FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., April 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Women's ability to successfully "multi-task" will give them a greater role in helping to lead Michigan out of recession and back to economic stability, the Michigan Secretary of State, Terri Lynn Land, told a gathering of 250 women this week at a community event hosted by Daimler Financial Services.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090331/DE92388 )

"We manage families, we work at non-profits, we manage big budgets and staffs of people, we do a lot of different things in different areas of life," Land said, speaking to a group of some of the most prominent business women in Metro Detroit. "We do a lot of different things in different areas of life and we see the challenge as a marathon and not a sprint. That's what we bring to the table for Michigan's economic future."

Land was the featured speaker in a panel discussion titled: "Moving Forward: Success Stories from Inspirational Women."

In addition to Land, the other panelists were: Barbara Allushuski, President of the Great Lakes Region, Right Management; Lynne Ellyn, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, DTE Energy; and Mamatha Chamarthi, Senior Manager, Information Technology, Daimler Financial Services. Professional organizations Women In Technology International and The Michigan Council of Women in Technology partnered with Daimler Financial Services in organizing the event.

Klaus Entenmann, President and CEO of Daimler Financial Services, explained the company’s motivation for hosting the event.

"We are -- in addition to being a financial services company -- a member of the Metro Detroit community," he said. "With the current economic environment, we want to foster much-needed dialogue among important groups in our community. We hope the dialogue tonight supports the business community in the state."

The panel discussion covered such topics as methods for successfully navigating a career during these challenging economic times, plus opportunities and initiatives available in southeast Michigan for women to advance their careers. The entire event provided opportunities for Metro Detroit women to network with women who have achieved success.

About Daimler Financial Services

Daimler Financial Services (DCFS USA LLC), headquartered in Farmington Hills, Mich., provides brand-specific financing for Mercedes-Benz automotive dealers’ inventories and their retail customers, and conducts business in the United States luxury car market as Mercedes-Benz Financial. In the U.S. trucking industry, Daimler Financial Services Americas conducts business as Daimler Truck Financial and finances Daimler commercial vehicles branded Freightliner, Sterling and Western Star for dealers and their customers in the fleet, vocational, municipal and owner/operator segments. Daimler Financial Services Americas serves as the headquarters for operations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Argentina and Brazil, and has approximately 1,600 employees. Daimler Financial Services Americas is a company of the Daimler Financial Services Group, headquartered in Berlin, Germany, which operates in 40 countries with an employee base of close to 6,800. Daimler Financial Services is one of the leading financial services organizations worldwide. For more information visit www.daimler-financialservices.com/na

About The Michigan Council of Women in Technology

The Michigan Council of Women in Technology provides leadership, mentoring, community outreach, professional development and networking to professional women within the Michigan technology community. The association’s vision is to serve as the premier association for professional women within Michigan's technology community. For more information about the association, please visit www.mcwt.org.

MCWT is also affiliated with the Michigan Council of Women in Technology Foundation, a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to correcting the dramatically growing trend of gender disparity in the information technology field. The Foundation accomplishes this by attacking the problem at several of its roots -- the education and orientation of young women throughout school, and the fostering of women in various stages of their professional lives -- with a variety of monetary, educational and inspirational programs and support. For more information, please see www.mcwtf.org.

Daimler Financial Services

Daimler Financial Services

DaimlerChrysler Financial Services Americas LLC provides brand-specific financing for automotive dealers' inventories and their retail consumers, and conducts business as Chrysler Financial and Mercedes-Benz Financial. As DaimlerChrysler Truck Financial, it also finances commercial vehicles for affiliate products such as Freightliner, Sterling and Western Star. The company serves as the headquarters for operations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela, and has approximately 5,600 employees who manage a portfolio of more than $104 billion with nearly five million contracts. DaimlerChrysler Financial Services Americas LLC is a company of the DaimlerChrysler Financial Services Group, headquartered in Berlin, Germany, which operates in more than 40 countries with an employee base exceeding 11,000 and a global portfolio of approximately $144 billion. DaimlerChrysler Financial Services is one of the leading financial services organizations worldwide.

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