Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai organised SWIM (Successful Women in Management) on 12th August 2008. SWIM is an initiative mooted by the students of Great Lakes to empower women with traits to assume leadership roles in the corporate world.

The daylong event organized at Hotel Green Park on Tuesday was presided by Ms. Anu Aga, former chairperson of Thermax. Padmashri Sudha Raghunathan, Noted Carnatic Vocalist, Ms. Mridula Ramesh of Sundaram Textiles and Ms.Hemu Ramaiah, founder of Landmark enlightened the audience on ''Women asTrailblazers: Dreaming, Exploring and Discovering new horizons'



The distinguished guests discussed at length about the success, women hadachieved in the field of management and aspired to achieve greater heights. Ms. Anu Aga in her opening speech said that it was important to balance professional responsibilities and personal life and emphasized on Vipasanawhich is the art of living. Ms Sudha Raghunathan talked about her journey tobecoming a maestro in classical music. She discussed the challenges faced during her journey, and how she won over them.

Ms. Hemu Ramaiah opined that it is important to think out of the box to reach "the other side" and achieve success. She elaborated on the lessons learnt in running an entrepreneurial venture. According to her, entrepreneurs must plan when to start and exit a business plan. Ms. Mridula Ramesh talked about four success enablers for women, namely role models, proving early competence in a language known by competitors, courage, and family support.