Marilyn Tam has had an extraordinarily diverse life, from her beginnings in a
traditional Chinese family in Hong Kong to her meteoric rise in the
international business world to become an influential corporate leader,
speaker, corporate consultant, author and respected humanitarian.
Her long, distinguished background includes prominent executive roles at
numerous of world-class companies, including CEO of Aveda, President of Reebok
Apparel & Retail Group and Vice President of Nike. She is also a successful
entrepreneur, having developed and built three companies in diverse fields:
corporate consulting & training, a web portal company and a web-based supply
chain software company.
Ms. Tam consults and speaks globally with Fortune 500 companies, governments
and non-profit organizations on Leadership, Diversity, Change Management and
how to Integrate Social & Environmental concerns into Businesses profitably.
She is a director on the national board of SCORE Association. SCORE is the
Resource Partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration and is dedicated to
entrepreneurial education and the development, growth and success of small
businesses nationwide.
She was the Co-Chair of the N. American Marketing and Promotions for Universal
Forum of Cultures, Barcelona a global project of UNESCO to gather all societies
to create a better planet based on cultural diversity and economic and
environmental sustainability.
Ms. Tam is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Us Foundation whose
mission is to facilitate global action and dialogue on social, economic and
environmental issues. Us Foundation is one of the partners for United Nations
Habitat-II, and was nominated as a candidate for the "Best Practice Award" from
the United Nations' Habitat II.
Ms. Tam's leadership as President of Reebok's Apparel and Retail Products Group
was marked by remarkable achievements. She has solidified her reputation as an
accomplished strategist and singularly effective leader. She brought prominence
and focus to the Greg Norman Golf Division and helped launch Weebok, the
children's footwear and clothing division of Reebok.
She served for five years on the international board of The Reebok Human Rights
Awards, along with former President Jimmy Carter; renowned musicians Peter
Gabriel, and Sting, Rafer Johnson, Chairman of the Special Olympics; and Kerry
Kennedy Cuomo of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center, and Paul Fireman,
Chairman of Reebok International Ltd. She was awarded The Reebok Human Rights
Award for her humanitarian work.
Whether she is directly improving the lot of workers in her contract factories
around the world, consulting with corporations and governments or developing
and conducting seminars and lectures to train other entrepreneurs in business
leadership programs at several prestigious Universities internationally, Ms.
Tam always gives back. She is committed to the belief that humanitarian service
is integral to and provides an essential balance and relevance to her work.
Her work has included appearances with esteemed colleagues on television and
radio, as well as international conferences. One aspect involves developing and
presenting for a wide range of audiences in international corporations and
non-profit organizations. Among many other venues, she was invited by the
Chinese government to appear as a keynote speaker at The Canton Fair, the
biggest manufacturing fair in China, attended every year by tens of thousands
of manufacturers and retailers from around the world.
She regularly serves as producer and Master of Ceremonies for international
business and non-profit events around the world, including as the spokesperson
and keynote speaker for Universal Forum of Culture's conference on the Role of
the Corporation in the 21st Century, in Barcelona, Spain, presenting at the
United Nations Habitat-II Conference in Torino, Italy, as well as organizing
the inaugural Season for Non-Violence Event commemorating M.K. Gandhi and M.L.
King in 30 countries.
Ms. Tam is an advisor to the country of Bhutan, working with the Ministers and
government officials to transition the country into the 21st Century while
retaining their cultural and environmental heritage.
In 2004 Marilyn was recognized as one of the Top 30 Female Entrepreneurs in the
USA by Fempreneur magazine. Jack Canfield detailed her work in his book on the
strategies for success, "The Success Principles". She is featured as one of 50
women in the best selling book, "Fearless Women, midlife portraits" by
Alspaugh, Kentz, and Halpin.
Ms. Tam is a lifetime member of Who's Who World Wide and is listed in Who's Who
in American Women. She was honored with the Artemis Award for her business and
humanitarian work by the Greek government and the Euro American Women's Council
in Athens, Greece, 2006 with her likeness on a Greek postage stamp. In 2007 she
was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from eWomenNetwork.
How To Use What You've Got To Get What You Want
Leadership Excellence, How You Can Achieve It
Diversity: How To Reap the Rich Harvest of Culture, Creativity and Community
The Role of Business in the 21st Century
Global Business Ethics
Change Management: How To Increase Productivity & Morale in Rapid Change &
Uncertainty
Mid Career Transitions, How To Reassess and Accomplish Your Dreams
Corporate Humanity: The Benefits of Community Service
Women In The Workplace and Marketplace
Life Balance: How To Juggle Work, Home, Personal and Spiritual Health
Enlightened Productivity: Bottom Line Benefits of A Values-Driven Organization
