A panel of accomplished female business leaders will share their insights at the 2012 BizTimes Women in Business Breakfast, which also will feature the presentation of the BizTimes Woman Executive of the Year to Gail Lione.

Lione was recently named to the board of directors at Milwaukee-based Badger Meter Inc., adding to a long list accomplishments and appointments.

Lione, 62, was executive vice president – general counsel and secretary of Harley-Davidson Inc. from 1997 until 2010 and served as president of its foundation from 2006 until her retirement in 2011. Lione previously was general counsel for U.S. News & World Report and its affiliates, including The Atlantic Monthly Company, Applied Graphics Technologies Inc. and Applied Printing Technologies.

She is a director of Sargento Foods Inc. and a former director of Imperial Sugar Company. She currently serves on the board of directors of the Bradley Center Sports & Entertainment Corp., the Milwaukee Art Museum, the YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee, where she is the board chair, and Milwaukee Women Inc. She also serves on the board of trustees of the University of Rochester and on the board of managers of the Law Alumni Society of the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

Lione is a member of the MillerCoors Inclusion and Diversity Advisory Council, the National Women's Leadership Council of United Way of USA and the Greater Milwaukee Committee.

She is a former member of the board of the National Association of Manufacturers and trustee of its Manufacturing Institute. She belongs to a variety of professional organizations including the Chicago Chapter of Women Corporate Directors and The Fellows of the American Bar Association.

The panelists of the Women in Business Conference will include:

• Kimberley Crews Goode, vice president of communication and corporate affairs, Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. Inc.
• Julie Ledger, vice president and general manager, Opus Development Corp.
• Marie O'Brien, president and chief executive officer, EnterForce Inc.
• Kathy Siefert, former executive vice president, Kimberly Clark Corp.
• Marti Wronski, vice president and general counsel, Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club

Female business leaders throughout southeastern Wisconsin are invited to attend the conference to hear insights about the panelists' leadership styles, career development, work/life balance, networking strategies, mentorship and more. The panel discussion will be moderated by BizTimes reporter Alysha Schertz.

The BizTimes Women in Business Conference is presented by BizTimes Media, with the support of Tempo Milwaukee and Professional Dimensions.

The conference will take place at the BizExpo on Thursday, May 17 from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the Potawatomi Bingo Casino. For additional information and to register to attend, visit BizTimes' website.