Latest news with #businesswomen
Daily Mail
08-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Businesswoman, 40, dies after excruciatingly painful plastic surgery procedure at famed doctor's luxury clinic
A 40-year-old woman died after undergoing liposuction that was performed by a renowned plastic surgeon in Brazil. Natália Cavanellas, a well-known businesswoman, had the operation at San Gennaro Hospital in Mooca, São Paulo but went into cardiac arrest before she was declared dead, the São Paulo Department of Public Safety said. Cavanellas' sister told police that she 'received first aid, but did not survive.' The surgery was carried out by Dr. Edgar Lopez - who according to his website profile - claims to be an expert in high-definition liposuction, which is also known as liposculpture, and mammoplasty. Lopez also claimed to have been the first doctor in the South American nation to have used Renuvion, a minimal invasive technology that tightens the skin whether a person undergoes liposuction or not. Brazilian news outlet Metropoles reported that Lopez' private clinic, which is located in the São Paulo southern upscale neighborhood of Moema, was still open as of Tuesday. Cavanellas leaves behind her husband, whom she married in 2019, and the couple's three-year-old daughter. She ran her own public relations, marketing and events planning company, offering her support to a 'community with more than 800 businesswomen and executives'. In March, Cavanellas was honored by the São Paulo City Council as one of the 100 most successful women in business. Prior to going under the knife, Cavanellas shared a video clip of her birthday bash last week – the party also served as networking event for women. 'In a world full of superficial connections, I chose the opposite path: genuine, real relationships and connections,' she wrote. 'This is how NATworking came about, where networking meets entertainment, creating a lively and ideal environment for generating opportunities, business, partnerships and lasting friendships. 'Welcome to the fourth decade of my life! My purpose of connecting people and stories is growing stronger and stronger!' Cavanellas' death stunned a tight-knit community of businesswomen who looked up to her. 'Thank you for all the love you always showed us,' podcaster Scheila Santo wrote. 'Congratulations on a beautiful journey, inspiring so many women! I am sure your daughter is very proud of the mom you are.' 'Nat has always been, and always will be, a go-to for me,' Carla Pinheiros said. 'She was unique in networking, positioning, transforming events into remarkable experiences,' the communications adviser added. 'May her legacy live on in all that she built and inspired.' 'Nat I'm still in disbelief,' wrote Dr. Larissa Saib. 'Just a short while ago we were together celebrating your life. I can't understand why God took you now.' The Mayo Clinic considers liposuctions – a procedure where fat is removed from a specific part of the body and shapes the area – to be dangerous. The risks include internal puncture, infection, kidney and heart problems.
CNA
12-06-2025
- Business
- CNA
The Great Room CEO Jaelle Ang to exit company: Key business lessons from the 'pocket rocket' entrepreneur
In person, Jaelle Ang is a lot more petite than you'd expect. Dressed in a stylish navy blue ensemble belted at the waist, she strikes an unassuming figure – warm, friendly and feminine. Not quite the stereotypical picture of an industry-disrupting, power-hungry entrepreneur with a god complex. It's refreshing. Meeting for the first time at The Great Room's Centennial Tower workplace in the Marina Central district, we chatted for a bit and admitted to having stalked each others' Instagram profiles the day before. 'This is going to be a fun one,' I thought to myself, before Ang disappears into the sprawling 36,000 sq ft co-working space for the photo shoot with our team. Diminutive in stature as she may be, Ang is certainly no featherweight in the corporate arena. In 2019, the business heavyweight was named in Forbes Asia's 25 Power Businesswomen list, amongst a litany of accolades that celebrate her defiance of stereotypes and her success in breaking down barriers in the industry. And in the years since, she has taken the homegrown brand global with 13 locations across the Asia Pacific in Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Sydney – culminating in a full acquisition by global real estate titan CBRE Group earlier this year. Following the acquisition, Ang has announced that she will exit the company in August. PREMIUM BEGINNINGS The Great Room's first location at One George Street in the heart of Singapore's Central Business District was a game-changer. It single-handedly transformed the notion of the co-working space from 'cheap and cheerful', as Ang puts it, to one that quickly became the aspirational blueprint for the modern workplace: flexible, hospitality-inspired, community-focused and beautifully designed to boost productivity and engagement. Back in 2016, it was a unique proposition that set a new standard in the industry. The Great Room upped the ante with plush yet functional interiors designed by hospitality experts such as Singapore-based Distillery Studio and Michael Fiebrich Design. The former, for example, was responsible for the interior aesthetic of the One George Street and Centennial Tower locations, and the latter, for the Ngee Ann City workspace. 