I have had a varied and interesting background, and it has all contributed to who I am today and what I do: working with women leaders to provide them the skills & information they need in order to enact real change and bring about positive outcomes.
Professional Experience
- I graduated from college with a degree in Computer Science, and even owned my own computer systems company.
- I was a Senior Consultant with Ernst & Young, LLP.
- I served as the Vice President of Information Technology for a major phone company, leading a department of over 100 Information Systems professionals. I eventually made the hard decision to lay myself off from this position during the Dot-com crash of the early 2000s.
- I operated my own knitting-related business for several years; during that time I also published a knitting book!
- I have hosted several retreats designed to teach knitwear designers and enthusiasts how to become professional knitting teachers, including workshops on how to create a course, how to manage the financial side, and knitwear design as a business.
- I have two classes on Craftsy.com.
- I am a certified ski instructor and a professional knitting instructor, working on the national circuit.
Leadership Experience
- Board President, FOOD Inc.
- Board President, Girls Unlimited
- Church Council Chair for my local congregation
- Lay Member Representative to Annual Conference for my local congregation
- Residents in Ministry Co-Chair for my church’s regional conference
- District Lay Leader for my church district
- Secretary, Board of Directors for The National Needlearts Association (TNNA)
- Treasurer, Board of Directors for TNNA
- Interim Executive Director, TNNA
I feel very fortunate that my experience as a leader in the business world, my affiliation with the knitting industry, and my personal volunteer work have all come full circle to allow me to work with women leaders and organizations of all sizes to navigate the waters of change and come out with smooth sailing on the other side.
If you’d like to work with me to improve YOUR leadership skills, send me an e-mail (Gwen@GwenBortner.com) to begin the conversation.
