Joan Walker will join fellow alumnae to discuss strategies that help women succeed in business

Wallingford, CT: October 1, 2008— Joan Walker, co-founder and Chief Financial Officer of UNAPEN, Inc., will be a panelist at the Third Annual Holy Cross Women in Business Conference on Saturday, October 18, 2008. The Conference, titled “Successful Leadership in Today’s Global Business Economy” is designed to provide valuable information for women in all stages of their careers: from college students getting ready to enter the workplace to women in senior management looking for more leadership tools to help them succeed.

Joan, a Holy Cross alumna, will be a panelist for the session “Women Entrepreneurs: Starting and Running your own Business” and will share her motivations for owning her own business and what she has learned along the way. She accepted an invitation to speak at the conference because she believes “it is important to create and maintain professional networks through various venues. Holy Cross has always had a very strong Alumni network. This conference introduces the student body to that network while strengthening the Alumni ties.”

Joan is excited about participating in the conference: “I have been a panelist or participant for all three years. Each year I come away re-energized about my role within UNAPEN and as a woman in business. I have made many new contacts throughout various industries. Over the years these contacts have helped UNAPEN in ways as varied as staffing needs to strategic planning. It is a valuable experience that I look forward to.”

Anne Fink, the Senior Vice President and General Manager of PepsiCo Inc., will deliver the keynote address for the one day event to be held in the Hogan Campus Center at The College of The Holy Cross. The conference also offers educational sessions such as “The Brand Called You,” which focuses on how to develop a personal branding that will help women stand out in their careers, and “Being a Woman in Senior Management: Is there a difference?” which explores how women fit into the “man’s world” of business and what they can do to get ahead.

For more information and to see the conference agenda, please visit: http://www.holycross.edu/.