'I love being the unreasonable rebel that challenged everything,' Ang declared, as we sat down for the interview in a private room offering a gorgeous view of Marina Bay and the waters beyond from the 18th floor of the skyscraper. 'We were the first one who said, 'People actually want it all: A great location, great design, great programming, great coffee',' she recalled. 'I love that people now demand and expect so much more from the workplace. It needs to be a container for culture, for community, for social engagement, for 'casual collisions', for wellness and, most importantly, for learning. It cannot be boring and sterile. No compromise on the furniture. They want different types of spaces that they can meander, pow-wow and contemplate in. This is now the norm for workplaces.' DESIGN OF A DECADE Design, said Ang, has always been her 'first and greatest love'. After graduating from the Bartlett School of Architecture at the University College London with a BSc in Architecture, she went on to pair her proclivity for place-making with an MBA from London's Imperial College. The Great Room, however, isn't her first real estate rodeo. Prior to its founding, the ex-Citibank and Credit Suisse banker skilled in corporate strategy and mergers and acquisitions was the Head of Real Estate Development at publicly-listed Country Group Development in Thailand. In 2009, Ang moved to Bangkok where she ended up spearheading the development of one of the city's largest mixed-use properties – a 5.7 ha, billion-dollar waterfront project along the Chao Phraya River – comprising the Four Seasons Hotel, Four Seasons Residences and Capella Hotel over seven years. Now The Great Room was also not Ang's first entrepreneurial play. The Raffles Girls' School and Hwa Chong Institution Boarding School alum had started her first business at the age of 21 – an art school for children named Art Bug, which underwent two rounds of successful funding before she exited the business in 2012. Fast forward a decade, Ang's vision of marrying upscale design with premium hospitality not only transformed Singapore's co-working scene, it attracted the attention of international players like Industrious, which scooped up The Great Room business in 2022, setting the stage for its global expansion beyond Singapore. Then, global real estate giant CBRE Group came knocking. In January this year, the group completed its acquisition of US-based Industrious, adding to its network of more than 100 flexible workspaces worldwide, in a US$400 million (S$514.6 million) deal that placed the business at a US$800 million valuation. 'I'm a very hard worker; it comes from my competitive swimming back in school. So, I have a lot of endurance,' said Ang, who earned the nickname 'pocket rocket' amongst her peers growing up. "Small and powerful," she added, likening her personal strengths to that of The Great Room. 'We call ourselves a small giant because we feel like we punch above our weight in terms of how we push boundaries.' 'Better than chilli padi,' I mused, to which she nodded in agreement. THE ART OF THE EXIT 'We've gone through tumultuous times and quite a tricky journey over the last few years to arrive at this point,' Ang shared. 'It feels like a validation of an entrepreneur's hard work, starting from zero, to get to a point where there's an acknowledgement that you've created something valuable.' Her decision to exit the business comes six months after the acquisition. 'I wanted to leave when the company is at its peak; when there are no existential problems like a pandemic or debt, when we have strong cash flow and are at a point of positive opportunities like expansion,' she said. She also believes that different chapters in a company's growth call for different leadership: 'A leader must also have the humility to allow the leadership team to grow and renew.' On Aug 1, 2025, Ang will be handing over the reins to her successor, co-founder and current chief operating officer Su Anne Mi, who will take the company through its next stage of growth, which includes a ninth Singapore location at Shaw Tower coming onstream in 2026. GREATEST LESSONS LEARNT As the credits roll on her role as CEO, Ang reflects on the biggest business and life lessons that she's taken away from her entrepreneurial journey. 