WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The International Women's Forum (IWF) announced today the appointment of Stephanie Mathews O’Keefe as Chief Executive Officer. The appointment of Ms. Mathews O’Keefe, a leading communications and organizational development strategist, signals a focus to expand the footprint, influence and impact for the global leadership organization. She will meet the membership for the first time at IWF’s upcoming World Leadership Conference on September 28-30 in Chicago.

Stephanie Mathews O’Keefe stated, “I am delighted to join IWF as CEO. It is an unrivaled network of diverse, talented and successful women who make it their business to advance the greater good in their communities and the world. I will work to ensure that IWF’s voice and programs support our members as they lead efforts to address the challenging issues of the day, while at the same time empowering the next generation of global women leaders.”

Most recently, O’Keefe was the Chief Communications Officer for CTIA - The Wireless Association and Executive Vice President for Communications at the American Bankers Association. Her responsibilities included public relations, membership, the CTIA trade show and philanthropy.

Her earlier career experience includes senior executive positions at The Podesta Group, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, and the national non-profit community development organization Local Initiatives Support Corp. Additionally, she was an investment banker with Credit Suisse First Boston.

A native of West Virginia, she served as the founding executive director of the Governor's Task Force on Children, Youth and Families. O'Keefe holds an AB in economics and a master's degree in Public Administration from Harvard University. She serves on the Smithsonian Institution's American Enterprise Finance Sector Committee and the West Virginia University Reed College of Media Visiting Committee.

IWF Global Board President Teresa Weintraub said, “Stephanie brings a wealth of experience, expertise and vision to the International Women’s Forum. She is an accomplished leader with a deep understanding of what it takes to propel the growth of an organization and the broader role IWF can play in meeting crucial leadership challenges – issues like equity, inclusion, opportunity advancement for all women. The board of directors looks forward to working with her as we advance the important mission of IWF.”

If you are a member of the press and are interested in learning more about the training programs and the women of the International Women’s Forum please contact Crosby Cromwell, ccromwell@iwforum.org, 202-387-1010.

About the International Women’s Forum:

For more than 30 years, the International Women’s Forum (IWF) has been dedicated to advancing leadership across careers, cultures and continents by connecting the world’s most preeminent women of significant and diverse achievement. Founded in the US, the IWF has grown across six continents and 34 nations. There are more than 6,400 members now participating in Africa, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America. IWF leads training programs for women leaders at all levels of leadership through the Executive Development Roundtable, the Leadership Foundation Fellows program, the EY Women Athlete’s Business Network and has held Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic & Social Council since 2014. Follow IWF on Twitter @IWFglobal and visit the website at http://iwforum.org/.