A top FedEx Express executive who rose from an associate marketing specialist to one of the top female leaders in the transportation industry will be the featured speaker during the Impact Leadership Dinner this fall sponsored by the Chattanooga Women's Leadership Institute.
Lisa Lisson, the senior vice president of hubs, ramps and global operations at FedEx Express in Memphis who previously headed FedEx Canada, will give the keynote address at the 18th annual leadership event for the institute Sept. 21 at the Chattanooga Convention Center.
The Chattanooga Women's Leadership Institute is a leadership development nonprofit organization with a 27-year history of supporting and elevating women leaders in the Chattanooga area by providing professional and personal development opportunities. The dinner is the institute's flagship event, hosting such world-renowned women leaders through the years as Gloria Steinem, Randi Zuckerburg, Mika Brzezinski and Katty Kay.
The annual event seeks to inspire women leaders, and "Lisa is the perfect leader to continue this tradition in 2023," Meghan Greene, executive director for the institute, said.
Lisson has chronicled her journey leading FedEx in Canada after the sudden passing of her husband at a young age. In her memoir "Resilience," Lisson tells how she raised four children as a single mother while building a successful career.
According to an annual reputation survey by Canadian-owned market research company Leger, FedEx Express Canada was awarded the top spot within the shipping industry while Lisson led the company. FedEx Express Canada also was certified as one of the Top 50 Places to Work in Canada by Great Place to Work, as well as one of Canada's Best Workplaces for Women, Best Workplaces Managed by Women, Best Workplaces for Inclusion, Best Workplaces for Mental Wellness and Best Workplaces for Giving Back.
"Lisa's personal message of resilience parallels CWLI's theme of 'Resilience' for 2023," Chattanooga Women's Leadership Institute Board Chair Julie Elsea said in an announcement of the Impact Dinner.
Patti Frierson, the committee chair for this year's Impact Committee, said Lisson's career journey and message "will resonate with women and men alike from all sectors of our economy."
For more information about the event, including partnership opportunities, call 423-394-8173 or email info@cwli.org. A limited number of tables and individual tickets will be available for purchase at cwli.org/impact.
— Compiled by Dave Flessner