'Personal reputation can be your greatest asset or liability,' she offered. 'Trust is important – to be dependable for the tribe; whether it's your immediate leaders or external stakeholders, they need to know that you're going to take care of them, that you're going to hold up your end of the promise.' The second piece of advice she has for aspiring entrepreneurs? Focus. 'Multitasking is sometimes overrated. Do one thing, but take it seriously. Simplicity is also very underrated. Do one simple thing and do it well, then bet on it – go all in – and be known for it,' she urged. BUILDING A GREAT TEAM Next, build a 'talent-dense team'. It begins with hiring the right people, and then providing the right incentives to drive the right behaviour. 'This is the single most important rule in management,' she observed. 'Incentives are very underrated. People talk about mission and objectives, but you really need to link that with both incentive and culture.' Succeeding as a leader also means understanding 'the edge of one's competence'. 'Know what you're very good at and have confidence in your ability, but also have the humility to acknowledge what you're not good at and then let other people do it,' she advised. 'My greatest superpower is being able to attract people smarter than I am, and then galvanising them into action.' To this end, The Great Room's hiring protocol centres around recruiting what Ang likes to call "Snake Killers and Learning Animals". "It's a fun metaphor that refers to speed, agility and velocity; people who are very curious, are willing to be pushed out of their comfort zones, and want to learn new things very fast,' she explained. 'I believe that a great team has everything and nothing in common,' she added. 'A leader must provide simplicity and clarity in the mission – a common mission and values – as well as build a culture that is open to accommodate diversity. So, what's different is how to get there and the perspectives and skill sets.' THE RELUCTANT LEADER Describing herself as a 'reluctant leader' and 'natural introvert' who could not even give the welcome speech when the first two locations were opened, it was the COVID-19 pandemic that truly tested Ang's mettle in her first CEO role helming The Great Room. 'I started out being very self-conscious and wasn't sure if I had the right competence to lead the team. But the pivotal point came during COVID, which was the most difficult period. The business wasn't doing badly, but there were external stakeholders, and we were dealing with the uncertainty and unpredictability,' she revealed. Ang made two critical decisions that shifted her internal narrative at the time: The first was to concede to not having all the answers and the second, was deciding that she was, in fact, the best captain to steer the ship through the storm. 'Whatever inadequacy or [skills] gap there might be, instead of resisting and being reluctant, get good. Go figure it out. Because the team and the company is only going to be as good as the CEO,' she said. Indeed, she got so good that retirement may be imminent following the acquisition. While she's reticent to confirm nor deny the rumours, what's next for Ang and her self-professed Type A personality?
Forbes
23-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Are Things Really Better For Professional Women Today?
As women in business, we are no strangers to uphill battles. 'Things are better now.' 'It's easier than it was when I was starting out.' 'You're lucky you're doing this now and not back then.' If you're a woman in business, you've heard these words. And how do they land? Do you shrug them off—or do they strike something deeper? If they make you angry, I understand. Platitudes do little to comfort us when we're in the midst of a battle—especially one that, by some measures, we appear to be winning. As women in business, we are no strangers to uphill battles—or to the minimizing language that follows them. Here are the remarks I hear far too often these days. Some women—those who have found a moment of stability, or who are no longer in the thick of it—offer these words like deflated rescue buoys. But they do not help. In fact, they risk setting us back. These comments add credence to the common misconception that the fight for gender equity is behind us. They quiet our voices and shame those still struggling to be heard. This misplaced notion confuses ease with accessibility. Nothing about womanhood is easy today—and arguably, it never has been. And ease was never the prize we fought, marched, and bled for. We fought for access, for equity, and for a seat at the table where decisions are made. Yes, today's women are more educated, more employed, and more independent than any generation before. But that progress