Mission
Advance the growth of women in leadership through education, mentoring and networking opportunities.
WILA serves as a gathering point for education on the international efforts to advance the skills and leadership of women, and offers international networking and mentorship opportunities.
LESI is well positioned to bring women and men together from around the world to share experiences in professional advancement and cultivate a culture of inclusion and support for the advancement of women in licensing.
Leadership
2025-26
- Chair & Speaker Series – Pamela Cox (LES USA/Canada)
- Vice Chair for Mentorship Program – Judith Miller (LES A&NZ)
- Deputy Vice Chair for Mentorship Program – Claire Le Floch (LES France)
- Vice Chair Communications – Bruna Lins (LES Brazil)
- Deputy Vice Chair Communications – Maithili Shroff
- Vice Chair YMC – Emanuela Bianco (LES Italy)
- Board Liaison – TBC
- Ambassadors: appointed per country
WILA Ambassadors
| Name | Region |
| Judith Miller | Australia & New Zealand |
| Candida Ribeiro Caffe | South America |
| Cecilia (Xianying) Lou | China |
| Marta Sznajder | Poland |
| Claudia Scapicchio | Italy |
| Claire Le Floch | France |
| Dr. Samantha Williams | Britain & Ireland |
| Kathleen de Belder | Benelux |
| Carmen Correa Martin | Benelux |
| Stephanie Pautke | Germany |
| Junko Sugimura | Japan |
| Natalia Gulyaeva | Russia |
| Pauline Khor Hong Ping | Malaysia |
| Ia Modin | Scandinavia |
| Richa Pandey | India |
| Booma Yandava | USA/Canada |
| Ferzana Haq | Singapore |
| Rosita Li | Hong Kong |
| Patricia A. O. Bunye | Philippines |
| Grace Shao | Taiwan |
| Eliza Stefaniw | Thailand |
| Karin Hofmann | Austria |
| Eszter Szakacs | Hungary |
| Michele Burnier | Switzerland |
| Madelein Kleyn | South Africa |
WILA Mentor Program – 2025-26
- WILA’s global mentoring program is now establishing pairings for the 2025/26 season. If you would like to participate, contact Judith Miller.
- This program supports an inclusive business culture within the licensing community by making female role models more visible and transferring key values of professional excellence and networking within LESI.
- In addition to the traditional model of senior practitioners mentoring junior protégés, the WILA mentor program also includes peer to peer mentoring.
“The mentorship program is very useful and I very much enjoy my conversations with [my mentor]. The guide was also useful in providing a structure for our conversation.”
2025-26 Upcoming Speaker Series
- September 2025: The Neuroscience of Leadership – Speaker: Gina Steele, Steele Leadership, Inc.
Moderator: Pamela Cox, Marshall, Gerstein & Borun, LLP (LES USA/Canada) - October 21, 2025: Author Kate Zernike will discuss her book, The Exceptions: Nancy Hopkins, MIT, and the Fight for Women in Science.
Moderators: Nabeela Rasheed, Cullinan Therapeutics, Inc. and Pamela Cox, Marshall, Gerstein & Borun, LLP (LES USA/Canada) - November or January 2025: Cross-cultural communications and negotiations – Speaker: Tasneem Chopra OAM, Cross Cultural Consultant; Moderator: Judith Miller, Wrays (LES ANZ)
- March 8, 2026: International Women’s Day – advice from LESI past female presidents (pre-recorded interviews)
- April 2026: LESI Annual Meeting – TBD