“Pushing Rocks Uphill” details her journey from telecomm sales in a nascent industry, to abilities advocate for Down syndrome, to global advanced manufacturing champion
Media Contacts: Barbara Fornasiero, EAFocus Communications, barbara@eafocus.com, 248.260.8466;
Nicole Kampe, Automation Alley, kampen@automationalley.com, 248.457.3301
TROY, Mich. — February 22, 2021 — Automation Alley, an Industry 4.0 knowledge center and World Economic Forum Advanced Manufacturing Hub (AMHUB), is pleased to announce that Vice President Cynthia Hutchison has been invited to speak at the international Professional Women’s Network (PWN|Global) Summit: Celebrating Inspirational Women, which will be held on March 8 beginning at 11 a.m. EST (17:00 CET). Eighteen international cities in the PWN are collaborating on the virtual global event, which will highlight the importance of challenging the status quo, in celebration of International Women’s Day. Hutchison will be presenting alongside such luminaries as Mary Robinson, the first female President of Ireland, Roberta Metsola, Vice President of the European Parliament, and Cecilia Ronan, CEO of Citibank Europe, and many other women of achievement.
Hutchison’s presentation is scheduled for 12:58 EST (18:58 CET). In “Pushing Rocks Uphill,” she will share her unlikely and unexpected professional journey from a successful early sales career in the burgeoning telecommunications field to global advocate for advanced manufacturing for Automation Alley and the World Economic Forum. In between, she founded Band of Angels, an international outreach organization dedicated to helping individuals with Down syndrome reach their full potential. The organization, established after her son, Jordan, was born with Down syndrome, propelled Hutchison to national prominence as a champion for advancing individuals with Down syndrome and other cognitive impairments.
Because of her work with Band of Angels, Hutchison was appointed by both Republican and Democratic Michigan Governors to serve on non-partisan commissions for inclusion, and was named a Michiganian of the Year by the Detroit News in 2007 and one of Woman’s Day Magazine’s “Women Who Inspire Us” in 2006.
More recent awards for Hutchison include Crain’s Detroit Business Notable Women in STEM in 2019, which was granted in recognition of her efforts to promote the integration of Industry 4.0 technologies within Michigan’s manufacturing sector. Accustomed to playing multiple roles simultaneously, Hutchison develops and maintains strong relationships with corporate leaders, elected officials, and strategic partners in the U.S. and abroad, including serving as Automaton Alley’s Advanced Manufacturing Hub liaison with the World Economic Forum.
A Pittsburgh native, Hutchison holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Allegheny College.
There is no charge for PWN|Global members to attend the 2.5-hour livestream event; non-member cost is 30 euros, or approximately $36. To register, or for more information, visit the PWN Vienna website.
About the PWN|Global – Professional Women’s Network
PWN|Global is a global network of people accelerating gender balanced leadership in business and society through professional development and international, cross-industry, online and in-person networking. Learn more at https://pwnglobal.net/.
About Automation Alley
Automation Alley is a World Economic Forum Advanced Manufacturing Hub (AMHUB) and a nonprofit Industry 4.0 knowledge center with a global outlook and a regional focus. We facilitate public-private partnerships by connecting industry, education and government to fuel Michigan’s economy and accelerate innovation. Our programs give businesses a competitive advantage by helping them along every step of their digital transformation journey. We obsess over disruptive technologies like AI, the Internet of Things and automation, and work hard to make these complex concepts easier for companies to understand and implement.
The mission of Automation Alley is to help businesses stay in business by equipping them with the necessary knowledge to leverage the intersections of advanced technologies, systems and people to jumpstart or accelerate a digital path to strategic success.
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