Page 12 - BPW UK AGM Conference 2024 Programme_FINAL

Gordon Holmes Lecture

Miss Beatrice Gordon Holmes – Founder President of BPW in UK – Pen Picture
Born of an Irish father and Dutch South African mother, Beatrice Gordon Holmes was a
woman of commanding stature, tall and stately, a well known figure in the City of
London and often mistaken for Mrs Eleanor Roosevelt on visits to USA. She had a deep
booming voice and instantly caught everyone’s attention.
She had started her career as a one guinea a week typist but climbed the ladder to be
one of the few women in finance, being Joint Managing Director of the National
Securities Corporation, an Outside House, because at that time, the Stock Exchange
refused to admit women.

She was a selfless woman with great integrity, a great listener and excellent at
motivating and inspiring others.
A pioneering women stockbroker, she had periods as a suffragette, trade unionist, and
was an author. From the end of World War 1 until her retirement in the 1940s she was
one of the most successful City financiers of her generation, well-known both for her
entrepreneurial acumen and for her advocacy for women in business.
She started her association with Business and Professional Women by speaking at a
Paris Meeting of the BPW International Federation. Later becoming acquainted with
American BPW clubs, she decided to create British Clubs along the same lines starting
with three in London – Thames, Westminster and City of London.

Here then began our endeavours to make a more equal and better life not only for
business and professional women but to seek opportunities in education, training and
employment for all women.

Project “ A van for BPW Chernihiv”

The project “A van for BPW Chernihiv” conceived by Jo Kinsey and Amélie Leclercq and
presented to the International Executive Committee by Catherine Bosshart, President
of BPW International and by Eufemia Ippolito, Executive Finance Officer of BPW
International, was a great success, due especially to the commitment of Jo Kinsey &
Amélie Leclercq. BPW Internationa financed the initial project and then, following
Amélie & Jo’s proposal, BPW International established a fund to finance van
accessories for Ukrainian refugees and to meet the needs of BPW Chernihiv, a BPW
affiliate club International. These needs were identified through the relationship we
had with Yuliya Zaika, president of BPW Chernihiv, who identified a need for BPW
Chernihiv for a van to transport supplies and people to the city of Chernihiv and its
region. BPW International also eliminated the payment of Dues to the Chernihiv Club.
Congratulations to Jo Kinsey and Amélie Leclercq who committed to designing and
wisely used the money they received from BPW to purchase a van in the name of BPW
Chernihiv and then committed to asking for donations from BPW Affiliates to cover the
additional costs involved for the success of the project (registration costs, purchase
of supplies, travel expenses of Yuliya Zaika and accompanying persons).
Congratulations Amélie & Jo for having been able to manage these funds and for
having been able to involve all the BPW Affiliates with active participation in the
project through their donations. This is a great example of planning and the ability to
adequately intervene towards the BPW sisters affected by the war.

Thanks Amélie and Jo
Eufemia Ippolito
BPW Executive Finance Officer