on paper does not mean the struggle is over. We aren't better off, not in all the ways that truly matter. We placed our trust in the systems around us, and they failed us. We believed in a dream wrapped in the appearance of progress—one labeled 'accessibility,' but hollow at its core. And perhaps without realizing it, we let one another down—not from a lack of love or sisterhood, but from forgetting how heavy it is to carry all of this alone. Many of us grew up believing we would be cherished, valued, honored, and adorned. And if you are like me, you are still passing that dream to our daughters, even as we quietly carry its weight, hoping it takes shape before they step into our shoes. Yes, we can vote. We can open credit cards. We can even get divorced without facing total social exile. But these hard-won milestones—while worthy of celebration—do not amount to ease. We are still navigating a world where our reproductive rights are under attack. Where a miscarriage can mean legal scrutiny or worse. Where access to affordable healthcare, comprehensive postpartum care, and paid leave remains elusive. Where raising children is seen as a private duty, not a public investment, and the right to choose is met with silence, not support, and where increasing sexual violence continues to threaten our sense of safety and autonomy. The ability to open a credit card does not fill the void left by the absence of structural care. The right to divorce does not erase the fact that many women are still measured by their bodies and what they produce. There is nothing easy about being a woman today. There never has been. We are not ungrateful, this generation of mine. We are unfinished. We are standing on the shoulders of those women who came before us, and the job isn't done. Let's stop measuring progress by ease. Instead, let's work together to build a world where the next generations do not have to fight the same battles.
Arab News
20-05-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Fortune reveals 100 Most Powerful Women in Business list for 2025
DUBAI: Fortune has announced the 2025 Most Powerful Women in Business list, featuring 100 leading businesswomen from sectors including finance, tech, healthcare, telecom, retail and energy. Its publication coincides with Fortune's inaugural Most Powerful Women International conference which is taking place in Riyadh on May 20-21. This year's edition of the list features 51 women from the US and 49 from other countries, including one each from the UAE and Kuwait. Hana Al-Rostamani, group CEO of First Abu Dhabi Bank, comes in at No. 76. She is currently the only female chief executive of a publicly listed corporation in the UAE, and serves on several boards, including the Institute of International Finance, the US-UAE Business Council, and the Arab Monetary Fund's cross-border payment system Buna. Shaikha Al-Bahar, deputy group CEO at the National Bank of Kuwait, features at No. 92. She has risen through the ranks since joining the bank in 1977 and was appointed to her current role in 2014. Al-Bahar is the only woman on NBK's executive management team. She is also chair of the National Bank of Kuwait France, and the National Bank of Kuwait Egypt, as well as a board member of the bank's UK subsidiary. 'The rise of women as CEOs is continuing, which is great,' said Alyson Shontell, editor-in-chief and chief content officer of Fortune. She told Arab News: 'There have been some years we've been doing the list where it has taken a step back. (But) this year, 11 percent of Fortune 500 (companies are) run by women, and that's the highest it has ever been.' There are several studies showing the correlation between 'diversity of thought and background' in leadership ranks and the financial outcome of a company, and so, 'we track it, and we track the progress (in) the hopes of making business better,' Shontell added. Mary Barra, CEO of @GM and No.1 on the 2025 #FortuneMPW list, shares what power means to her. — FORTUNE (@FortuneMagazine) May 20, 2025 The top 10 Most Powerful Women in Business 2025 are: 1. Mary Barra, chair and CEO, General Motors. 2. Julie Sweet, chair and CEO, Accenture. 3. Jane Fraser, CEO, Citigroup. 4. Lisa Su, chair and CEO, AMD. 5. Ana Botin, executive chairman, Banco Santander. 6. Tan Su Shan, deputy CEO and group head of institutional banking, DBS Group. 7. Thasunda Brown Duckett, president and CEO, TIAA. 8. Marta Ortega, chairperson, Inditex. 9. Abigail Johnson, chairman and CEO, Fidelity Investments. 10. Meng Wanzhou, deputy chairwoman, rotating chairwoman, and chief financial officer, Huawei. Compiled by Fortune editors, the list is based on several factors such as company size and health, as well as an executive's career trajectory, influence, innovation, and efforts to make business better. The full list can be found here.
