Leadership Global Summit brings together the top and most influential Filipina women business owners and professionals to create a networking pipeline thru reciprocal relationships. The speakers chosen for the summit are at the top of their game sharing their experiences and insights on how they turned their success into significant work and philanthropy and what it means to be an influential woman in the post-pandemic business world. More at www.FilipinaSummit.org