With the spread of globalization, the issue of how to lead companies into positions of strategic advantage has become of top concern to corporate executives. Leadership is therefore one of the hottest topics in today's business circles.

To tackle this exciting theme, the 2007 Global Leadership Conference will be held April 5 - 7 at the Shanghai Hilton Hotel. Two of the world's leading executive education providers, the University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business and the University of San Diego School of Business Administration, will host the event.

The theme of this year's conference is "Many Paths, One Journey," referring to the rich and varied theories and approaches to the study and practice of leadership, with the end goal the same across the globe - excellence in leadership.

Some of the world's top experts in leadership development will speak at this year's conference, including renowned leadership expert, Dr. Marshall Goldsmith. The American Management Association listed Dr. Goldsmith as one of the "50 great thinkers and leaders who have influenced the field of management over the past 80 years," and Business Week named him as one of the most influential practitioners in the history of leadership development. He has appeared in The Wall Street Journal as one of the top ten executive educators, in Forbes as one of the five most respected executive coaches, and in The Economist as one of the most credible consultants in the new era of business. Dedicated to helping executive leaders actively change corporate behavior, Marshall is also one of the few consultants who have been asked to work with over 70 major CEOs and their management teams. Chinese readers can see Dr. Goldsmith's opinions and comments in many Chinese business journals.

The topics of the 2007 Global Leadership Conference include corporate leadership training development, inter-cultural communication, conflict management, action learning and other aspects of leadership development.

Attendants will be encouraged to interact with Dr. Goldsmith and other leadership development experts, learn the new trend of global leadership development and become familiar with the tools and methods of leadership development. Approximately 200 people from different countries, including leadership experts, scholars, executives, HR managers, MBA students and HR students, will attend this event.

This is the second year for the Global Leadership Conference to be held in Shanghai. Last year's keynote speakers included Dr. Kenneth Blanchard, top business scholar, Dr. Stella Ting Toomey, expert on cross-cultural communication, and Dr. Tian Xinmin, the Director of the China Leadership Research Center. The official website for this conference, www.GLC7.com, has been established.