Amanda Ellis

Amanda Ellis leads the World Bank Group's new initiative on gender issues in private sector development, both in terms of the regulatory environment provided by government and through practical initiatives to assist women business owners in developing countries.
Prior to joining the World Bank, Amanda was Head of Women's Markets and National Manager Women in Business for Westpac Banking Corporation, based in Sydney. The Australian Women in Business program was launched in 1999 with a bank-wide research initiative that became the basis for an innovative new business model designed to better service women business owners.
From a standing start in 1999 the Women in Business program reached an annualised turn over of half a billion dollars by 2002. The program was subsequently rolled out bank-wide through the establishment of Women's Markets.
As an economic and finance speaker, Amanda specialises in international trade and development economics, previously working for the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade before being recruited by Westpac. She worked at the OECD in Paris (1990-92), was NZ Consul to the French territories (1992-5) and managed New Zealand's aid programs in Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia (1996-7).
The author of best selling Random House Australia title, Women's Business Women's Wealth: Create the life you want at work and in business, released in July 2002, Amanda is now completing her second book on women in business for Random House New Zealand.
Amanda Ellis serves on the Australian National Breast Cancer Women's Advisory Network, the Board of the East-West Center Association in Hawaii and the OECD international advisory panel on women's entrepreneurship. She is founding chair of the Organisation for Women in International Trade in Australia and a member of Zonta International