The Naked Truth -- A Working Woman's Manifesto on Business and What Really Matters

Two years ago, Margaret Heffernan left CMGI and wrote a cover story for Fast Company about her experience of being a female CEO in corporate America. That story created a firestorm. From around the world, women wrote to her about their experiences - of being underpaid, undervalued, underpromoted and, eventually, their experience of leaving altogether. The volume and passion of the correspondence was amazing.

But more surprising still were the number of men who wrote in support of women - hating, just as women do, the macho cultures and command-and-control organizations that dehumanize us all.

Margaret Heffernan will talk about the men and women she's interviewed for her new book and the solutions they've found to many work place challenges such as:

- how to deal with toxic bosses and toxic cultures
- how to think about power, and build your own
- how to balance work and marriage
- how to combine parenthood and careers

Margaret writes a regular online column for Fast Company and her new book is out at the end of September.

THE NAKED TRUTH: A Modern Woman’s Manifesto on Business and What Really Matters
US Publication: September 30, 2004

This event is being held in conjunction with Fast Company Magazine and was developed by the Boston area's Company of Friends.

Featured Speaker(s)

Margaret Heffernan:

Margaret was born in Texas, raised in Holland and educated at Cambridge University. She began her career at BBC Radio, where for five years, she wrote, directed, produced and commissioned documentaries and dramas. As a television producer, Margaret produced drama and documentary films; she was one of the producers of Out of the Doll’s House, the prize-winning documentary series about the history of women in the twentieth century. She designed and executive produced BBC2’s series on The French Revolution and also produced music videos with Virgin Records.

Leaving the BBC, Margaret ran the trade association IPPA, which represented the interests of film and television producers and was once described by the Financial Times as “the most formidable lobbying organization in England.”

In 1994, Margaret sold her business and moved to Boston where she built up two businesses �" one that serviced public affair campaigns in Massachusetts, the other servicing software companies trying to break into multimedia. Working with such luminaries as Peter Lynch and Tom Peters, she produced interactive software products for the consumer market. She was then asked to join CMGI to create one of their new businesses. Subsequently, she ran, bought and sold companies, including ZineZone Corporation and iCAST Corporation. She was named one of the “Internet’s Top 100” by Silicon Alley Reporter in 1999, one of the “Top 25” by Streaming Media magazine and one of the “Top 100 Media Executives” by The Hollywood Reporter in 2000. Her “Tear Down the Wall” campaign against AOL won the 2001 Silver SABRE award for public relations.

Margaret writes a regular column for Fast Company and Real Business magazines and comments for NPR’s “Marketplace.” She sits on the board of several companies and continues to advise both established and start up businesses. Her book, The Naked Truth: A Modern Woman’s Manifesto about Working and What Really Matters is published in October by Jossey-Bass. Widowed in 1985, Margaret remarried in 1991 and has two children.

Schedule of Events

6:30 pm - 7:00 pm Registration, Networking and buffet supper
7:00 pm Introductions and Program

Meeting Notes

Please note that 38 Cameron is an office building in a residential
neighborhood in Cambridge so parking is limited. 38 Cameron is T-acccessible.