Laura A. Liswood is secretary general of the Council of Women World Leaders and a former managing director of Goldman, Sachs & Co. In August 1996, Laura co-founded the Council of Women World Leaders with President Vigdís Finnbogadóttir of Iceland located at the UN Foundation in Washington, DC. Laura is the secretary general of the Council, which is composed of women presidents, prime ministers, and heads of government. From 2001- 2016, Laura was also named managing director, global leadership and diversity for Goldman Sachs and later became a senior advisor. She continues to speak to audiences globally on diversity, equity and inclusion. Laura holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA from California State University, San Diego. She holds a JD degree from the University of California, Davis, School of Law, and is admitted to practice law in California and Massachusetts. After the events of 9/11, she became a reserve police officer in the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department and retired as a sergeant. Laura is the author of four books: The Loudest Duck-Moving beyond Diversity, The Elephant and the Mouse, Women World Leaders, and Serving Them Right. She is a long time participant with the World Economic Forum and is a steward of the Forum's Education, Gender and Work Initiative.