Women in Business: Redesigning Work to Thrive

Irene Díaz Soto is a global leader in international development and ESG, with over 16 years of experience driving transformation across 30+ countries. Her work focuses on advancing economic resilience, gender equality and sustainable value chains at the intersection of policy, implementation and business.
At Solidaridad Network, she leads global innovation across commodities such as tea and cocoa, developing scalable solutions that strengthen smallholder livelihoods and promote sustainability in balance with nature. She is known for turning complex challenges into practical impact.
Irene holds an Executive MBA from Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM), and has received international recognition for her work, including from the American Red Cross. She is also a mother, navigating leadership, career and family with purpose.

Elizabeth “Liz” Bates is a Canadian show jumping rider and entrepreneur who has built an international career in the sport. Starting from a young age, she progressed from national competition in Canada to representing her country at the North American Young Riders’ Championship.
After completing a Bachelor of Science at University of Toronto, she trained with Olympic medallist Leslie Howard before establishing her own path, highlighted by winning the $35,000 Brookstreet Grand Prix in 2015. She later moved to Europe, where she is now based in Belgium, training and competing at an international level.
Through her business, Breakaway Equestrian, Liz develops and competes horses from a young age to top-level sport, combining competition with breeding and sales. She achieved her goal of representing Canada in 2019 at the Nations’ Cup in Rabat.
 

Erika Harriford-McLaren is an international communications leader who is passionate about helping organizations turn their missions into clear, authentic narratives that build trust and connection. An experienced strategy and communications leader, Erika's work spans the marketing and market research, education, nonprofit and professional development sectors in the United States and Europe. She has advised executive teams on corporate and internal communications, DEI and strategic positioning at organizations including Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and ESOMAR, the global market research association. She now works closely with purpose-driven companies and leaders as COO at Blueyse Agency.

Mechteld is a seasoned business leader with 25+ years of experience in strategy, innovation and marketing, including C-level roles in international organisations. She is known for connecting vision to execution and for her open, people-centred leadership style, consistently driving growth while staying close to what matters most: people.
As co-founder of Future by Diversity, she is passionate about creating space for diverse talent and perspectives to grow and lead. She believes that when different perspectives come together in a culture where people feel seen and heard, true leadership and innovation can thrive.