Inspirational Men & Woman

Jeanne Sauve may not be a fighter for affordable health insurance but she is definitely an active figher who worked and travelled the world as a journalist.  After her university years Jeanne entered into federal politics becoming the first woman from Quecec to enter the federal Cabinet.  She was appointed Minister for Science and Technology and then Minister of the Environment and Minister of Communications.

In 1980, she was elected Speaker of the House of Commons, becoming Parliament’s first woman Speaker of the House of Commons, becoming Parliament’s first woman Speaker.  In 1983, she was elected Speaker of the House of Commons, becoming Parliament’s first woman Speaker.  In 1983, she was appointed the first woman Governor General of Canada.  Her term began in May 1984, but withdrew for health reasons.  She used her time to create a $10 million fund for youth.  She was named Companion of the Order of Canada and Commander of the Order of Military Merit (1984), member of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem and winner of the Canadian Centennial Medal and the Queen’s Jubilee Medal.

Christy Walton is the world’s 12th most richest woman in the world! wow!!  with $20 billion net worth to her name.  But unlike some on this blog Christy Walton inherited her wealth - being the wife of the late John Walton of Walmart. At 54 yrs old with only one son, Christy Walton will never be without money because Walmart will continue to thrive no matter what the economy will be because of the discounted prices and the many small business they crush - while they thrive.

World’s largest retailer benefited as cash-strapped shoppers looked to discount merchandise at start of economic slump. Boost may have waned; recently reported 1.6% decline in same-store sales in its U.S. Walmart and Sam’s Club stores, warned of soft sales in current quarter. Still, shares are up 7% in past 12 months and family fortune rose a combined $13 billion, largely recovering losses from market crash. Sam Walton started as J.C. Penney clerk. Opened Benjamin Franklin five-and-dime in 1945; lost lease five years later. Founded Bentonville, Ark., general store with brother James in 1962. Today Walmart has $405 billion in annual sales, 2 million employees, more than 8,400 stores. Christy is the richest of the Waltons thanks to late husband John’s early bet on First Solar; alternative energy stock up more than 350% since 2006 public offering.

Dr Birgit Rausing is a Swedish art historian. Together with her three children, she inherited packaging giant Tetra Laval in January 2000 after her husband Gad Rausing’s passing away. As of 2007, her net worth is about $11 billion.   In 1944 her father-in-law founded the company, which revolutionized the packaging of liquids such as juices and milk. Today sales are $15.3 billion. All of her children sit on Tetra Laval’s board; son Jorn is head of mergers and acquisitions. Son Finn is chairman of the board of the Swedish R.R. Institute of Applied Economics. Daughter Kirsten is a horse breeder in the U.K. Birgit lives quietly in Switzerland.

I was actually looking for rv for sale in China but came across Robin Li instead and thought to myself - wow!  this fella is Asia’s google kingpin.  You know he is the founder of Baidu.com - the equivalent to Google here in the West for China.  So if Google is so successful here in the West and all over the world, you can imagine how successful it had to be for Baidu as well in China .. with millions of people using it.

Born in 1968 - a little younger than I - Robin Li’s parents were factory workers but managed to send him overseas for studies. He was in New York State University and got his masters in computer science 1994.  Worked in US at the Wall Street Journal and then went home and founded Baidu and the rest is what they said history.

Daughter of Lee Kun-Hee - ex chairman of Cheil Industries, Samsung affiliate and has a net worth of $500 million.   Recently also in the limelight because of their choice of fashion and accessories, this Samsung lady- the vice president of Samsung textile unit Cheil Industries is only 38 yrs old and already well known all over the world as the country’s biggest advertising agency.

She was promoted to senior VP in Samsung’s management after a reshuffle and had been calling the shots at the Cheil Worldwide’s business planning division.   She leads the creative planning department of the fashion business and has been credited for her contributions and the improvement of sales around the clothing brand of the company in the global market.  Beauty and brains that is what i call her.  I would like some of that.

Grace Hartman is a union leader born in Southern Ontario and died in 1993.  She worked as a secretary for the town of North York, Ontario in 1954.  In 1974, she joined the union and became the President of the Canadian Union of Public Employees in 1975.  Grace Hartman was committed and went beyond her call of duty by refusing to order the hospital workers in Ontario back to work and was jailed for a month for that.

Because of her hard work and she was able to bring organization and their workers closer together in a peace movement.  She retired in 1983 and became the Preisdent of Voice of Women in 1988 until she passed away.

Samsung

Robert Hartono was named by Forbes to have a net worth of billions of dollars, bornin 1940, he made his wealth with tobacco and he is from Indonesia. Since my own mother is from Medan, Robert Hartono certainly makes my mother think about doing good one day just like Mr Hartono. I heard he is into human growth hormones but don’t quote me now. He owns and run privately the world’s 3rd largest maker of cigarettes and you and I know that tobacco is a booming industry - it never fails.

He not only run sthe tobacco company but his brothers also own the majority of Bank Of Asia - he himself attended a dutch school and during the 70s - his then diversified his company into electronics, textiles and food plus the banking of course. Pretty low profile - even who have heard his name - couldn’t find a lot of news about him on the net.

Karen Baldwin - bornin 1963 - born in London, Ontario - was crowned Miss London in a city pageant.  She then went on to compete for Miss Universe and in 1982 at 18 yrs old became the first Canadian to become Miss Universe, crowned in Lima, Peru. I bet she knows some  diet pills that work since she was in top shape - when she won - I saw the pageant on tv and I was about the same age as Karen then - but wasn’t in such good shape though.

Anyhow, back in Canada - she hosted a Canadian fashion and lifestyle tv program called The New You.  She married and is a mother of two children - her family have now settled in Los Angeles.  Karen was one of the co-hosts for the Miss Universe 1989 pageant that was held in Cancun, Mexico.  Both Karen and the second Canadian Miss Universe winner, 2005 Natalie Glebova attended London Central Secondary School in London, Ontario.