Entrepreneur
11-05-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
4 Reminders Every Mompreneur Needs This Mother's Day
As a mompreneur, I understand the chaos and fulfillment of juggling business and family, and on this Mother's Day, I want to remind you that what we're building truly matters. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Dear Mompreneur, How are you? We're almost halfway through the year, summer is knocking on the door and I don't know about y'all's kids, but mine seem to be fighting a different bug every week — so I wanted to check in on my mompreneurs this Mother's Day. Have you ever Googled the definition of entrepreneurship? I did it recently, and according to Google, it is "the activity of setting up a business or businesses, taking on financial risks in the hope of profit." At least they put the word 'hope' in there! Entrepreneurship can be hard. So, I want to know… how are you, really? If you're like me, you're always thinking about your business, your goals, next week, payroll, content, your family, dinner plans and the list, truly, goes on and on. Do you also have 37 tabs open right now at 5:56 PM on a Friday? Are you thinking about what needs to be done/ordered/created/etc. even while trying to sign off and "shut off" your business brain for a bit? Do you also feel like today was great and balanced, but somewhere in the back of your mind, you're wondering if a storm lurks on the horizon? Do you feel like you're not doing enough, but then (almost simultaneously) also worry you're not spending enough time with your kids, family and friends? Do you worry that business will dry up? That you won't bring in new business? Do you worry that you're really not good enough to be doing what you're doing, and people will eventually figure it out? I have talked with hundreds of entrepreneurs over the years (and have been an entrepreneur myself since 2007), and I can tell you that the majority of us feel this way. But the crazy thing is that most of us keep going. Despite the feelings, thoughts, stress and anxiety that entrepreneurship can bring. So, I just wanted to send a quick note to remind you (and maybe me, ha!) of a few things: Related: How Being a 'Mompreneur' Prepared Me to Run a Multi-Million-Dollar Business 1. What you are doing is important You wouldn't have felt the urge to do what you do if it weren't important. You are providing a service or product that people need. Just because you might not be where you want to be or have the sales you desire, doesn't mean it isn't great. It likely means they just don't know about it yet! Whether you put sparkles in someone's hair to help them feel beautiful or you share your mama's recipe in a restaurant to make people feel loved, you are providing something special. Please don't stop. 2. What you're doing is hard Remember those paychecks every 2 weeks? Paid vacation time? A tax refund? I won't even bring up insurance… Please know that you're stronger than most, and don't ever forget it. Many people dream of being their own boss, but many, if not most, will not pursue this dream. Because it's freaking hard. "A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there," John Assaraf said. Humans love to feel safe and comfortable, and diving into entrepreneurship is the exact opposite, so it can feel really hard and uncomfortable. With discomfort comes impostor syndrome (it's real, y'all) and not feeling super confident sometimes. Please know that we all encounter this and re-read #1. 3. What you're doing is changing the world Even if it doesn't seem like it. You should be really, really proud of yourself. You started a business to help people, and that is one of the greatest things someone can do. Yes, we need to make money, but the root of starting a business is to help solve a problem for people. And, please don't forget about the positive impact you have on your employees and their families. You are literally helping people put food on their tables. Send their kids to school. Save for retirement. That is amazing, friend! Related: This Working Mom Overcame Decades of Employment Bias to Become The CEO of Her Own 6-Figure Company. Here's How She Did It. 4. What you're doing is setting an example For your kids, your family, your friends and people you don't even know. I can promise you that you are inspiring people daily, even if they don't tell you. When you show up every day, you have a ripple effect on so many and in many different ways. Adversity, resilience and grit are part of entrepreneurship and if we can lead by example, we are showing those around us that they can do hard things, too. Joy, happiness and celebration are also part of the journey. Let's continue to show people that we can endure and enjoy the peaks and valleys so others know that it's possible. So, friend, how do you feel now? Do you remember your greatness? Do you know how appreciated you are? Do you realize how special you really are? I hope so. You inspire me every day. Sincerely, Your Fellow Mompreneur Friend P.S. Happy Mother's Day! Close those tabs and just enjoy today, you deserve it!
