Alison Kenney Paul, a principal in the Retail and Consumer Products Practices at Deloitte in Chicago, was elected president of the Network of Executive Women at the diversity organization's national Summit here October 20. Paul succeeds former Procter & Gamble executive Helayne Angelus, principal of Inspirational Performance LLC.

"I am excited by the prospect of heading NEW at such a crucial time in our history," Paul said. "I want to salute Helayne's extraordinary efforts as president during the past two years. With her ongoing support NEW will continue to expand our reach and accomplish our mission of attracting, advancing and retaining women in the consumer products and retail industries."

As president of NEW, Paul will focus on providing services to NEW members, expanding support for NEW sponsor companies, and updating the Network's systems and processes. A key driver for NEW is the continued focus on workforce diversity. "Our sponsor companies are challenged by the ever-shrinking talent pool

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as well as making sure they appeal to a diverse workforce," said Paul.  "NEW is a relevant and valuable tool to help organizations form a successful strategy for promoting a diverse workforce."

A graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Paul began her career with Procter & Gamble sales in Boston. In 1988, she joined Information Resources Inc. (IRI) as director of sales for the Apollo Space Management Division where her clients included Kraft, Kroger, P&G and HEB. She was promoted to vice president of sales at IRI and led a team of consultants and technology specialists in helping industry firms leverage data and applications.  During the 1990s, Paul served in leadership roles at a variety of start-ups, including Efficient Market Services, TCI, and Encirq. Paul joined Deloitte in 2002 as a senior manager in consulting in the Consumer Products Practice where she led a variety of strategy and operations excellence engagements.  Paul was recently admitted to the partnership as a principal at Deloitte.

Paul joined the Network's executive committee in 2004. She is a co-founder of the Chicago Grand Neighbors Association and an active volunteer at the Hazelden Foundation, a not-for-profit substance abuse program.

About NEW

Founded in 2001, the Network of Executive Women, Consumer Products and Retail Industry, has nearly 2,000 members from more than 400 companies and 53 corporate sponsors in 15 regions nationwide. For more information on the Network of Executive Women and its best practices, education, mentoring, networking and leadership development programs, visit www.newonline.org.